“Autumn Gilt”
by Valerie Bloom
The late September sunshine
Lime green on the linden leaves
Burns bronze on the slated roof-tops....
Source: Bloom, Valerie. “Autumn Gilt.” Let Me Touch the Sky. New York: MacMillan Children’s Books, 2000. The Poetry Archive. Web. 7 June 2011.
Analyze the use of figurative and literal language, poetic techniques, and sound devices in this poem. Refer to specific lines in your answer.
ANSWER: This poem uses vivid imagery and careful word choice to convey the beauty of autumn. The second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme and the poet uses irregular rhythm. Alliteration is a regular technique in this poem. We see it in the lines "September sunshine/Lime green on the linden leaves/Burns bronze" with the repeated "s," "l," and "b" sounds. A dominant example is found in the first line of the second stanza: "It flares flame-like on the fire hydrant." The poet is using both literal and figurative language throughout the poem. She observes the sun shining on various things (literally) and uses vivid imagery to emphasize the beauty she finds in this autumn day. Figurative language is found in her descriptions. She says the sunshine "flares flame-like on the fire hydrant," using a simile to show how brightly it shines. She ends with a metaphor comparing the September sunshine to a chameleon.
