Advancing in Poetry Advancing in Poetry    

Lesson 7: October

by Robert Frost

Performer: Librivox - Anne Cheng


O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;



Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow,

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know;



Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away;

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!



For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

    Advancing in Poetry Advancing in Poetry    

Lesson 7: October

by Robert Frost

Performer: Librivox - Anne Cheng

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read or listen to the poem.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Read about the poet.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.

Synopsis

Robert Frost's 'October' describes the sights, sounds, and delights of the autumn month of October. The narrator asks October to beguile us and to move slowly to avoid spoiling the grapes before they can be harvested.

Concepts

  1. Robert Frost was born in 1874 in San Francisco, California. Study his portrait.
  2. Frost moved to Massachusetts at age 11 when his father died of tuberculosis.
  3. Zoom in and find Frost's state of birth, California (CA), on the map of the United States. Trace his path when he moved to Massachusetts (MA).
  4. Frost's time spent in New England inspired his poetry.
  5. Frost worked many jobs including as a factory worker, a farmer, a school teacher, and a college professor, but thought his true calling was that of a poet.
  6. Frost married and had six children, although many of the children died young and only two outlived their father.
  7. Frost died of a heart attack in Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 88.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite Poem Information

Recite the title of the poem and the name of the poet.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

Study the poem picture and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Recite the Poem

Practice reciting the poem aloud.

Activity 4: Complete Book Activities   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete pages 39-43 of 'Elementary Poetry 4: Advancing in Poetry.'

References

  1. 'Robert Frost.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.