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READ THIS
Campbell's poem is a tribute to autumn and winter as a time, not of death, but of purifying and
transformation.
He looks forward to the migrating of the geese, seeing the trees lose their leaves and enjoying olive oil
and wine, the fruits of summer, in front of a fire made of the dead branches of the olive trees and vines.
ABOUT THE POET
Roy Campbell was born in Durban in 1901 and was at one stage considered to be one of South Africa's
best poets. His popularity, however, has waned in recent years so that today his poetry is hardly ever
read.
Educated at Durban High School, he spent much of his youth in the great outdoors -- something that is
reflected in many of his poems like "The Zebras" and "Autumn". As soon as the Great War
was over, however, he moved to England where he attended Oxford University.
He married Mary Garman, a marriage which did not carry his parents' consent and therefore meant that,
for a time at least, Campbell was struck off from his inheritance. He had two daughters by this marriage.
In 1925, he returned to South Africa and founded a literary magazine called Voorslag which was
meant to promote cultural development amongst the Afrikaners whom the poet regarded as backward and
uncouth.
Very soon disillusionment set in, however, and he returned to England. His disillusionment continued even
there as he fell foul of his own fellow poets because of the many rude things he said about them in his
poems -- and even of his wife whom he found was not averse to lesbian affairs.
During the early 1930s he settled in the Provence region of France -- the scene for one of his greatest
poems, "Horses on the Camargue". During this time he was slowly drawn to Catholicism and
drunkenness.
In the mid-1930s, due to a loss in a civil lawsuit, the Campbell family fled to Spain where the poet became
an avid supporter of the fascist dictator, General Franco.
He also supported Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. This support saw the poet's reputation slump even
further amongst his literary colleagues.
When World War II broke out, the poet moved back to England and enlisted for military duty. It was
during those years that he became close friends with the Welsh poet and fellow drunkard, Dylan Thomas.
After the war, the poet returned to the Iberian Peninsula but this time settled in Portugal. He died in a car
accident over the Easter weekend of 1957.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"I love to see, when leaves depart,
The clear anatomy arrive."
- Identify the figures of speech in these two lines and state what the poet particularly enjoys about
autumn. (4)
[Need help?]
The leaves do not merely fall from the trees. They "depart". This is an example of personification.
With the word "anatomy", Campbell has made use of personification and metaphor.
"Anatomy" refers to the structure of the body. The trunks and branches are the "anatomy"
of the trees. These are revealed once the leaves have fallen.
Campbell loves seeing the exposed, bare trunks and branches of the trees.
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"Winter, the paragon of art,
That kills all forms of life and feeling
Save what is pure and will survive."
- The poet bestows high praise on autumn. Quote the phrase which conveys this praise. Explain also
what Campbell is saying about autumn. (4)
[Need help?]
The phrase "paragon of art" encapsulates his high praise. The word "paragon" means "a
model of supreme excellence or perfection".
"Art", on the other hand, refers to a creative skill that produces imaginative designs. The poet's
use of this phrase implies that there is no season that even comes close to competing with autumn's
ability to be creative and to produce unique and perfect images.
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- Campbell admits that winter "kills all forms of life and feeling". Yet he does not regard this as
a negative aspect of winter. Explain why not. (4)
[Need help?]
Campbell's use of the word "save" is important. It means "except". Autumn "kills"
everything, except "what is pure".
In other words, even though autumn "kills", it is only to get rid of the useless, dead and rotting
material, thus cleansing and purifying the earth.
This cleansing process makes space for the living and vibrant aspects of nature to survive and thrive.
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"Save what is pure and will survive."
- Comment on the reason for the inclusion of the words "will survive". (4)
[Need help?]
The words convey certainty. Campbell uses these words to emphasise the purifying, rejuvenating nature
of autumn. It eradicates the weak, ensuring the survival of the strong, tough elements of nature.
This means that only the resilient, dominant elements are perpetuated in the cycle of life.
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"Already now the clanging chains
Of geese are harnessed to the moon."
- Identify an example of ONOMATOPOEIA and explain its effect. (4)
[Need help?]
"Clanging" refers to the noise of the geese as they fly high overhead, migrating towards a warmer
climate. It is an extremely loud sound, usually associated with the sound of metal being struck, as with
a bell.
Campbell uses the word to appeal to our sense of hearing: it conveys the echoing loudness of the
departing geese.
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- Explain the effectiveness of the METAPHOR contained in these lines. (4)
[Need help?]
The way in which the migrating geese fly in a long line, one behind the other, is compared with the links
in a chain.
The word "harnessed" conveys the image of the geese being tied to the moon, the way in which
a horse is harnessed to a carriage. It appears that the geese drag the moon across the sky as they fly
overhead.
As a matter of interest, Campbell uses a similar image in his poem, "The Zebras", where the zebras
appear to be harnessed to the rising sun.
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"Stripped are the great sun-clouding planes."
- Although "stripped" has a negative connotation, the overall effect of this line is positive. Discuss
these positive and negative aspects. (4)
[Need help?]
When something is "stripped", it is left bare as everything has been destroyed. There is no sign
of life.
The positive aspect of this is that the stripping of the leaves from the "planes" (plane trees are tall
trees with peeling bark) allows the sunlight to penetrate the woods. This evokes a comforting feeling.
Once spring arrives, the presence of the warm, renewing sun will induce the growth of new leaves and
seeds. In this way the cycle of life is ensured.
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"Strained by the gale the olives whiten
Like hoary wrestlers bent with toil."
- Account for the poet's use of the word "hoary". (2)
[Need help?]
The word means "white-haired with age".
The leaves of olive trees are white on the underside. As the wind blows, the white underside of the leaves
is exposed, making the trees look like white-haired people.
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"To brim our vats where summer lingers."
- How is summer able to "linger" into autumn? (4)
[Need help?]
The fruits of summer -- grapes and olives -- have been picked and stored in vats (large barrels used
for storage). These will be turned into wine and olive oil which bring enjoyment. In this way there is a
reminder of summer.
The word also shows that the season does not die -- summer remains with us through the fruit it has
produced.
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"Strained by the gale the olives whiten
Like hoary wrestlers bent with toil
And, with the vines, their branches lighten
To brim our vats where summer lingers
In the red froth and sun-gold oil."
- This stanza also has a contrast between positive and negative. Discuss these contrasting aspects of
the stanza. (3)
[Need help?]
Campbell refers to the strong winds of autumn which cause the trees to bend under the strain of their
force. Autumn, however, is also the time when the olives and grapes are picked, enabling us to enjoy the
olive oil and wine which will be produced.
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