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Autumn by James Russell Lowell

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Written thirteen years after losing someone cherished, this poem explores the speaker's sorrow through autumn imagery — bare trees, an empty bird's nest, a creaking gate — capturing the essence of absence.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
Core theme
Death
The PoemFull text

Autumn

James Russell Lowell

Still thirteen years: 'tis autumn now On field and hill, in heart and brain; The naked trees at evening sough; The leaf to the forsaken bough Sighs not,--'_Auf wiedersehen!_' Two watched yon oriole's pendent dome, That now is void, and dank with rain, And one,--oh, hope more frail than foam! The bird to his deserted home Sings not,--'_Auf wiedersehen!_' The loath gate swings with rusty creak; Once, parting there, we played at pain: There came a parting, when the weak And fading lips essayed to speak Vainly,--'_Auf wiedersehen!_' Somewhere is comfort, somewhere faith, Though thou in outer dark remain; One sweet sad voice ennobles death, And still, for eighteen centuries saith Softly,--'_Auf wiedersehen!_' If earth another grave must bear, Yet heaven hath won a sweeter strain, And something whispers my despair, That, from an orient chamber there, Floats down, '_Auf wiedersehen!_'

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Written thirteen years after losing someone cherished, this poem explores the speaker's sorrow through autumn imagery — bare trees, an empty bird's nest, a creaking gate — capturing the essence of absence. Each stanza concludes with the German phrase *Auf wiedersehen*, translating to "until we meet again," evolving from a word the deceased can no longer utter to a hopeful promise the speaker clings to. By the final stanza, the poem transitions from grief to a delicate yet genuine belief that a reunion awaits beyond death.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Still thirteen years: 'tis autumn now / On field and hill, in heart and brain;

    Editor's note

    Lowell begins by noting the passage of thirteen years since the loss, blending the external season with internal emotions right away. Autumn on the "field and hill" is a straightforward observation; autumn "in heart and brain" reveals that grief has permeated the speaker's entire being. The bare trees and their evening sounds—*sough* refers to a soft, moaning wind—create a bleak atmosphere. The leaf doesn’t say *Auf wiedersehen* to the branch it drops from—nature provides no goodbyes, no assurance of return.

  2. Two watched yon oriole's pendent dome, / That now is void, and dank with rain;

    Editor's note

    The oriole's hanging nest — once observed by two people together — now sits empty and wet. That moment of sharing a glimpse of something small and alive is precisely the type of memory that grief clings to. The bird, like the lost loved one, doesn’t come back to sing *Auf wiedersehen* to its former home. The absence feels even greater: the person is gone, and the living world provides no reminder of them.

  3. The loath gate swings with rusty creak; / Once, parting there, we played at pain:

    Editor's note

    This stanza serves as the emotional heart of the poem. The gate is where they used to exchange goodbyes — rehearsed farewells that they could afford to dramatize, knowing they would see each other again. Then came a true separation: the beloved's death, when "weak and fading lips" attempted to say *Auf wiedersehen* but couldn’t. The word "vainly" hits hard — not because the phrase lacked meaning, but because the body gave out before it could be uttered.

  4. Somewhere is comfort, somewhere faith, / Though thou in outer dark remain;

    Editor's note

    The poem shifts from mourning to a sense of hope. Lowell seeks solace in religion—“one sweet sad voice” that “ennobles death” refers to Christ, whose resurrection promise has echoed for eighteen centuries. The speaker doesn’t assert certainty; comfort exists “somewhere,” and the beloved remains in the “outer dark.” Yet, the voice of faith gently whispers *Auf wiedersehen*—softly, not triumphantly, which feels more sincere.

  5. If earth another grave must bear, / Yet heaven hath won a sweeter strain,

    Editor's note

    The final stanza acknowledges the potential for more death — including, implicitly, the speaker's own — without hesitation. Yet, it concludes with the poem's sole instance of true lightness: something "whispers" to the speaker's despair that from an "orient chamber" (an eastern room, suggesting dawn and rebirth) the word *Auf wiedersehen* drifts down. The italics and absence of a dash before the phrase this time impart a different quality — not a failed expression, but a genuine voice coming from the other side.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone remains quiet and mournful, but it conveys grief authentically rather than theatrically. Lowell uses simple language and relatable imagery — like a gate, a bird's nest, and bare trees — giving the sorrow a sense of reality rather than a literary quality. There's a subtle tenderness in his portrayal of the dying scene, and the religious comfort in the last two stanzas feels natural because he doesn't pretend the pain has vanished. The poem concludes with a whisper instead of a bold statement.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Auf wiedersehen
The German farewell — which translates to "until we see each other again" — serves as the backbone of the poem. It starts as a phrase that neither nature nor the deceased can express, evolves into the word that slips away on dying lips, and ultimately turns into a promise made by faith and then by the beloved from beyond the grave. This journey within the poem reflects the speaker's transition from deep sorrow to a delicate sense of hope.
The oriole's empty nest
The hanging nest, once observed by two people together, represents a shared life that now feels empty. Its dampness and darkness create a small, domestic reminder of death—a home left behind, where warmth has faded.
The rusty gate
The gate stands as a boundary between presence and absence. Its rust shows it's been neglected for a long time — no one has joyfully swung it open since the loss. Yet, it carries the memories of playful farewells, making the true final farewell feel even more painful in comparison.
Autumn
Autumn serves as both a literal season and a reflection of our emotions. It marks endings, stripping away the old and hinting at the coming winter. Yet, autumn also leads us toward spring, subtly holding onto the possibility of renewal that the poem's refrain emphasizes.
The orient chamber
"Orient" refers to the east, where the sun rises. The picture of a room in the east, with a voice gently floating down, blends resurrection themes—like dawn and the risen Christ—with an intimate, homey setting—a chamber instead of a throne room. This imagery brings the afterlife closer to us, making it feel more tangible rather than distant or abstract.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
AABBA AABBA AABBA AABBA AABBA

