“The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1842 in the collection Ballads and Other Poems, is a sonnet that showcases many of Longfellow’s signature poetic qualities. With its simple yet elegant language, and vivid imagery, the poem evokes a sense of tranquility and contemplation of the natural world. Longfellow masterfully captures the changing season, using the harvest moon as a symbol of both abundance and the impending passage of time. The poem’s gentle rhythm and focus on familiar scenes create a nostalgic and comforting atmosphere, embodying the sentimentality often found in Longfellow’s work.

Text: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
  And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
  And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
  Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
  And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
  Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
  With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!
All things are symbols: the external shows
  Of Nature have their image in the mind,
  As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;
The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,
  Only the empty nests are left behind,
  And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.

Annotations: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Line	Annotation
It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes	* Declaration of the Harvest Moon’s arrival. “Gilded vanes” suggests the moon’s light adds a golden hue to weather vanes atop buildings.
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests	* The moonlight extends across both human settlements and natural landscapes.
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests	* Focus shifts to birds’ nests high in the trees, emphasizing widespread illumination by the moonlight.
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes	* The nests are now empty, and the moonlight shines on windows of children’s rooms, suggesting a peaceful domestic scene.
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes	* The expansive reach of the moonlight – from intimate spaces to rural paths.
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!	* The ‘mystic splendor’ refers to the powerful, almost magical quality of the moonlight over the harvested fields.
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,	* A shift in tone: the birds who brought joy in summer are gone, signaling the change of seasons.
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!	* ‘Sheaves’ are bundles of harvested grain, and ‘wains’ are wagons, emphasizing the end of harvest and work completed.
All things are symbols: the external shows	* Transition to a philosophical point: everything we see in nature holds a deeper, symbolic meaning.
Of Nature have their image in the mind,	* Our minds create an internal reflection or interpretation of the natural phenomena we observe.
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;	* Examples of natural symbols: flowers = bloom, fruits = ripeness, falling leaves = the end of a cycle.
The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,	* Birds leaving is another seasonal signifier, signifying the transition to a quieter period.
Only the empty nests are left behind,	* A poignant image highlighting absence and reminding us of what was once full of life.
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.	* A final image – the quail’s call amidst the harvested grain evokes a quieter soundscape than summer’s birdsong.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1. Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words. *Example: “woods and wild neighborhoods”
2. Anaphora: Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses. Example: “And roofs of villages…”, “And their aerial…”, “And harvest-fields….”
3. Apostrophe: Addressing something non-human as if it were present and listening. Example: The poem begins with a declaration to the “Harvest Moon”.
4. Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: “moon”, “roofs”
5. Caesura: A pause within a line of verse, often marked by punctuation. Example: “It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes”
6. Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds (especially at the ends) of nearby words. Example: “splendor rests!”
7. Enjambment: A line of poetry running onto the next line without punctuation. Example: Many lines in the poem use this technique, creating a flowing effect.
8. Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis. Example: “…mystic splendor rests!”
9. Imagery: Vivid use of sensory language to create mental pictures. Example: “On gilded vanes / And roofs of villages…”
10. Inversion: Unusual word order for emphasis or to maintain meter. Example: “Gone are the birds…” instead of “The birds are gone…”
11. Metaphor: A comparison without using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Example: The Harvest Moon itself is a metaphor for the specific autumnal full moon.
12. Meter: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. “The Harvest Moon” uses iambic pentameter (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM)
13. Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate the sounds they describe. Example: “piping” (suggests the quail’s call).
14. Oxymoron: Combining two contradictory words for effect. Example: “mystic splendor” (Mysticism is often hidden, contrasted with visible splendor)
15. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: “The songbirds leave us” (implies a conscious choice).
16. Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis. Example: the repeated use of “And” at the start of several lines.
17. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows a traditional sonnet form with ABBAABBACCDDEE
18. Simile: A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Example: “As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves”
19. Sonnet: A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and structure. “The Harvest Moon” perfectly follows this form.
20. Symbolism: Using something concrete to represent an abstract idea. Example: The empty birds’ nests symbolize loss and the passage of time.

Themes: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1. The Passage of Time and Cycles of Nature The poem emphasizes the transience of seasons. The Harvest Moon signals the shift from summer to autumn, marked by the departure of birds and the completion of the harvest. Longfellow uses natural imagery like falling leaves and empty nests to remind us of the ever-changing cycles of nature, reflecting broader cycles of life.
2. Contemplation and Reflection The poem’s tone is imbued with a sense of peacefulness and quiet observation. The majestic image of the Harvest Moon evokes a feeling of awe and invites the reader to contemplate the natural world’s beauty and deeper meanings. The ‘mystic splendor’ of the moon suggests reflecting on the profound within the ordinary.
3. Beauty in the Familiar Longfellow finds beauty in simple, everyday scenes. The moonlight bathes familiar landscapes and objects with enchantment – from children’s bedrooms to rural lanes and harvested fields. The poem reminds us to appreciate the quiet beauty within the seemingly mundane aspects of our lives.
4. Sense of Loss and Nostalgia Alongside celebration of harvest, there’s a bittersweet undercurrent. The empty nests and the departure of songbirds emphasize absence. This nostalgic tone hints at the inevitable losses that accompany the changing seasons of life, prompting us to cherish what we have in the present moment.

