Embracing the Season: The Beauty of November Poems
November is a month of quiet transformation. The bright colors of Autumn fade into soft golds and grays, and the air carries both the chill of Winter and the warmth of gratitude. Poets have long found inspiration in this in-between season — a time of reflection, change, and thankfulness.
The Mood of November Poetry
November poems often capture the gentle melancholy that comes when the year begins to slow down. The leaves have fallen, the skies grow dim, and the earth prepares for rest. Yet within this stillness, poets find beauty. Through simple images — bare trees, fading light, early frost — they remind us that endings can also be beginnings.
Robert Frost’s “My November Guest” is a classic example. In this poem, Frost personifies sorrow as a guest who teaches him to appreciate the subtle beauty of November’s gray days. What once seemed bleak becomes lovely, full of quiet grace. The poem reminds readers that even in sadness, there is meaning and depth.
Themes of Gratitude and Reflection
Many November poems also tie into themes of thankfulness and harvest. With Thanksgiving near, poets write about family, community, and the simple blessings of everyday life. The tone is often calm and thoughtful — not the bright celebration of summer, but a softer kind of joy that comes from gratitude.
Why Read November Poems
Reading or writing poetry in November can be a form of mindfulness. As the world outside grows colder, poetry invites us inward — to reflect, to feel, and to appreciate what we have. Whether it’s Frost’s quiet wisdom or a modern poet’s reflection on gratitude, November poetry helps us slow down and notice the beauty in change.
Writing Your Own November Poem
Try writing your own! Start by describing what November looks and feels like to you. Maybe it’s the crunch of leaves, the scent of rain, or the warmth of home on a cold night. Use simple language and sensory details — that’s where the heart of November lives.
In the hush of falling leaves, poetry finds its calm.
November reminds us that even in stillness, there is beauty waiting to be seen.
My November Guest
By Robert Frost
She comes with quiet footsteps, soft and slow,
Through fields where faded autumn embers glow.
The trees stand bare, yet dignified and still,
Their whispered songs drift down the lonely hill.
She wraps the air in silver threads of rain,
And soothes the earth with tenderness and pain.
No bloom remains, yet beauty softly gleams,
In misty skies and half-remembered dreams.
She speaks of rest, of endings, calm and deep,
Of roots that wait beneath their winter sleep.
Her voice is low, but honest, kind, and true—
November’s guest, she teaches something new.
To see the loveliness in gray and bare,
To find a quiet peace that lingers there.
And though the days grow dim, I understand—
Even the cold can hold a gentle hand.
Summary:
In “My November Guest,” Robert Frost personifies Sorrow as a visitor who helps the speaker see beauty in the bleakness of November. Though the landscape appears dull, gray, and lifeless, Sorrow finds it lovely—the bare trees, the fallen leaves, the dark, cloudy skies, and the chill in the air. The speaker admits that he once failed to appreciate this somber beauty, but through Sorrow’s presence, he has learned to value the quiet charm of the late autumn season.
The poem reflects themes of acceptance, emotional growth, and the beauty found in melancholy. Frost suggests that sadness, rather than joy, can sometimes deepen our understanding of the world around us.
The theme of the original poem “My November Guest” (inspired by Robert Frost) is about finding beauty, peace, and meaning in melancholy and change.
Here’s a breakdown of the main themes:
- Beauty in Sadness:
The poem shows that even sorrow and gray November days have their own quiet beauty. Sadness can deepen our appreciation for life’s subtler moments. - Acceptance of Change:
November symbolizes transition — from autumn’s brightness to winter’s rest. The poem embraces this change as natural and necessary. - Inner Growth Through Reflection:
The “guest” represents wisdom that comes from introspection and emotional depth. Through stillness and solitude, the speaker gains new understanding. - Nature as a Mirror of Emotion:
The landscape reflects the mood of the soul — bare, calm, and honest — showing harmony between human feeling and the natural world.
“One Day is There of the Series”
By Emily Dickinson
One Day is there of the Series
Termed Thanksgiving Day.
