Autumn’s Beauty - Linda Christensen

Autumn’s Beauty - Linda Christensen

Literature

Learning Outcomes

• To invoke the habit of reading literature

• To develop the habit of enjoying poetry and rhyme

• To read the poem with correct expression and voice modulation

• To understand the various poetic devices used in the poem

Anything to add?​

• Linda Christensen is the Director of the Oregon Writing Project (OWP), located in the Graduate School of Education at Lewis & Clark College.

• Linda is the author of Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching about Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word.

Continued....

About the Author

• She is also the co-editor of Rethinking School Reform: Views from the Classroom and Rethinking Our Classrooms.

• She has given keynote addresses at local, national, and international conferences about her work on literacy and social justice.

Continued....

About the Author

• She is a member of the Rethinking Schools editorial board. She received the Fred Heschinger Award for use of research in teaching and writing from National Writing Project in 1998 and the U.S. West Outstanding Teacher of Western United States for “Reaching Beyond Classroom Walls”.

Anything to add?​

About the Author

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc9J7oLB-jU

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How many seasons do we have in India?

SOME WARM UP ACTVITES

What is Autumn called in America?

How do seasons bring change in our lives?

AUTUMN'S BEAUTY

What's the meaning?

The rain falls gently ​

Quenching the thirst of a landscape​

Parched by the rays of the hot summer sun.​

​

The song of the birds is now silenced

The petals of a once brilliant flower have faded

A bright, azure sky with soft white clouds is gone,

Replaced by the gray dampness of the season.​

Meaning

It is a beautiful poem in which the poet talks about the time when summer ends and the autumn is about to start. ​

She begins by saying that there’s rain that quenches the thirst of the landscape that was parched due to the extreme hot weather. She says that during this transition from one season to another, there are various changes that take place. The songs and chirping of birds are no more audible. There is complete silence. The flowers that were once beautifully colourful are now faded. The sky which was bright, azure (bright blue cloudless sky), has turned grey and hazy.

AUTUMN'S BEAUTY

The caressing breeze of summer

Has turned into the blustering winds of fall

Leaves, once proudly perched on the limbs of trees,

Now dance gaily through the air,

Brightly colored in the warm tones of autumn

​

Children laughing merrily on their way

​As they hear the crackling sound of leaves beneath their feet.

A jack-o-lantern sits in the window,

Showing a wide, toothless grin or scowling frown.​

Meaning

The breeze which was soothing during summers, has turned into the violent gusts of wind. It is not comforting anymore as it causes dryness. The result is that the leaves which were once a part of the tree, proudly enhancing it beauty, now seem to be dancing gaily while falling down and parting with it. Their colour has also changed from green to the bright warm tones/ colours of autumn which are orange, yellow and red.

People look forward to this season as it brings festivities (Halloween) with it. Children enjoy hearing the crackling sound of leaves as they walk. One can easily spot a Jack-olantern kept on the window sill, beautifully carved either showing a grin or a frown.​

The snapping of pitch from a burning log,

The faint scent of pine filling the room

Flames leaping about as if it were a ballet

Performing for its audience.

The soft, comforting glow of candlelight,

Bringing with it serenity and quiet thoughts.

​

I sit in amazement watching all that is around me.

Yes, there is a God.

Only He could have made the wonders I see before me.

I will accept the solitude and indifference of winter ​

So I may anticipate and appreciate

The re- birth of spring.

Meaning

Due to slight coldness in the weather, people have started burning wood in the fireplace. The sound of burning log and the faint scent of pine fills the room with the charm of festival of Halloween. The flames of burning log are leaping high and are being compared to a ballet dancer who is performing for his audience.

The glow of the candlelight is comforting. The dimness in the room brings serenity and peace of mind. One gets very comforting thoughts that take away the worries of life.

Meaning

The poet feels the omnipresence of God and says that she is amazed to see the beauty in everything that is happening around her. She feels it’s only the God who has the power to create such wonderful things in nature. She says that she is positive and realises that life comes in a full circle and therefore she is willing to accept the loneliness and the harsh conditions of winter so that she can very hopefully appreciate and welcome the re- birth of spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjiQCnE4G8Y

Let's watch!!

Poetic Devices

Auditory imagery: Crackling sound

​Alliteration: Summer sun; proudly perched; flowers have faded​

​Personification: The rain falls gently quenching the thirst of a landscape; Leaves, once proudly perched on the limbs of trees; Now dance gaily through the air

​Visual Imagery: soft white clouds, grey dampness, brightly coloured

Colour Imagery: A bright, azure sky with soft white clouds is gone; Brightly colored in the warm tones of autumn​

Open Ended

What does the rain do?

The rain quenches the thirst of the dry parched landscape.

Your answer??

Open Ended

Why have the petals faded?

The transition in weather has brought in several other changes. The dryness and hot conditions have taken away the beauty of the colourful flowers leaving them look faded and dull.

Anything to add?

Open Ended

What does ‘grey dampness’ indicate?

The sun loses its sheen and the bright azure sky is replaced by the hazy , grey coloured sky, giving it a very damp and dull look.

Let's discuss!

Open Ended

What happens to the caressing breeze of summer in autumn?

Due to the change in season, the breeze which was soothing in summers has turned into violent gusts of wind causing the leaves to fall and leaving the trees bare.

Let's discuss!

Open Ended

What does the glow of candlelight bring with it?

The glow of candlelight brings with it serene and quiet thoughts which make one positive. The tranquility it provides takes us to another world where one can introspect and get motivated to look forward to and accept the unforeseen events and things, with the strength to overcome hurdles.

Let's discuss!

Open Ended

Extrapolation:

Why is Halloween celebrated? What is the significance of Jack-o lantern?

[just write the points]