Laurel · Francis Thompson · Poems (1893)

A Corymbus for Autumn

Francis Thompson (1859–1907) · 1893

iambic pentameter · 150 lines · from Poems (1893)

HEARKEN my chant, ’tisAs a Bacchante’s,A grape-spurt, a vine-splash, a tossed tress, flown vaunt ’tis!Suffer my singing,Gipsy of Seasons, ere thou go winging;Ere Winter throwsHis slaking snowsIn thy feasting-flagon’s impurpurate glows!The sopped sun—toper as ever drank hard—Stares foolish, hazed,Rubicund, dazed,Totty with thine October tankard.Tanned maiden! with cheeks like apples russet,And breast a brown agaric faint-flushing at tip,And a mouth too red for the moon to buss it,But her cheek unvow its vestalship;Thy mists enclipHer steel-clear circuit illuminous,Until it crustRubiginousWith the glorious gules of a glowing rust.Far other saw we, other indeed,The crescent moon, in the May-days dead,Fly up with its slender white wings spreadOut of its nest in the sea’s waved mead!How are the veins of thee, Autumn, laden?Umbered juices,And pulpèd oozesPappy out of the cherry-bruises,Froth the veins of thee, wild, wild maiden!With hair that mustersIn globèd clusters,In tumbling clusters, like swarthy grapes,Round thy brow and thine ears o’ershaden;With the burning darkness of eyes like pansies,Like velvet pansiesWherethrough escapesThe splendid might of thy conflagrate fancies;With robe gold-tawny not hiding the shapesOf the feet whereunto it falleth down,Thy naked feet unsandallèd;With robe gold-tawny that does not veilFeet where the redIs meshed in the brown,Like a rubied sun in a Venice-sail.

The wassailous heart of the Year is thine!His Bacchic fingers disentwineHis coronalAt thy festival;His revelling fingers disentwineLeaf, flower, and all,And let them fallBlossom and all in thy wavering wine.The Summer looks out from her brazen tower,Through the flashing bars of July,Waiting thy ripened golden shower;Whereof there cometh, with sandals fleet,The North-west flying viewlessly,With a sword to sheer, and untameable feet,And the gorgon-head of the Winter shownTo stiffen the gazing earth as stone.

In crystal Heaven’s magic spherePoised in the palm of thy fervid hand,Thou seest the enchanted shows appearThat stain Favonian firmament;Richer than ever the OccidentGave up to bygone Summer’s wand.Day’s dying dragon lies drooping his crest,Panting red pants into the West.Or the butterfly sunset claps its wingsWith flitter alit on the swinging blossom,The gusty blossom, that tosses and swings,Of the sea with its blown and ruffled bosom;Its ruffled bosom wherethrough the wind singsTill the crispèd petals are loosened and strownOverblown, on the sand;Shed, curling as deadRose-leaves curl, on the fleckèd strand.Or higher, holier, saintlier when, as now,All nature sacerdotal seems, and thou.The calm hour strikes on yon golden gong,In tones of floating and mellow lightA spreading summons to even-song:See how thereThe cowlèd nightKneels on the Eastern sanctuary-stair.What is this feel of incense everywhere?Clings it round folds of the blanch-amiced clouds,Upwafted by the solemn thurifer,The mighty spirit unknown,That swingeth the slow earth before the embannered Throne?Or is’t the Season under all these shroudsOf light, and sense, and silence, makes her knownA presence everywhere,An inarticulate prayer,A hand on the soothed tresses of the air?But there is one hour scantOf this Titanian, primal liturgy;As there is but one hour for me and thee,Autumn, for thee and thine hierophant,Of this grave ending chant.Round the earth still and starkHeaven’s death-lights kindle, yellow spark by spark,Beneath the dreadful catafalque of the dark.

And I had ended there:But a great wind blew all the stars to flare,And cried, “I sweep the path before the moon!Tarry ye now the coming of the moon,For she is coming soon;”Then died before the coming of the moon.And she came forth upon the trepidant air,In vesture unimagined-fair,Woven as woof of flag-lilies;And curdled as of flag-liliesThe vapour at the feet of her,And a haze about her tinged in fainter wise.As if she had trodden the stars in press,Till the gold wine spurted over her dress,Till the gold wine gushed out round her feet;Spouted over her stainèd wear,And bubbled in golden froth at her feet,And hung like a whirlpool’s mist round her.Still, mighty Season, do I see’t,Thy sway is still majestical!Thou hold’st of God, by title sure,Thine indefeasible investiture,And that right round thy locks are native to;The heavens upon thy brow imperial,This huge terrene thy ball,And o’er thy shoulders thrown wide air’s depending pall.What if thine earth be blear and bleak of hue?Still, still the skies are sweet!Still, Season, still thou hast thy triumphs there!How have I, unaware,Forgetful of my strain inaugural,Cleft the great rondure of thy reign complete,Yielding thee half, who hast indeed the all?I will not think thy sovereignty begunBut with the shepherd sunThat washes in the sea the stars’ gold fleecesOr that with day it ceases,Who sets his burning lips to the salt brine,And purples it to wine;While I behold how ermined ArtemisOrdainèd weed must wear,And toil thy business;Who witness am of her,Her too in autumn turned a vintager;And, laden with its lampèd clusters bright,The fiery-fruited vineyard of this night.