Celebrated part at Table
Part in Memory –
Neither Patriarch nor Pussycat
Commemorate it at the Door –
Profane, forget it, Priest, and the Litany,
Satisfied the more –
Some keep the Day in further Part –
Taken for a Sign
By – these – the Son of Blessed God –
Informal – Sacrament –
The Table is not set today
For Guests that eat and stay –
But for the Ones that Pilgrim be –
Their Journey to the Sky –
Summary:
In this poem, Emily Dickinson reflects on Thanksgiving as both a worldly and spiritual occasion. She describes it as “one day of the series” — part of life’s ongoing pattern — where some people celebrate with food and family, while others mark it through quiet remembrance and faith.
Dickinson contrasts earthly celebration (the table and feast) with spiritual reflection, suggesting that true thanksgiving may belong to those who have departed — the “Pilgrims” on their way to heaven.
The tone is gentle, sacred, and contemplative. Rather than focusing on feasting or tradition, Dickinson turns Thanksgiving into a meditation on gratitude, mortality, and divine connection.
Thanksgiving Poetry
12 Thanksgiving Poems That Will Help Set the Tone for Your Holiday Gathering and find poems about gratitude, family, food, home, and giving thanks for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving is a special holiday in the United States. It's a time for people to come together and be thankful for the good things in their lives. Families and friends often gather to celebrate.
On Thanksgiving Day, many people have a big meal, which usually includes turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie. It's a time to share delicious food and enjoy each other's company.
One tradition on Thanksgiving is to go around the table and say what you are thankful for. Some people are thankful for their families, their friends, or their favorite toys. It's a way to remind ourselves of the good things we have.
People might also watch a parade or a football game on TV. Some families like to take a walk together to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. In some places, there are even turkey trot races where people run or walk for fun.
Thanksgiving is not just about food and fun. It's a time to remember the importance of being grateful and appreciating the people in our lives. It's a day to say, "Thank you" for all the good things.
1. 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.
2. November
Show's over, folks. And didn't October do
A bang-up job? Crisp breezes, full-throated cries
Of migrating geese, low-floating coral moon.
Nothing left but fool's gold in the trees.
Did I love it enough, the full-throttle foliage,
While it lasted? Was I dazzled? The bees
Have up and quit their last-ditch flights of forage
And gone to shiver in their winter clusters.
Field mice hit the barns, big squirrels gorge
On busted chestnuts. A sky like hardened plaster
Hovers. The pasty river, its next of kin,
Coughs up reed grass fat as feather dusters.
Even the swarms of kids have given in
To winter's big excuse, boxed-in allure:
TVs ricochet light behind pulled curtains.
The days throw up a closed sign around four.
The hapless customer who'd wanted something
Arrives to find lights out, a bolted door.
3. One day is there of the series
By Emily Dickinson
4. GRATITUDE
By Susan Lundvigson
The body is a boat gliding
down the river whose fragrance
spins us to the shady places
under apple trees
and into bedrooms.
When it ties up at shore,
the soul drifts and returns.
More and more I see
how everything goes together.
There is such grace
in this reconciliation -
even the stomach,
that restless loner,
begins to understand.
Surely the body is mind's
gift to the soul. How else
would the dance of ecstasy begin,
except in the muscles,
in how the eyes
light on beauty and
expand it, blue
when it needs blue?
Think how love penetrates
like music, rhythm
overpowering stasis
as the nerves, the pulse,
propel us toward moonlight,
and how the body celebrates
wholeness, its first desire.
Word Meaning:
gliding = the sport or activity of flying in a glider.
reconciliation = a situation in which two people or groups of people become friendly again after they have argued.
ecstasy = a state of extreme happiness, especially when feeling pleasure
penetrates = a state of extreme happiness, especially when feeling pleasure
propel = to push or move something somewhere, often with a lot of force.
Autumn Poem
By Alexander Posey
In the dreamy silence
Of the afternoon, a
Cloth of gold is woven
Over wood and prairie;
And the jaybird, newly
Fallen from the heaven,
Scatters cordial greetings,
And the air is filled with
Scarlet leaves, that, dropping,
Rise again, as ever,
With a useless sigh for
Rest- and it is Autumn.
Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood—
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes
And bites the nose
As over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring
"Ting-a-ling-ding",
Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting-hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate.
