Retreat: Fourteen Autumn and Winter poems from Godey's Lady's Book

The days get shorter; the air gets colder; the wind seems more ominous. Although many of us love the fall and winter, for others our human reaction is to hunker down, bundle up, and retreat just a bit until spring. The fourteen poems in this volume not only depict the weather changes of these months, they also show, in some cases, how the message of death carried by autumn also implies a message of hope; that all things die, but for some there can be rebirth in the spring. For those of you in climates that do not experience winter, it can be hard to describe in words the wonder of waking to an ice-covered world; Sigourney’s poem, Winter’s Fete, comes close.

There were many poems to the seasons published in Godey’s over the years. Only a few are included in this volume and in Awakening, the companion volume on spring and summer poems. Some of the poems that were not included have passages worth re-publishing; one is shared here.

The groves are stripped—the hill-tops bare,
And earth has doffed her mantle green—
Save the seared leaf that high in air,
Still shivering on the bough is seen,
No trace remains of all that May
Profusely promised, or the kiss
That warm-lipped summer gave the Day,
When flowers began their life of bliss.

From “Winter” by an unknown author.
Ladies’ Magazine, Volume 1, 1828, February, p. 75.

Godey's Lady's Book was one of the most popular magazines in nineteenth century America, reaching every state and territory. Its poetry, authored by amateurs and professionals alike, allows us to share in the emotional and intellectual experiences of these Americans in a unique way. The Godey’s Poetry series is made up of 18 volumes based on a variety of themes. In addition to this volume, you might be interested in:

Awakening: Fifteen poems of Spring and Summer
Nightfall to Dawn: Twenty One poems
To the Rain: Twenty Two poems
To the Sea: Thirty One poems
Love: Thirty Four poems
Love’s Endings: Thirty Two poems
Of Thoughts Sublime: Thirty Eight Sonnets
In the Time of Mourning: Thirty Three poems of Grief and Loss
Death and Remembrance: Thirty Four poems
Alone and Weary: Twenty Five poems of Sadness and Hope
Indians’ Lament: Twenty Two poems on Native Americans
Temperance: Seventeen poems on the dangers of drink
Unfurl the Banner, Strew the Flowers: Twelve poems of the Civil War and its Aftermath
America: Thirty Six poems of the New Nation
1828-1831: An Album. Thirty Four poems
Life: Thirty Three casual poems and light verse
Honoring the Muse: Twenty One poems on Poetry and Poets

A final volume focuses on the poetry in Hale’s Boston-based Ladies’ Magazine. “Cherishing the Sacred Fire” presents 100 poems from the Ladies’ Magazine (1828-1836), about 45 of which are included in various collections above. This volume has in-depth Introduction that looks at Hale as an editor and her philosophies on poetry.