Words in this poem 47

tress n.: A braid, knot, or curl, of hair; a ringlet. [OE. tresse, OF. trece, F. tresse, LL. tricia, fr. Gr. tri`cha threefold, because a tress is usually formed by interlacing three pieces; akin to trei^s three. Se]
flown a.: Flushed, inflated.
drank n.: Wild oats, or darnel grass. See Drake a plant. [Cf. 3d Drake.]
rubicund a.: Inclining to redness; ruddy; red. [L. rubicundus, fr. rubere to be red, akin to ruber red. See Red.]
totty a.: Unsteady; dizzy; tottery. [OE. toti. Cf. Totter.]
tankard n.: A large drinking vessel, especially one with a cover. [OF. tanquart; cf. OD. tanckaert; of uncertain origin.]
agaric n.: A fungus of the genus Agaricus, of many species, of which the common mushroom is an example. [L. agaricum, Gr. Agara, a town in Sarmatia.]
buss n.: A kiss; a rude or playful kiss; a smack. [OE. basse, fr. L. basium; cf. G. bus (Luther), Prov. G. busserl, dim. of bus kiss, bussen to kiss, Sw. puss kiss, pussa to kiss, W. & Gael. bus lip, mouth.]
illuminous a.: Bright; clear. H. Taylor.
rubiginous a.: Having the appearance or color of iron rust; rusty-looking. [L. rubiginosus, fr. rubigo, robigo, rust: cf. F. rubigineux.]
glorious a.: Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
gules n.: The tincture red, indicated in seals and engraved figures of escutcheons by parallel vertical lines. Hence, used poetically for a red color or that which is red. [OE. goules, F. gueules, the same word as gueule throat, OF. gole, goule, L. gula. So named from the red color of the throat. See Gullet, and cf. Gula.]
pappy a.: Like pap; soft; succulent; tender. Ray. [From Pap soft food.]
meshed a.: Mashed; brewed.
bacchic a.: Of or relating to Bacchus; hence, jovial, or riotous,with intoxication.
disentwine v. t.: To free from being entwined or twisted. Shelley.
coronal a.: Of or pertaining to a corona (in any of the senses). [L. coronalis: cf. F. coronal.]
whereof adv.: Of which; of whom; formerly, also, with which; -- used relatively.
fervid a.: Very hot; burning; boiling. [L. fervidus, fr. fervere. See Fervent.]
enchanted a.: Under the power of enchantment; possessed or exercised by enchanters; as, an enchanted castle.
favonian a.: Pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild; gentle. [L. Favonius the west wind.]
firmament n.: Fixed foundation; established basis. [L. firmamentum, fr. firmare to make firm: cf. F. firmament. See Firm, v. & a.]
bygone n.: Something gone by or past; a past event.
claps v. t.: Variant of Clasp
flitter v. t.: To flutter; to move quickly; as, to flitter the cards.
gusty a.: Subject to, or characterized by, gusts or squalls; windy; stormy; tempestuous.
gong n.: A privy or jakes. Chaucer. Gong farmer, Gong man, a cleaner of privies. [AS. gong, gang, a going, passage, drain. See Gang.]
primal a.: First; primary; original; chief. [LL. primalis, fr. L. primus the first. See Prime, a.]
hierophant n.: The presiding priest who initiated candidates at the Eleusinian mysteries; hence, one who teaches the mysteries and duties of religion. Abp Potter. [L. hierophanta, hierophantes, Gr. hiérophante.]
stark adv.: Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite; as, stark mind.
dreadful a.: Full of dread or terror; fearful.
catafalque n.: A temporary structure sometimes used in the funeral solemnities of eminent persons, for the public exhibition of the remains, or their conveyance to the place of burial. [F., fr. It. catafalco, scaffold, funeral canopy; of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. catafalso, cadahalso, cadalso, Pr. casafalc, OF. chafaut. Cf. Scaffold.]
flare v. i.: To burn with an unsteady or waving flame; as, the candle flares. [Cf. Norw. flara to blaze, flame, adorn with tinsel, dial. Sw. flasa upp, and E. flash, or flacker.]
vapour n.: Any substance in the gaseous, or aëriform, state, the condition of which is ordinarily that of a liquid or solid. [OE. vapour, OF. vapour, vapor, vapeur, F. vapeur, L. vapor; probably for cvapor, and akin to Gr. kvepti to breathe, smell, Russ. kopote fine soot. Cf. Vapid.]
majestical a.: Majestic. Cowley.
indefeasible a.: Not to be defeated; not defeasible; incapable of being annulled or made void; as, an indefeasible or title. [Pref. in- not + defeasible: cf. OF. indefaisable.]
investiture n.: The act or ceremony of investing, or the of being invested, as with an office; a giving possession; also, the right of so investing. [LL. investitura: cf. F. investiture.]
terrene n.: A tureen. Walpole.
blear a.: Dim or sore with water or rheum; -- said of the eyes. [See Blear, v.]
hast: , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
unaware a.: Not aware; not noticing; giving no heed; thoughtless; inattentive.
forgetful a.: Apt to forget; easily losing remembrance; as, a forgetful man should use helps to strengthen his memory.
inaugural a.: Pertaining to, or performed or pronounced at, an inauguration; as, an inaugural address; the inaugural exercises. [Cf. F. inaugural.]
rondure n.: A round; a circle. [Cf. F. rondeur roundness.]
ermined a.: Clothed or adorned with the fur of the ermine.
vintager n.: One who gathers the vintage. [From Vintage: cf. F. vendangeur.]
vineyard n.: An inclosure or yard for grapevines; a plantation of vines producing grapes. [For OE. winyard, AS. wingeard; influenced by E. vine. See Wine, and Yard an inclosure.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

