Roy Campbell (1901 - 1957)

Roy Campbell was a South African poet and essayist who received international acclaim. He was named as one of the best poets of the inter-war period.

In his poem, “Autumn”, Campbell celebrates and pays tribute to the season as a time of both purification and transformation. He recognizes that autumn is associated with both aging and dying, however, there is the promise of the return of summer. The poet recognizes that during autumn only what is the strongest and purest will survive.

The first line of stanza one is a personal response to the season: “I love to see”. The poet speaks of “leaves” that “depart”. They do not just fall to the ground. They “depart” as in they die. Thus the poet uses personification to portray the falling of the leaves. He continues with his use of personification when he refers to the “clear anatomy” (line 2) that arrives – “anatomy” being the structure of the human body. What the poet is saying is that he loves to see the stark, bare trunks of the trees in autumn once the leaves have left the trees exposed.

The poet states that autumn is the “paragon of art” (line 3). A “paragon” is a model of extreme excellence. This is indeed high praise for the season as it is the epitome of artistic skill in that it creates unique and splendid images – these being the exposed, bare trees. In lines 4 to 5, the poet states that autumn “kills all forms of life and feeling” except what is the strongest and can survive. This suggests that autumn is a season of renewal and purification because it kills only is old and what can no longer thrive (survive).

In stanza two the geese are migrating to warmer climates. The poet uses onomatopoeia in the words “clanging chains” (line 6) to describe the sound they make as they fly. The poet also uses a metaphor as he compares the way the geese fly to links in a long chain. Think about the V-shape of the geese as they fly across the sky. The word “harnessed” (line 7) implies that the geese are tied to the moon and are dragging it across the sky in the same way a horse pulls a carriage. The word “stripped” (line 8) usually has negative connotations as it means that the trees have been stripped of their bark. However, Campbell suggests something positive in the use of this word. As the “sun-clouding planes” (tall trees) and “dark pines” (lines 9) are stripped of their old, tattered bark, they are bare and they allow the “needles” (line 10) or sun rays to shine through. Notice the use of the pun in the word “needles”. The “needles” refer to the long, thin shape of the leaves but also to the long, thin piercing sun beams. Once the spring arrives, this warmth of the sun will allow new growth and regeneration. In this way the natural cycle of life continues.

In stanza three, the poet speaks of the olive vines that blow or are “strained” in the strong winds or “gale” (line 11). The branches of the olive trees expose their white undersides that are “like hoary wrestlers” (line 12). The word “hoary” means “white haired with age”. Thus the olive trees that are blown over in the wind look like white haired wrestlers bent over with “toil” (line 12) or effort. Think of two aging wrestlers holding each other, bent over, in a ring.

The fruits of summer, however, remain during autumn as the grapes and olives have been picked and stored in “vats” (line 14). These fruits will be used to make “red froth” (line 15) or wine and “sun-gold oil” (line 15) or olive oil. So even during autumn, “summer lingers” (line14) – it does not die but remains in the fruits that it has produced. Notice the evocative, rich warmth of the colours: “red” and “sun-gold”.

In the last stanza, the poet states that the rotting wood from the vines and olive trees will be used to create warmth in the “hearth’s reviving pyre” (line 16) or the fireplace. The use of the word “pyre” is significant as a “pyre” is a pile of wood associated with the burning of a dead body. However it has connotations of renewal and rebirth. This suggestion of new life is emphasized by the word “reviving”. So autumn is not just about death – it is about new beginnings and the energy and vitality that will return with the spring.

The poet deliberately creates an atmosphere or mood of warmth and cosiness in the final stanza. The wine is compared to “a ruby” (line 18) because of the richness of its colour. The wine “pants fire” – it seems to be alive, energetic and breathing as it is reflected in the “lit crystal of the cup” (line 20). There is a sense of comfort and well being. Even though it is cold and autumn is the season of death, there is the promise of spring and the natural cycle of life will continue. Notice the irony – in order to bring rebirth, the old and the dying must be destroyed.