November by Thomas Hood

Mikeharvey · November by Thomas Hood

Perhaps November used to be like this in fog-shrouded London in Hood's time.

NOVEMBER by Thomas Hood (1799-1845)

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 the 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 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!

Caro

That's a really modern-sounding poem, Michael. I don't think I have ever seen it before but it feels like something someone would have written yesterday. I like that style of thing.

Cheers, Caro.

Caro

I was born in November in New Zealand and struggled when I was young to understand November's bad press, but of course it equates with our May. (Though May's not too bad a month - just that there is still three months of winter still to come.)

Perhaps I have read that poem before! It fits with the sort of comment on November I remember.

Cheers, Caro.

Ann

I used this poem as an assembly at school with the children saying a line each and then November as a chorus at the end. It was very effective.

Sandraseahorse

I remember this poem from school. Appropriately, another poem by Thomas Hood is "I remember, I remember."

One of my schoolfriends chose to recite "I remember, I remember" when we were each given the task of choosing a poem to learn by heart. Unfortunately, she dried after the first line and then muttered; "I've forgotten." The teacher thought she was taking the mickey and gave her a detention when it was a genuine case of nerves.

Chibiabos83

When I was about 10 or 11 my class was given 'I remember, I remember' with the last line of each verse missing, and we had to guess what the lines might be. I seem to remember rhyming 'born' with 'porn', though I didn't offer it as a suggestion to the teacher. Ah, the age of innocence.

Mikeharvey

Sandra, your story of the pupil who forgot 'I remember' made me laugh.

Joe Mac

It's rare for me to have anything to say about poetry, but as I'm actually reading a book of poetry and just came across one that fits this 'November' theme, I thought I'd share it.

Like a Rat in a Trap, by Ogden Nash

After various guesses at last I've guessed
Why in spring I feel so depressed
When the robins begin to play
Summer is just a step away
Then hardly the summer has commenced
When autumn is what you're up against
And once that autumn has muscled in on you
Winter is waiting to begin on you
So spring isn't spring, but otherwise
Just a prelude to winter, which I despise

Caro

I think that's why I don't like autumn; it's the favourite season of lots of people here, being settled weather and not too windy, but I find it too close to winter to really enjoy. I like spring.

county_lady

Mikeharvey

A friend told me the other day that he will be sending 300 cards to friends this year. Who on earth has 300 friends? Another friend has already started writing Christmas cards. Gggggrrrr.............

Marita

Castorboy

What a good idea! If only it was true that time passes more slowly in the Southern Hemisphere.............