Emily Dickinson

Indian Summer

Summary

The poem reflects on the subtle transitional period known as Indian Summer when the warmth and colors of summer briefly return before the onset of winter. It evokes imagery of birds revisiting and the sky deceptively mirroring the vibrant hues of June, describing this period as both nostalgic and misleading. The poem acknowledges the temporary beauty and warmth that lingers, despite nature's progression toward autumn. It conveys a wistful admiration for these paradoxical days, capturing feelings of longing and the deceptive allure of a season that cannot entirely escape the reality of approaching change. This serves as a gentle reminder of the cyclical nature of time and the fleeting quality of beauty and warmth.

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These are the days when birds come back,
A very few, a bird or two,
To take a backward look.

These are the days when skies put on
The old, old sophistries of June,—
A blue and gold mistake.

Oh, fraud that cannot cheat the bee,
Almost thy plausibility
Induces my belief,

Till ranks of seed their witness bear,
And softly through the altered air
Hurries a timid leaf!

Oh, sacrament of summer days,
Oh, last communion in the haze,
Permit a child to join,

Thy sacred emblems to partake,
Thy consecrated bread to break,
Taste thine immortal wine!

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