1. Describe this scene using:
To Autumn
Describe this scene using:
Exclamative sentence
Metaphor
Modal verb
Personification
Superlative
Asyndetic list

2. Objective
To explore how Keats uses language to describe autumn.
Outcome
To produce a written analysis of the poem showing an understanding of language and context.

3. John Keats (1795-1821) TO AUTUMN.1.
SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease, For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells. 2.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep, Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers: And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep Steady thy laden head across a brook; Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours. 3.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn Among the river sallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft; And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

4. Poem
The first stanza, by addressing autumn, describing its intimacy with the sun, shows us that Autumn ripens fruits and causes the late flowers to bloom.
In the second stanza, the speaker describes the figure of Autumn as a female goddess showing that it is precious to him.
In the third stanza, the speaker tells Autumn not to wonder where the songs of spring have gone, but instead to listen to her own music, showing that he thinks it is the best season and shouldn’t be compared to any other.
A summary of the poem is the poet’s love of autumn and that he dislikes the fact that winter comes after autumn as winter is cold.

5. Read the poem and highlight any words that reflect the season of autumn or nature.
LO: To explore Keats’ uses language to describe autumn.

6. Annotate the poem with terminology that explain Keats’ use of language.

7. SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
The poem opens with the declarative alliterative phrase, ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.’ The noun phrase here emphasises how autumn is a season of plenty and the pre-modifier ‘mellow’ reinforces the calmness of the season. It also gives us a sense of warmth which is further implied in the reference to the ‘maturing sun’. The use of personification in ‘close-bosom friend’ identifies how the sun works with autumn to ‘load and bless’ the trees and vines with fruit.

8. SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
AO1
Apply concepts and methods from integrated linguistic and literary study as
appropriate, using associated terminology and coherent written expression
AO2
Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in texts
Sound use of appropriate terminology. Relevant
and purposeful application of some relevant key
concepts and approaches.
More sustained focus on language use to
create meaning, including some convincing
phrase and straightforward sentence level
analysis. Clear grasp of meaning, with
increasingly detailed appreciation of
writers’/speakers’ techniques.
The poem opens with the declarative alliterative phrase, ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.’ The noun phrase here emphasises how autumn is a season of plenty and the pre-modifier ‘mellow’ reinforces the calmness of the season. It also gives us a sense of warmth which is further implied in the reference to the ‘maturing sun’. The use of personification in ‘close-bosom friend’ identifies how the sun works with autumn to ‘load and bless’ the trees and vines with fruit.

9. How does Keats present the season of autumn in his poem?
Choose another section of the poem and write an analysis using the cone.
How does Keats present the season of autumn in his poem?
Use your support grid if you need tips on how to express your ideas.
LO: To explore how Keats uses language to describe autumn.

10. AO1 is always followed by AO2.
Support grid:
AO1 is always followed by AO2.
Always answer the question – AO2 should be your analysis and your link.
shows
suggests
displays
illustrates
depicts
reveals
discloses
demonstrates
emphasises
reinforces
identifies
implies

11. Plenary
Swap books with your partner. Use colours to highlight their response showing when they have addressed the assessment criteria.
AO1
Select and apply relevant concepts and using appropriate terminology
and accurate, coherent written expression
Weighting: 16 marks
AO2
Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in
which structure, form and language shape meanings in a range of texts
Weighting: 8 marks
Sound use of appropriate terminology. Relevant
and purposeful application of some relevant key
concepts and approaches.
More sustained focus on language use to
create meaning, including some convincing
phrase and straightforward sentence level
analysis. Clear grasp of meaning, with
increasingly detailed appreciation of
writers’/speakers’ techniques.
LO: To explore how Keats uses language to describe autumn.