A Corymbus for Autumn is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #1469; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Francis Thompson, A Corymbus for Autumn, in Poems (1893) (1893), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #1469, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/thompson-poems/a-corymbus-for-autumn.html, id L01708.

Form and metre

A Corymbus for Autumn is 150 lines in 4 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 81%). 87% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.4 syllables. 34 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 25% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.

See other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 ---AABBB-CC-DEDEEFGFGHIIHJ---JKKLJ--L-LM-N-MN tis · bacchante's · tis · singing^A · winging^A · throws^B · snows^B · glows^B · hard · hazed^C · dazed^C · tankard · russet^D · tip^E · it^D · vestalship^E · enclip^E · illuminous^F · crust^G · rubiginous^F · rust^G · indeed^H · dead^I · spread^I · mead^H · laden^J · juices · oozes · bruises · maiden^J · musters^K · clusters^K · grapes^L · o'ershaden^J · pansies · pansies · escapes^L · fancies · shapes^L · down^M · unsandallèd · veil^N · red · brown^M · sail^N
2 AA-BABBAC-CD-DEE thine^A · disentwine^A · coronal · festival^B · disentwine^A · all^B · fall^B · wine^A · tower^C · july · shower^C · fleet^D · viewlessly · feet^D · shown^E · stone^E
3 A-ABB-CCD-D-D-E-EFFGHGIHIIJ-KKJKLLLM--MMNNN sphere^A · hand · appear^A · firmament^B · occident^B · wand · crest^C · west^C · wings^D · blossom · swings^D · bosom · sings^D · strown · sand^E · dead · strand^E · now^F · thou^F · gong^G · light^H · song^G · there^I · night^H · stair^I · everywhere^I · clouds^J · thurifer · unknown^K · throne^K · shrouds^J · known^K · everywhere^L · prayer^L · air^L · scant^M · liturgy · thee · hierophant^M · chant^M · stark^N · spark^N · dark^N
4 AABBBBCCDD-DEEF-F-F---GHHHGIJJKIKLLMMNN-----OO there^A · flare^A · moon^B · moon^B · soon^B · moon^B · air^C · fair^C · lilies^D · lilies^D · her · wise^D · press^E · dress^E · feet^F · wear · feet^F · her · see't^F · majestical · sure · investiture · to^G · imperial^H · ball^H · pall^H · hue^G · sweet^I · there^J · unaware^J · inaugural^K · complete^I · all^K · begun^L · sun^L · fleeces^M · ceases^M · brine^N · wine^N · artemis · wear · business · her · vintager · bright^O · night^O