§07Historical context

Historical context

James Russell Lowell wrote "Autumn" in memory of his first wife, Maria White Lowell, who passed away from tuberculosis in October 1853. The poem opens with the line "Still thirteen years," indicating it was composed around 1866, thirteen years after her death. Maria was a poet herself and a passionate abolitionist, and their marriage was a true intellectual and emotional partnership. Lowell faced the heartbreaking loss of three of their four children in infancy, turning grief into a constant presence in his adult life rather than just a singular event. By the 1860s, Lowell had become one of America's leading literary figures, serving as editor for *The Atlantic Monthly* and later *The North American Review*. However, this poem reflects his private thoughts rather than his public persona. The inclusion of the German phrase *Auf wiedersehen* highlights the mid-19th century American educated class’s connection to German culture and Romanticism, adding a formal, ceremonial tone to the refrain.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is the poem written about?

The poem reflects on the loss of Maria White Lowell, who was Lowell's first wife and passed away from tuberculosis in 1853. The thirteen-year gap referred to in the opening line indicates that it was likely written around 1866.

What does 'Auf wiedersehen' mean and why does Lowell use German?

Auf wiedersehen translates to "until we see each other again" in German—it's a farewell that hints at the hope of reunion. Lowell chooses this phrase partly because educated Americans of his time were immersed in German Romantic culture, and partly because it encapsulates the poem's central question: is this farewell forever, or will they meet again? The use of a foreign word adds a ritualistic, almost magical feel every time it appears.

Why can't the leaf, the bird, or the dying person say 'Auf wiedersehen'?

In the first two stanzas, nature fails to provide the comfort of goodbye — leaves drop quietly, and birds don’t come back with songs of promises. In the third stanza, the beloved's dying lips attempt to say it but cannot manage. These failures combine to create the poem's main sorrow: the word that needed to be said was never uttered, and nothing in the world can replace it.

What is the 'one sweet sad voice' in the fourth stanza?

Lowell is talking about Christ. The phrase "for eighteen centuries saith" highlights the Christian promise of resurrection that has been echoed since about the first century. Lowell's tone isn't triumphantly religious; instead, it's "sweet sad," and the comfort he speaks of feels like it's "somewhere" out of reach rather than securely in hand.

Is this poem about religious faith or doubt?

Both concepts are held in tension. In the final two stanzas, Lowell leans toward faith, but his language remains cautious — "somewhere is comfort," "something whispers my despair." He doesn't assert certainty; instead, he conveys that he hears a whisper. This honesty prevents the ending from coming across as a neat resolution.

What is the poem's rhyme scheme and how does it work?

Each five-line stanza follows an AABBA pattern, with the B rhyme always being "rain" and the last line consistently ending with Auf wiedersehen. This repeating refrain gives the poem a rocking, almost hypnotic feel — it circles back to the same word like a grieving mind revisits the same loss.

What does 'played at pain' mean in the third stanza?

It means the two lovers would turn their goodbyes at the gate into dramatic farewells—making ordinary partings feel tragic, knowing they would reunite soon. It's a bittersweet memory: what started as a playful act unexpectedly turned into something genuine.

How does the poem's structure mirror its emotional movement?

The first three stanzas shift from a broad landscape to a shared memory, and finally to the moment of death. In contrast, the last two stanzas take a different route, expanding outward to seek religious comfort and then rising toward the "orient chamber," where the beloved's voice is ultimately heard. The refrain remains consistent throughout, but by the end, its meaning transforms entirely.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Lowell, James Russell. "Autumn." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/autumn-james-russell-lowell/.

APA

Lowell, J. R. (n.d.). Autumn. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/autumn-james-russell-lowell/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'Autumn,' James Russell Lowell transforms the German farewell 'Auf wiedersehen' — literally 'until we see again' — into an instrument of measured grief, arguing that the language of reunion survives even when the human voice that once …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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