"To Autumn" - John Keats

In this work, the author heavily utilizes sensual imagery. For me, that makes literature like this more relatable, fun to read, and easier to understand. For example, lines 19-22: "And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep steady thy laden head across a brook; or by a cider-press, with patient look, thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours." This imagery contributes to the central theme: autumn can be beautiful and peaceful.

Besides loads of imagery, Keats includes a peaceful, calm, and happy tone throughout. That ties into the other central theme: autumn is just as good as summer or spring, if not better. This is stated in lines 23-24, "Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--." I believe "thou" in this sentence is speaking directly to autumn. This quote is then saying that, although people only praise the warmer seasons, autumn has numerous good qualities such as rejuvination: Lines 9-11 show downfall of summer: over-working the land and, thus, killing the vegetation: "And still more, later flowers for the bees, until they think arm days will never cease, for summer has o'er-brimmed their clammy cells." Lastly, the situation of summer over-working the land, killing plant life could be an analogy for how humans are refreshed at the beginning of autumn; for example, the start of school or work for some people occurs in fall: it is a new, fresh start.