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
HEARKEN my chant, ’tis	5	/˘···
As a Bacchante’s,	4	····
A grape-spurt, a vine-splash, a tossed tress, flown vaunt ’tis!	12	············
Suffer my singing,	5	/˘·/˘
Gipsy of Seasons, ere thou go winging;	10	/˘·/˘···/˘
Ere Winter throws	4	·/˘·
His slaking snows	4	····
In thy feasting-flagon’s impurpurate glows!	11	··/˘·······
The sopped sun—toper as ever drank hard—	10	···/˘·/˘··
Stares foolish, hazed,	4	·/˘·
Rubicund, dazed,	4	/˘˘·
Totty with thine October tankard.	9	/˘··˘/˘/˘
Tanned maiden! with cheeks like apples russet,	10	·/˘···/˘/˘
And breast a brown agaric faint-flushing at tip,	12	····/˘˘·/˘··
And a mouth too red for the moon to buss it,	11	···········
But her cheek unvow its vestalship;	9	·········
Thy mists enclip	4	····
Her steel-clear circuit illuminous,	9	···/˘˘/˘˘
Until it crust	4	····
Rubiginous	4	····
With the glorious gules of a glowing rust.	10	··/˘···/˘·
Far other saw we, other indeed,	9	·/˘··/˘˘/
The crescent moon, in the May-days dead,	9	·/˘······
Fly up with its slender white wings spread	9	····/˘···
Out of its nest in the sea’s waved mead!	10	········˘·
How are the veins of thee, Autumn, laden?	10	······/˘/˘
Umbered juices,	4	··/˘
And pulpèd oozes	4	··/˘
Pappy out of the cherry-bruises,	9	/˘···/˘/˘
Froth the veins of thee, wild, wild maiden!	9	·······/˘
With hair that musters	5	···/˘
In globèd clusters,	4	··/˘
In tumbling clusters, like swarthy grapes,	10	·/˘˘/˘·/˘·
Round thy brow and thine ears o’ershaden;	9	·········
With the burning darkness of eyes like pansies,	11	··/˘/˘···/˘
Like velvet pansies	5	·/˘/˘
Wherethrough escapes	4	˘/˘/
The splendid might of thy conflagrate fancies;	11	·/˘······/˘
With robe gold-tawny not hiding the shapes	10	···/˘·/˘··
Of the feet whereunto it falleth down,	10	·······/˘·
Thy naked feet unsandallèd;	7	·/˘····
With robe gold-tawny that does not veil	9	···/˘····
Feet where the red	4	····
Is meshed in the brown,	5	·····
Like a rubied sun in a Venice-sail.	10	··/˘···/˘·
The wassailous heart of the Year is thine!	10	··········
His Bacchic fingers disentwine	8	···/˘···
His coronal	4	·/˘˘
At thy festival;	5	··/˘˘
His revelling fingers disentwine	9	·˘/˘/˘···
Leaf, flower, and all,	5	·/˘··
And let them fall	4	····
Blossom and all in thy wavering wine.	10	/˘····/˘˘·
The Summer looks out from her brazen tower,	11	·/˘····/˘/˘
Through the flashing bars of July,	8	··/˘···/
Waiting thy ripened golden shower;	10	/˘·/˘˘/˘/˘
Whereof there cometh, with sandals fleet,	9	···/˘·/˘·
The North-west flying viewlessly,	8	···/˘···
With a sword to sheer, and untameable feet,	11	···········
And the gorgon-head of the Winter shown	10	··/˘···/˘·
To stiffen the gazing earth as stone.	9	·/˘·/˘···
In crystal Heaven’s magic sphere	8	·/˘/˘/˘·
Poised in the palm of thy fervid hand,	10	·˘·····/˘·
Thou seest the enchanted shows appear	9	···˘/˘·˘/
That stain Favonian firmament;	9	··˘/˘˘/˘˘
Richer than ever the Occident	9	/˘·/˘·/˘·
Gave up to bygone Summer’s wand.	8	···/·/˘·
Day’s dying dragon lies drooping his crest,	10	·/˘/˘·/˘··
Panting red pants into the West.	8	/˘······
Or the butterfly sunset claps its wings	10	··/˘·/····
With flitter alit on the swinging blossom,	11	·/˘····/˘/˘
The gusty blossom, that tosses and swings,	10	·/˘/˘·/˘··
Of the sea with its blown and ruffled bosom;	11	·······/˘/˘
Its ruffled bosom wherethrough the wind sings	10	·/˘/˘˘/···
Till the crispèd petals are loosened and strown	10	···/˘·/˘··
Overblown, on the sand;	6	·˘/···
Shed, curling as dead	5	·/˘··
Rose-leaves curl, on the fleckèd strand.	7	·······
