Seasons

Seasons play a role in literature by connecting unconscious concept to developing stories. Each season contains a specific conation associated with it that corresponds with natural feelings. Winter correspond with “old age and resentment and death,” while summer is justified by “adulthood and romance and fulfillment and passion.” Notice, in the natural world these seasons exists in opposing time frames with extreme differences in climate. This concept carries over into literature where the feeling they portray is just as contradictory as in the natural world. Spring radiates a joyful feeling of “childhood and youth.” Naturally these joyful feelings are hard wired into your minds and heart due to the blossoming of plants and expansion of life providing a feeling of a new start. Readers logically associate autumn “with decline and middle age and tiredness but also harvest.” While leaves fall of trees and things slowly die off autumn is portrayed as decreasing time period as while as thanks and celebration for another year’s harvest. This directly connected why Thanksgiving is in autumn, during a time of thankfulness before a time of hardship and little comes with winter. Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio by James Wright illuminates on the concepts presented that seasons render specific feelings associated with that season’s duration of time. Throughout the poem the author uses the tactic of autumn’s expected climax of the year. Wright relates this time to the infamous football season in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He explains the parents and fans overwhelming happiness, appreciation, and praise for their star athletes that gain saint status. These exhilarating emotions parallel that of the infamous harvest and all the excitement included with that yearly activity. Just as farmers worked hard to plant, and harvest their crops these athletes trained vigorously to excel during their season, ultimately acting as their time to harvest.