9th class English (FBISE), Chapter 9, Travel and Tourism
National Book Foundation
Poem "The Human Seasons"
“Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;”
👉 A year is made up of four seasons.
“There are four seasons in the mind of man:”
👉 Similarly, human life has four stages or phases.
“He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear”
👉 The first stage, like Spring, is youth, when a person is energetic and full of imagination.
“Takes in all beauty with an easy span:”
👉 In youth, people quickly and easily enjoy the beauty of life.
“He has his Summer, when luxuriously”
👉 The next stage is like Summer, representing adulthood.
“Spring’s honey’d cud of youthful thought he loves”
👉 In this stage, people enjoy remembering and thinking about the sweet experiences of youth.
“To ruminate, and by such dreaming high”
👉 They reflect deeply on those memories and dreams.
“Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves”
👉 In doing so, they feel a sense of peace and happiness, almost like being close to heaven.
“His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings”
👉 The third stage is Autumn, which represents old age, when life begins to slow down.
“He furleth close; contented so to look”
👉 In old age, people fold back their wings, meaning they stop chasing after everything, and feel satisfied just watching quietly.
“On mists in idleness—to let fair things”
👉 They are calm and idle, simply watching the beauty of life pass by.
“Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.”
👉 They let things go, like a brook that flows past the doorstep without being stopped.
“He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,”
👉 The final stage is Winter, which represents death — the end of life.
“Or else he would forego his mortal nature.”
👉 Without death, a person would not be truly human, because all people must pass through this last stage.
Stanza 1
👉 In this stanza, poet tells us that just as the year has four seasons, human life also has four stages. In spring, the first stage, which is like childhood, a person is mind is full of imagination, clear and is full of energy. At this time, a person can easily enjoy and appreciate all the beauty around him.
Stanza 2
👉 In this Stanza, the summer, the second stage, is represented as youth (adulthood). It is a time when a person takes time to think deeply about the things he experienced in Spring. He reflects on these beautiful thoughts almost feeling close to heaven. He has high aims about his future which he wishes to achieve. It's time for him to rest and enjoy life in a peaceful shelter.
Stanza 3
👉 In this Stanza, poet tells that the third stage is like Autumn, the middle age. When a person grows older, he becomes more calm and less eager to chase after worldly things. He starts to enjoy simply watching life pass by and doesn't feel the need to grab every opportunity. He doesn't take notice of everything like an unnoticed stream passing by his doorstep.
Final Couplet
👉 The last stage is Winter, which represents death. A person must pass through this final season, because experiencing all four stages — youth, adulthood, old age, and death — is part of being human.
In the last couplet, poet makes us that finally in winter, the last stage, the old age, the person's body begins to weaken, and he faces the reality of deterioration and eventually dying. This stage reminds him of mortality. Without this realization, he might forget that life will end one day.
The Summary of the poem “The Human Seasons” poem by John Keats:
In this poem, John Keats compares the stages of human life to the four seasons of the year. He says that childhood is like Spring, full of energy, freshness, and curiosity. Youth is like Summer, when people enjoy life’s pleasures and dreams. Adulthood is like Autumn, a time of calmness, reflection, and contentment. Finally, old age is like Winter, when the body grows weak, and people prepare for death. Through this comparison, Keats shows that just as seasons are natural and necessary, so are the different stages of human life.
The Central Idea / Theme of the poem “The Human Seasons” poem by John Keats:
1.
The central idea of the poem “The Human Seasons” by John Keats is that human life moves through four natural stages, just like the four seasons of the year. Childhood is like spring, full of freshness and curiosity; youth is like summer, full of joy and passion; adulthood is like autumn, calm and reflective; and old age is like winter, marked by decline and the nearness of death. Keats highlights that these stages are a natural part of life, and each has its own beauty and purpose.
2.
The 'Human Seasons' is the John Keat's reflection on the shape of human life. It reflects the growth of human mind just like seasons of a year. Like each year, each life has four seasons: spring of childhood, the summer of youth, the autumn of middle age and winter of old age. People must learn from all these seasons letting their minds grow by both beauty and suffering.
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