Or higher, holier, saintlier when, as now,	10	·//˘˘·····
All nature sacerdotal seems, and thou.	10	·/˘·······
The calm hour strikes on yon golden gong,	10	··/˘···/˘·
In tones of floating and mellow light	9	···/˘·/˘·
A spreading summons to even-song:	9	·/˘/˘·/˘·
See how there	3	···
The cowlèd night	3	···
Kneels on the Eastern sanctuary-stair.	10	···/˘/˘·˘·
What is this feel of incense everywhere?	10	·····/·/˘·
Clings it round folds of the blanch-amiced clouds,	10	··········
Upwafted by the solemn thurifer,	10	·····/˘···
The mighty spirit unknown,	7	·/˘/˘˘/
That swingeth the slow earth before the embannered Throne?	13	·/˘··········
Or is’t the Season under all these shrouds	10	···/˘·····
Of light, and sense, and silence, makes her known	10	·····/˘···
A presence everywhere,	6	·/˘/˘·
An inarticulate prayer,	7	·˘˘/˘˘·
A hand on the soothed tresses of the air?	10	·····/˘···
But there is one hour scant	7	····/˘·
Of this Titanian, primal liturgy;	10	·····/˘/˘˘
As there is but one hour for me and thee,	10	·····/····
Autumn, for thee and thine hierophant,	10	/˘····˘/˘˘
Of this grave ending chant.	6	···/˘·
Round the earth still and stark	6	······
Heaven’s death-lights kindle, yellow spark by spark,	11	/˘··/˘/˘···
Beneath the dreadful catafalque of the dark.	11	···/˘/˘˘···
And I had ended there:	6	···/˘·
But a great wind blew all the stars to flare,	10	··········
And cried, “I sweep the path before the moon!	10	··········
Tarry ye now the coming of the moon,	10	/˘···/˘···
For she is coming soon;”	6	···/˘·
Then died before the coming of the moon.	10	·····/˘···
And she came forth upon the trepidant air,	11	···········
In vesture unimagined-fair,	9	·/˘·˘/˘˘·
Woven as woof of flag-lilies;	8	/˘····/˘
And curdled as of flag-lilies	7	·····/˘
The vapour at the feet of her,	8	·/˘·····
And a haze about her tinged in fainter wise.	11	········/˘·
As if she had trodden the stars in press,	10	····/˘····
Till the gold wine spurted over her dress,	10	····/˘····
Till the gold wine gushed out round her feet;	10	·····˘····
Spouted over her stainèd wear,	7	/˘·····
And bubbled in golden froth at her feet,	10	·/˘·/˘····
And hung like a whirlpool’s mist round her.	9	····/····
Still, mighty Season, do I see’t,	8	·/˘/˘···
Thy sway is still majestical!	8	····˘/˘˘
Thou hold’st of God, by title sure,	8	·····/˘·
Thine indefeasible investiture,	10	······˘/˘˘
And that right round thy locks are native to;	10	·······/˘·
The heavens upon thy brow imperial,	11	·/˘····˘/˘˘
This huge terrene thy ball,	6	··˘/··
And o’er thy shoulders thrown wide air’s depending pall.	12	···/˘···˘/˘·
What if thine earth be blear and bleak of hue?	10	··········
Still, still the skies are sweet!	6	······
Still, Season, still thou hast thy triumphs there!	10	·/˘····/˘·
How have I, unaware,	6	····˘/
Forgetful of my strain inaugural,	10	˘/˘···˘/˘˘
Cleft the great rondure of thy reign complete,	10	···/˘···˘/
Yielding thee half, who hast indeed the all?	10	/˘····˘/··
I will not think thy sovereignty begun	10	·····/˘˘˘/
But with the shepherd sun	6	···/˘·
That washes in the sea the stars’ gold fleeces	11	·/˘······/˘
Or that with day it ceases,	7	·····/˘
Who sets his burning lips to the salt brine,	10	···/˘·····
And purples it to wine;	6	·/˘···
While I behold how ermined Artemis	10	··˘/·/˘···
Ordainèd weed must wear,	5	·····
And toil thy business;	5	···/˘
Who witness am of her,	6	·/˘···
Her too in autumn turned a vintager;	10	···/˘··/˘˘
And, laden with its lampèd clusters bright,	9	·/˘···/˘·
The fiery-fruited vineyard of this night.	10	·/˘/˘/˘···

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