Ten Poems for Autumn from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press
2020

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this poetry pamphlet

Autumn can be so many things. There are some years when summer seems to pack up her bags and disappear in the space of just a few days. Other times there’s a delicious lingering of warmth so that autumn seems to be merely a softer, more gentle version of what has gone before:

“The trees glittered with the tumbling of leaves;

The sidewalks shone like alleys of dropped maple leaves,

And the houses ran along them laughing out of square, open windows.”

from ‘September, 1918’ by Amy Lowell

This selection of poems captures one of poetry’s favourite seasons in all its variety and opulence, bringing us ripe pears, twittering swallows and children gathering berries, alongside the early-evening switching on of TVs and the drawing of curtains.

Poems by Emily Brontë, Maggie Dietz, Kahlil Gibran, Jane Hirshfield, John Keats, Ted Kooser, Amy Lowell, Freya Manfred, Vinode Ramgopal and RS Thomas.

Cover illustration by Alexandra Buckle

What did I think about it..

Autumn, season of mists, is one of my favourite times of year. The 'nip' in the air, the yeasty smell of the earth, the crackle of leaves and the abundance of hedgerow fruits, all herald the arrival of a, sort of, gathering in, not just of the harvest, but also of some deep remembered need to conserve energy, to hunker down, and make provision for winter.

This collection of ten poems shares the sensations of autumn in an eloquent selection of verse which express all the sentiments of the season.

No autumn poetry collection would be complete without the most recognised, and celebrated, poem by John Keats, To Autumn is there in all its glory, it remains one of my favourite pastoral poems.

"Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom friend of the maturing sun..."

There are also lovely poems by poets who are new to me and I especially enjoyed the poignancy of  Green Pear Trees in September by Freya Manfred..

"Until the green haloed tree

rose up and sang hello

I had forgotten..."

and the simple beauty of The Invitation of Autumn by Vinode B Ramgopal

"We come to autumn on thrones of sealed air

Wanderers at windows..."

This beautifully presented poetry pamphlet offers ten lovely poems which will take you into the glory of autumn.

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Clouds, Walking, Birds, Home and Kindness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Connect: www.candlestickpress.co.uk /  Twitter @PoetryCandle