Poem in October : Summary

Summary

Detailed  Summary

Early Morning Walk in Nature: The poem begins on the morning of the poet’s thirtieth birthday. He calls it his “thirtieth year to heaven.” It is a rainy October morning. He wakes up early to take a walk. The town is still sleeping. As he walks in the town and near the harbour, he hears sounds from the harbour and the nearby woods. He hears the call of seagulls, the call of rooks (a kind of crow), and the splash of water. He imagines the water is making a prayer-like sound, calm and continuous. The shore is “heron priested.” The poet imagines the heron as a priest blessing the land. He also hears the sound of sailing boats knocking against the harbour wall. The world feels alive, as if nature itself is celebrating with him. He leaves the still-sleeping town and goes out to the countryside for a walk.

Autumn Rain Brings Past Memories: As he begins his walk, he notices many birds. He sees water birds and tree birds. The birds are flying above the farmlands and white horses. As he walks, the autumn rain begins to fall (It is an October morning. The Autumn season in England consists of September, October, and November). He feels that the rain showers down all the memories of his past years. He sees a hunting heron dive into the water. The town closes behind him as he goes further into the countryside.

He Climbs The Hill, Weather Changes:  Now, the poet climbs a hill. He sees a springful of larks flying into the cloud. The blackbirds are whistling from the bushes. The October sun feels warm, almost like summer. The “sun of October” suddenly becomes “summery.” In that moment, he feels surrounded by beauty—birds, music, rain, and cold wind. Though it is autumn, he feels it is midday summer. He climbs above the rain and cold wind of the woods below him. As he looks back at the harbour from that distance, he notices the rain falling on the sea. He sees mist around the church. The faraway town looks tiny. The church near the seashore looks like a tiny snail with its horns. The castles look like a brown owl. Yet, in his imagination, he sees blossoming gardens of spring and summer. For a while, he feels that he can enjoy his birthday in wonder among nature. But then the weather suddenly changes.

Summer and Childhood Memories: With this change, Thomas’s memory goes back to his childhood summer days. He suddenly feels the bright sunlight of summer and sees apples, pears, and red currants. He remembers himself as a little boy walking with his mother in the mornings. Those days were full of sunshine, green fields, and the child’s joy in nature.

The memory touches him so deeply. He feels that the boy’s heart and tears are still alive inside him. He imagines seeing the woods, the river, and the sea where the boy felt happy. He imagines seeing the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide where he felt the deepest joy as a child. The poet still feels the same joy in nature, in the water and songbirds.

He Wishes to Have the Same Joy in the Future: The poet stands on the hill. He feels it is summer. He feels that the childhood joy is still inside him, singing. It is the poet’s thirtieth birthday. He is standing in the summer on the hill. But down below in the town, there is Autumn. The leaves of the trees are turning their Autumn red. The poet calls it “October Blood.” The poet is full of summer. It means the poet is full of youthful joy. But it is actually Autumn, which means he is already in his middle age. Though he is in his middle age now, he prays/wishes to have the same joy in his heart on his future birthdays. He wishes to return to the same high hill every year and feel the same joy he felt as a child.