November is, in fact, one of my favorite months of the year, possibly because it contains my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. But also there is something about the weather of November. Summer's heat is finally gone from the Gulf Coast and on most days it is quite pleasant to be outside. I enjoy the misty moisty days of November. It is pleasant to sit on my patio and watch as new birds show up in the backyard almost every day. The birds that were "gone away" from Frost's Northeast are now our winter visitors; my "November guests," are arriving.
My November Guest
by Robert Frost
My sorrow, when she’s here with me,Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
ReplyDeleteI like ' simple worsted grey Is silver now with clinging mist.' - what a very apt description.
It’s a lovely verse. I am glad that your winter birds are arriving. November here is generally not a pleasant month from the weather standpoint, but this year it has been exceptional. We are visiting my daughter in Ottawa, and yesterday we were walking under sunny skies with a temperature of eleven degrees C. Remarkable! It would not be unusual to have snow in the second half of November.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy all that nice weather while it lasts!
DeleteSorrow in november, when all the leaves fall- I feel the same sometimes. Where did the sunshine go? Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteToday is a very gray day with a bit of mist in the air - a perfect November day!
DeleteSuch a beautifully descriptive poem. We are sad for our summer birds leaving, but I've now seen dark-eyed juncos several times. They come from the north to winter with us, and must be wondering where the snow is. The European Starlings are doing their fall mummeration displays, another sign that winter is close. It still feels strange that you see the migrants in the winter and not the summer. I miss hearing birdsong. It must be so wonderful to watch and hear.
ReplyDeleteOur winter visitors are mostly quiet, as if they don't want to bring attention to themselves, but our resident birds - the cardinals, titmice, chickadees, etc. - make up for that.
DeleteI live on Cape Cod and we lose many birds during the autumn migration, but I just heard/saw my first Common Loon coming back here to stay the winter after a summer at the the inland ponds and lakes. We must take in joy when possible.
DeleteI always love Frost! And Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, too. I think it's sad how it's become the forgotten holiday squished between Halloween and Christmas the way it is.
ReplyDeleteNever forgotten by me! My fondest holiday memories are the times when all the family would gather at my parents' house for Thanksgiving.
DeleteI agree completely, Dorothy. November is the month the heat finally starts going away around here. Though perhaps heat maybe staying a bit longer if these new appointees have anything to do about it...
ReplyDeleteSadly, true. We'll soon find out just how much damage they can do.
DeleteThanksgiving has also become my favorite holiday.
DeleteNovember is nice before the snow arrives ... but just today it has arrived ... with more snow this week. I used to like November but that was before the election. sigh.
ReplyDeleteSnow is definitely not a problem here so I'm free to enjoy the pleasant temperatures and the changing colors of the season. They provide something of an antidote against the disappointment of the election.
DeleteOk. Not to sound disconnected, but is the November guest, in fact, November?
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