Sep 26, 2014

POETRY FRIDAY: From Summer to Fall

Thank you to Laura at Writing the World for Kids for hosting Poetry Friday today!
 
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Several weeks ago, Carol Varsalona invited me to participate in her Summer Serenity Gallery. I was thrilled and honored to be a part of this beautiful project, and have enjoyed reading (and re-reading) the poems Carol collected. As summer fades into fall, take some time to visit the Summer Serenity Gallery here and reflect on your own summer memories. You'll be glad that you did!

I breathed a little sigh of relief this week when the weather cooled off in South Carolina! As much as I enjoyed our (long, hot) summer, I am happy to grab a sweater in the mornings and feel the chill in the air. The leaves in the woods behind my house are just starting to change, and it’s not quite so easy to pop out of bed in the mornings. I love it!
I have always particularly enjoyed reading poetry written about fall. I am drawn to the rich language and evocative images that poets often employ when writing about autumn, and have gathered many examples over the years that I re-read each time autumn rolls around. So in celebration of fall, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite autumn poetry during my Poetry Friday posts this season.

The following poem was written by Eleanor Farjeon and is one I posted in my classroom each autumn. It is short and sweet, but was always a favorite with the kids (and me!):
Down, Down
By Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

Down, down
Yellow and brown
The leaves are falling
Over the town.
 
What is your favorite poem about fall? Happy fall, and Happy Writing!

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19 comments:

  1. laurasalasSeptember 26, 2014 at 6:38 PM

    I love so many fall poems and whole collections. Douglas Florian's AUTUMBLINGS is fun, Lilian Moore's "Arson," is fabulous, and my very favorite group of fall poems are the fall section in Barbara Juster Esbensen's SWING AROUND THE SUN. They are haunting and melancholy and stunning (with gorgeous illos by Mary GrandPre). And there were 5 or 6 more gorgeous fall poems shared throughout today's Poetry Friday Roundup. Thanks for sharing this simple Farjeon poem!

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    1. Becky ShillingtonSeptember 26, 2014 at 9:21 PM

      Thanks for the suggestions, Laura! Mary GrandPre was at the conference I attended this weekend, and I was in awe just to be in the same room as she was. = ) I am looking forward to reading today's Poetry Friday poems!!!

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  2. Leandra WallaceSeptember 26, 2014 at 8:01 PM

    Such a lovely, simple poem. The leaves aren't turning here yet, but probably soon. I just hate when they start falling and we've got them everywhere!

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    1. Becky ShillingtonSeptember 26, 2014 at 9:21 PM

      Thank you, Leandra! I know what you mean about the leaves--they drop so quickly! Happy fall!

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  3. RamonaSeptember 26, 2014 at 10:42 PM

    I have a favorite author who does wonderful fall poems, but I'm saving it for PF in October.
    Becky, I love crisp fall days, even our soggy fall days here in the NW. We've already lost a lot of leaves during the past week. When I was teaching, I always had my students kiss summer goodbye and embrace festive fall. They always felt a little better about summer's end when we looked at Halloween activities, football games, cozy clothes, warm fires, and Thanksgiving holidays.

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    1. Becky ShillingtonSeptember 29, 2014 at 8:51 AM

      I love the image of children kissing summer goodbye and embracing festive fall, Ramona!

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  4. Linda BSeptember 26, 2014 at 11:34 PM

    The work Carol did for the serenity gallery is just lovely, & I'm still reading and enjoying everyone's poems, Becky. There are so many lovely fall poems, & one of my favorites that is a gem to me is by the inventor of the cinquain, Adelaide Crapsey: November Night

    Listen...
    With faint dry sound,
    Like steps of passing ghosts,
    The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
    And fall.

    Thanks for sharing this special one by Farjeon.

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  5. Michelle Heidenrich BarnesSeptember 27, 2014 at 8:10 AM

    Happy Fall, Becky! No morning sweaters here yet, though I did *almost* put on a 3/4 sleeve tee shirt the other day. Looking forward to your fall fest of poetry. The poem Linda shared is one of my favorites as well.

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    1. Becky ShillingtonSeptember 29, 2014 at 8:53 AM

      I hope it starts to cool down soon, Michelle! When I lived in FL, I would create an "artificial fall" in my classroom with lots of leaves and pumpkins. It was fun!

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  6. Mary LeeSeptember 27, 2014 at 8:29 AM

    I used Kristy Dempsey's Week 9 PFA K-6 grade 5 poem "Apprehended by Autumn" yesterday for Poetry Friday in my classroom. It's short and sweet with a fabulous metaphor of autumn arresting a tree.

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    1. Becky ShillingtonSeptember 29, 2014 at 8:56 AM

      I will have to take my PFA out and look this one up, Mary Lee!

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  7. TabathaSeptember 27, 2014 at 9:28 PM

    I love autumn and there are a lot of autumn poems that I like. Here's one:

    Autumn

    The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
    as if orchards were dying high in space.
    Each leaf falls as if it were motioning "no."

    And tonight the heavy earth is falling
    away from all other stars in the loneliness.

    We're all falling. This hand here is falling.
    And look at the other one. It's in them all.

    And yet there is Someone, whose hands
    infinitely calm, holding up all this falling.

    Rainer Maria Rilke

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  8. Bridget MageeSeptember 28, 2014 at 1:36 PM

    Farjeon's poem is short and sweet, yet evokes so much. My favorite kind of poetry for my favorite season. Thank you!

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  9. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2014 at 5:11 PM

    Love this fall poetry! I can't come up with any poems off the top of my head, but I immediately thought of Van Morrison singing Moondance--one of my favorites. Another great one is Harvest Moon by Neil Young. I guess I'm feeling more musical today... :)

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  10. theartofpuroSeptember 30, 2014 at 1:20 PM

    What a lovely little poem :)

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