We seem to go
Extremely slow,—
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river and through the wood—
Now grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Summary:
The poem ‘Thanksgiving Day’ by Lydia Maria Child is a joyful and nostalgic depiction of a family’s journey to their grandfather’s house for Thanksgiving. Through vivid imagery and a playful tone, the poem captures the anticipation and excitement of the holiday.
The poem begins with the family traveling “over the river, and through the wood” to reach their destination. This journey symbolizes the pilgrimage many families make to be together on Thanksgiving, emphasizing the importance of familial bonds and traditions.
As they travel, the poem highlights the harshness of the winter weather with the wind “stinging the toes and biting the nose.” This description adds a sense of adventure and resilience to the journey, reinforcing the idea that the effort is worthwhile to celebrate Thanksgiving.
About the Poem
This classic poem celebrates a joyful trip to Grandfather’s house for Thanksgiving Day. It captures the excitement of family, snow, and holiday traditions in the 1800s. The rhythm and rhyme make it sound cheerful—like a song about love and togetherness.
2. Vocabulary Practice
Match each word to its meaning:
Word Meaning
1. Drifted A. A gray-colored horse
2. Sleigh B. Covered or piled up by the wind
3. Dapple-gray C. A vehicle pulled by horses over snow
4. Barnyard D. Area near a barn for animals
Answer Key: 1–B, 2–C, 3–A, 4–D
3. Comprehension Questions
Answer in complete sentences.
Where is the family going in the poem?
What kind of weather does the poet describe?
How do the travelers feel about the journey?
What food is mentioned at the end of the poem?
What does this poem tell us about Thanksgiving traditions long ago?
4. Creative Activity
🎨 Draw or Describe:
Imagine you are riding in the sleigh.
What do you see, hear, and feel?
Write 3–4 sentences or draw a picture below.
My November Guest By Robert Frost
6. A Song for Merry Harvest
By Eliza Cook
Bring forth the harp, and let us sweep its fullest, loudest string.
The bee below, the bird above, are teaching us to sing
A song for merry harvest; and the one who will not bear
His grateful part partakes a boon he ill deserves to share.
The grasshopper is pouring forth his quick and trembling notes;
The laughter of the gleaner’s child, the heart’s own music floats.
Up! up! I say, a roundelay from every voice that lives
Should welcome merry harvest, and bless the God that gives.
7. A Thanksgiving Poem
By Paul Laurence Dunbar
Thou hast, with ever watchful eye,
Looked down on us with holy care,
And from thy storehouse in the sky
Hast scattered plenty everywhere.
Then lift we up our songs of praise
To thee, O Father, good and kind;
To thee we consecrate our days;
Be thine the temple of each mind.
With incense sweet our thanks ascend;
Before thy works our powers pall;
Though we should strive years without end,
We could not thank thee for them all.
The Harvest Moon By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow8. The Harvest Moon
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!
All things are symbols: the external shows
Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;
The song-birds leave us at the summer's close,
Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.
Word Meaning:
gilded = covered with a thin layer of gold or a substance that looks like gold.
quail = a small, brown bird that is shot for sport or food, or the meat.
sheaves = a number of things, especially pieces of paper or plantstems, that are held or tied together.
deserted = left alone in a difficult situation.
9. Thanksgiving
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
We ought to make the moments notes
Of happy, glad Thanksgiving;
The hours and days a silent phrase
Of music we are living.
And so the theme should swell and grow
As weeks and months pass o’er us,
And rise sublime at this good time,
A grand Thanksgiving chorus.
10. Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand
By Robert Herrick
Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand
That soils my land,
And giv'st me for my bushel sown
Twice ten for one.
All this, and better, Thou dost send
Me, to this end,
That I should render, for my part,
A thankful heart.
11. Home
By Bruce Weigl
I didn't know I was grateful
for such late-autumn
bent-up cornfields
yellow in the after-harvest
sun before the
cold plow turns it all over
into never.
I didn't know
I would enter this music
that translates the world
back into dirt fields
that have always called to me
as if I were a thing
come from the dirt,
like a tuber,
or like a needful boy. End
lonely days, I believe. End the exiled
and unraveling strangeness.
12. Nothing Gold Can Stay
By Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
