"View of Dedham" by Thomas Gainsborough‘Ode to Autumn’ by Joseph Charles MacKenzie (with Audio) The Society October 31, 2017 Beauty, Poetry, Readings 7 Comments https://classicalpoets.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/24_Twenty-Five.mp3 Sonnet XXV: Ode to Autumn Of shadows long and light of rarest gold, Abundant bringer, harvester of land, Receive, O Autumn, as in days of old, This wreath of olive from a poet’s hand! I sing the praises of your crimson hue With purple lips that kissed your blushing wines; I drink your skies of undiluted blue Beneath your rustling groves and patient pines; For, you are summer ripened, spring reversed, The warmth of winter’s youth, the cordial sun That held me once, before joy’s grape was burst In sorrow’s press, and youth’s false dreams undone, O rich intoner of our Mother’s grief Who chants her tears in every falling leaf! From Sonnets for Christ the King Note from the Poet: In New Mexico, whose heritage of lyric poetry is rooted in the ancient alabados, or Spanish hymns of praise preserved by the Penitentes, the Blessed Virgin Mary was very often venerated as Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, or Our Lady of Sorrows. Within what English critic James Sale has called the “cosmos” of the Sonnets for Christ the King, the couplet of Sonnet 15 is a “tragic foreshadowing” of the Passion depicted in the last 14 sonnets of the sequence, as “our Mother’s grief” refers to the Mater Dolorosa directly. “Spring reversed” is also an allusion to the Passion. Biographically speaking, the poet’s earthly mother, as a girl, attended Mass at the19th-century church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Las Vegas, New Mexico, making the final couplet a double reference, both deeply personal and Mariological at the same time. Joseph Charles MacKenzie is a traditional lyric poet, First Place winner of the Scottish International Poetry Competition (Long Poem Section). His poetry has appeared in The New York Times, The Scotsman (Edinburgh), The Independent (London), US News and World Report, Google News, and many other outlets. He writes primarily for the Society of Classical Poets (New York). NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 7 Responses David Hollywood October 31, 2017 This is marvelous, beautiful, touching poetry. It made me feel very appreciative of the world and nature.Thank you. Reply Craig October 31, 2017 “This wreath of olive from a poet’s hand,” excellent!! Reply conglushan from green mountain October 31, 2017 i’m back to printing maybe add a print button (i used to print 20 free pages at library per day and this was always the first page i’d print) well done sir mckenzie! Reply Bruce E. Wren October 31, 2017 I have known Mr. MacKenzie for a long time, and likewise have been acquainted with his poetry. I have always admired his work, but I must admit to be pleasantly shocked to see how, with the passing of time, it seems to become even more refined, direct, unblemished with eccentricities or exagerrations. Truly superb poetry. Reply David Watt November 1, 2017 This sonnet flows naturally from beginning to conclusion, similar to the passage of a delightful autumn day. Reply Satyananda Sarangi November 1, 2017 Hello Sir. The smooth flow, the cadence, the impeccable rhythm makes this one such a piece capable of keeping the readers glued for they would wish to read on and on. Best wishes & Regards Reply B. S. Eliud Acrewe November 2, 2017 Reminiscent of Keats, the sonnet reaches for his rich phrasing; spring reversed is a nice touch. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
David Hollywood October 31, 2017 This is marvelous, beautiful, touching poetry. It made me feel very appreciative of the world and nature.Thank you. Reply
conglushan from green mountain October 31, 2017 i’m back to printing maybe add a print button (i used to print 20 free pages at library per day and this was always the first page i’d print) well done sir mckenzie! Reply
Bruce E. Wren October 31, 2017 I have known Mr. MacKenzie for a long time, and likewise have been acquainted with his poetry. I have always admired his work, but I must admit to be pleasantly shocked to see how, with the passing of time, it seems to become even more refined, direct, unblemished with eccentricities or exagerrations. Truly superb poetry. Reply
David Watt November 1, 2017 This sonnet flows naturally from beginning to conclusion, similar to the passage of a delightful autumn day. Reply
Satyananda Sarangi November 1, 2017 Hello Sir. The smooth flow, the cadence, the impeccable rhythm makes this one such a piece capable of keeping the readers glued for they would wish to read on and on. Best wishes & Regards Reply
B. S. Eliud Acrewe November 2, 2017 Reminiscent of Keats, the sonnet reaches for his rich phrasing; spring reversed is a nice touch. Reply