November - Thomas Hood

[wellinghall]

No sun--no moon!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--
No road--no street--no "t'other side this way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescents go--
No top to any steeple--
No recognitions of familiar people--
No courtesies for showing 'em--
No knowing 'em!
No traveling at all--no locomotion--
No inkling of the way--no notion--
"No go" by land or ocean--
No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No Park, no Ring, no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds--
November!

Comments

[segh.livejournal.com]

"November is the most disagreeable month; that's why I was born in it." Jo, in Little Women.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I like it :-)

(I confess I have never read LW, although I am broadly familiar with it through half-watched adaptations etc. I have, though, read Little Men. There, you always knew I was odd, didn't you ;-) )

[segh.livejournal.com]

My mother liked Little Men the best, too - she used to read me the story about the children cooking when I was little. It obviously started something.

[findabair.livejournal.com]

Excellent poem. *goes to put on another sweater*

(I'm already looking forward to spring.)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

What? Did he live in a city with a lot of smog or something?

Plenty of sun, moon, blue distance, and fabulous orange leaves here, and the spectacle of starlings at sunset that you get in Nov. are just awesome. It's cool enough that you can walk comfortably for miles, but not usually *that* cold as long as you have thick socks...

No *dusk*? Presumably somewhere overendowed with streetlights then...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I was so alarmed by your dismal November that I went out and got you a proper one:

(http://pix.clareassoc.co.uk/pix/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=3) (http://pix.clareassoc.co.uk/pix/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=2) (http://pix.clareassoc.co.uk/pix/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_apples.jpg)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Ooh, nice ... :-)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I think the lines "No road--no street--no t'other side this way-- No end to any Row-- No indications where the Crescents go--" probably mean he was thinking of a city.

[estelyn-strider.livejournal.com]

"No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--"

Ha-ha! It's US Election Day today - the news comes almost exclusively from the foreign coast!!

Besides, who needs snail mail and expensive post when there's the internet - faster, cheaper, and packed full of fun...

[estelyn-strider.livejournal.com]

Still, it's a lovely poem! I enjoyed reading it - very evocative.

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

I love this poem - we looked at it at school and it "stuck". But there are nice November things too. Cosy tea by fire, walks with leaves, bonfires etc. And there is Christmas to look forward too as well!

[romancinger.livejournal.com]

This poem is mostly about fog, and when there was a lot of fog in November (as when I was young) it was accurate. Tisn't now; today has been very pleasant!

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

Oh, how true.

*is wondering whether she might have SAD*

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Me too. I keep wondering whether I should buy a lightbox.