Question

The paragraph below is a critical appreciation of the poem. Choose the correct word(s) from those given in the box and fill in the blanks suitability.

perfect	red-breast	gleaning	questions	Keats
images	reaping	harvesting	wailing	swallows
sun	sounds	beating	conspiring	stubble
abundance	second	answered	To Autumn	woman
singing	hedge-crickets	whistling	barred
fruit	closing	twittering	sights

 

flowers

personification

first

cutting

lambs

______ by ______ has been termed by many critics as the ______ poem because it gives the reader a complete picture of the ______ and ______ of autumn.

The first stanza is full of beautiful and vivid ______ of the season. There exists a close friendship between Autumn and the ______. During autumn both are ______ how to 'load and bless' plants, vines and trees with ______ and ______. All the descriptions in stanza 1 build up to give us an image of ______.

In the ______ stanza, the poet describes autumn as a ______. The figure of speech used here is ______. Most of the images are those of a figure in a static position or in arrested motion. The poet shifts his view in this stanza beyond the 'cottage trees' of the ______ stanza to the granary. Various activities connected with
______ are mentioned such as winnowing, ______, ______ and ______.

The final stanza begins with a disturbing and wistful ______ but it is ______ quickly. The poet now gives us the images of ______ plains and ______ clouds at the ______ of an autumn day. There are several striking sound images in the stanza such as the ______ of gnats, the ______ of ______, the ______ of ______, the ______ of the ______ and the ______ of ______.

Answer 1

To Autumn by Keats has been termed by many critics as the perfect poem because it gives the reader a complete picture of the sights and sounds of autumn.

The first stanza is full of beautiful and vivid images of the season. There exists a close friendship between Autumn and the sun. During autumn both are conspiring how to 'load and bless' plants, vines and trees with fruit and flowers. All the descriptions in stanza 1 build up to give us an image of abundance.

In the second stanza, the poet describes autumn as a woman. The figure of speech used here is personification. Most of the images are those of a figure in a static position or in arrested motion. The poet shifts his view in this stanza beyond the 'cottage trees' of the first stanza to the granary. Various activities connected with harvesting are mentioned such as winnowing, reaping, gleaning, and cutting.

The final stanza begins with a disturbing and wistful question but it is answered quickly. The poet now gives us the images of stubble plains and barred clouds at the closing of an autumn day. There are several striking sound images in the stanza such as the wailing of gnats, the bleating of lambs, the singing of hedge-crickets, the whistling of the red-breast and the twittering of swallows.