Literary Theories and “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Literary Theory	Focus of Analysis	How it Might Apply to “The Harvest Moon”
Formalism / New Criticism	Close examination of elements within the poem itself: language, form, symbols, imagery	Analyze how the sonnet structure, vivid imagery, and the poem’s use of natural symbolism build its meaning.
Reader-Response Criticism	Focus on the reader’s individual experience and how the poem evokes meaning for them	Consider how readers from different backgrounds and life experiences might find individual significance in the poem’s themes of nature, transience, or nostalgia.
Ecocriticism	Examination of how literature portrays the relationship between humans and the natural world	Analyze the poem’s focus on seasonal change, natural imagery, and the speaker’s observations of the environment. Does it celebrate nature or mourn its changes?
Historical Criticism	Influence of the era the work was written	Examine how 19th-century American views of nature and rural life might shape the poem’s romanticized portrayal of the harvest and its surrounding imagery.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Explores potential unconscious desires and anxieties expressed within the text	Analyze the poem’s focus on empty nests and changing seasons as possible symbolic expressions of anxieties about loss, aging, or the fragility of life.

Critical Questions about “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• Question 1: Does the poem offer a romanticized view of nature?
• Answer: Potentially, yes. The focus on the moon’s beauty and the peaceful nostalgia it inspires could downplay the harsher realities of the natural world and seasonal changes. By emphasizing “mystic splendor,” the poem may neglect the struggle and unpredictability often inherent in nature and rural life.
• Question 2: Is the poem’s perspective limited?
• Answer: Likely. The focus on domestic scenes and a nostalgic tone suggest a specific, possibly privileged, viewpoint. The poem doesn’t address the experiences of those directly involved in the labor of harvest, potentially silencing their voices within the broader narrative.
• Question 3: Does the poem’s emphasis on natural cycles imply a lack of human agency?
• Answer: To an extent. While the cyclical nature of the seasons is undeniable, the poem risks minimizing human ability to create change and break free of established patterns. This could unintentionally devalue the role of individual will and action in shaping life.
• Question 4: Is the poem’s message relatable to a modern audience?
• Answer: It depends on the reader. While themes of transience and finding beauty in the ordinary are timeless, the poem’s language and rural focus might create distance for some contemporary readers. Modern interpretations may necessitate bridging the gap between the poem’s historical context and current lived experiences.

Literary Works Similar to “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Poetry:

• “To Autumn” by John Keats: This celebrated Romantic ode shares with “The Harvest Moon” a focus on the abundance and impending change associated with the autumnal season. Both poems utilize rich sensory imagery and personification to create vivid depictions of the natural world.
• “November Night” by Adelaide Crapsey: Though focused on a different month, Crapsey’s poem shares with Longfellow’s work a quiet, contemplative tone, focusing on the evening landscape and the subtle melancholic undercurrent brought on by the changing seasons.
• Poems from Robert Frost’s “North of Boston” collection: Many of Frost’s poems (“Mending Wall,” “After Apple-Picking,” etc.) capture the essence of rural New England life. They often include vivid natural imagery, similar to Longfellow, subtly interwoven with reflections on time and the changing seasons.
• Sections of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”, particularly “Song of Myself”: Whitman’s expansive and celebratory outlook often emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and nature, resonating with Longfellow’s focus on how external natural phenomena find reflection within our internal experiences.

Prose:

• Georgics by Virgil: While a much older work, this classic text from Ancient Rome offers thematic parallels to “The Harvest Moon”. Its focus on agriculture, respect for rural life, and observation of natural cycles align with Longfellow’s poem.

Considerations for Comparative Analysis:

A deeper analysis would focus on specific elements beyond theme, including:

• Tone: Is it similarly nostalgic, celebratory, or contemplative?
• Imagery: Does it utilize comparable use of symbolism and sensory language?
• Sociohistorical Context: How does the historical period of each work potentially shape its perspective on nature and rural life?

Suggested Readings: “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Books

• Arvin, Newton. Longfellow: His Life and Work. Little, Brown and Company, 1963.
• Calhoun, Charles C. Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life. Beacon Press, 2004.
• Irmscher, Christoph. Longfellow Redux. University of Illinois Press, 2008.

Websites

• The Poetry Foundation: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/henry-wadsworth-longfellow. Includes biography, poems, and sometimes additional resources.
• The Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site: https://www.nps.gov/long/index.htm. Provides insights into Longfellow’s former home and life.

Finding Articles (Search these titles in a library database)

• Gioia, Dana. “Longfellow in the Aftermath of Modernism.” The Hudson Review, vol. 39, no. 4, 1987, pp. 591–613. JSTOR, [invalid URL removed]. Explores how Longfellow’s traditional style has been viewed over time.