The Coming of Winter-William Cullen Bryant

THE COMING OF WINTER

The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the

year,

Oft wailing winds, and naked woods, and meadows

brown and sere,

Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the autumn 

leaves lie dead;

They rustle to the eddying guest, and to the rabbit's 

tread;

The robin and the wren are flown, and from the

shrubs the jay,

And from the wood-tops calls the crow through all

the gloomy day.

The wind-flower and the violet, they perished

long ago,

And the brier-rose and the orchis died amid the

summer glow;

But on the hills the golden-rod, and the aster in

the wood,

And the yellow sunflower by the brook in autumn

beauty stood,

Till fell the frost from the clear cold heaven, as 

falls the plague on men,

And the brightness of their smile was gone, from

upland, glade, and glen.

And now, when comes the calm mild day, as still

such days will come,

To call the squirrel and the bee from out their

winter home;

When the sound of dropping nuts is heard, though

all the trees are still,

And twinkle in the smoking light the waters of

the rill,

The south wind searches for the flowers whose

fragrance late he bore,

And sighs to find them in the wood and by the

stream no more.

WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT

Summary: 'The Coming of Winter' by William Cullen Bryant is a poem that vividly describes the transition from autumn to winter. It portrays the melancholic and somber atmosphere that accompanies this seasonal shift. The poem begins with a depiction of the arrival of winter, with wailing winds, bare trees, and brown meadows covered in dead autumn leaves. It highlights the absence of birds like the robin, wren, and jay, which have migrated or gone quiet.

The poem goes on to reflect on the demise of various flowers and plants that once thrived in the summer but how now withered away. Despite the desolation, it mentions the enduring beauty of the golden-rod, aster, and sunflower on the hillsides and near the brooks.

As the poem progresses, it captures the moment when a calm and mild day arrives, even in the midst of winter, calling forth creatures like squirrels and bees from their winter shelters. The sound of nuts falling from the trees is heard, and the waters of the stream twinkle in the pale winter light. The poem also touches on the south wind's futile search for the fragrant flowers that have disappeared in the woods and by the stream.

Overall, 'The Coming of Winter' paints a poignant picture of the changing seasons, emphasizing the beauty of nature even in its declining phase and the sense of loss that accompanies the transition to winter.