In Ode to Autumn, John Keats portrays autumn as a time of both ripeness and ________.

Correct option is B

Explanation:

In Ode to Autumn, John Keats celebrates the season as a time of ripeness and abundance, but he also acknowledges its association with decline. Autumn is depicted as the time when nature reaches its peak of fertility, with fruit ripening and crops ready for harvest. However, this abundance also signifies the approaching end of the cycle, and Keats subtly conveys the theme of decline, as autumn also marks the transition to winter, symbolizing the inevitable passage of time and the decay that follows the peak of life and growth. The beauty of autumn is tied to the knowledge that it is both the culmination of nature’s work and the beginning of a decline, making it a meditation on mortality and the transient nature of life.

Information Booster:

John Keats (1795–1821) was one of the most prominent English Romantic poets, known for his rich and sensuous imagery, as well as his exploration of themes like beauty, mortality, and nature.

• Keats’s works often focus on the transient nature of beauty and life, and Ode to Autumn is a perfect example of this thematic concern.
• Written in 1819, Ode to Autumn is one of Keats’s most celebrated odes, often praised for its vivid imagery and reflection on the passage of time.
• It is a celebration of the autumn season, yet it also captures the bittersweet realization that autumn, while full of ripeness and vitality, is a precursor to the cold and death of winter.
• Ode to Autumn is structured in three stanzas, each highlighting different aspects of the autumn season. In the first stanza, Keats describes the abundance of autumn—fields of ripening fruit, the maturing harvest, and the rich colors of the landscape. The second stanza reflects on the tasks of autumn, such as the labor of gathering the harvest and the sounds of nature preparing for the end of the year. In the third stanza, Keats presents autumn as a time of reflection, acknowledging the inevitable decline that follows the beauty of the harvest.
• The poem is not just a celebration of autumn’s richness but also a meditation on the cyclical nature of life and death, drawing parallels between the seasonal changes and the human experience of growth, flourishing, and eventual decline.
• Ode to Autumn is a lyric poem, a form often used to express the personal feelings and reflections of the poet. Keats’s use of vivid imagery and personification in the poem brings autumn to life, making it a dynamic character within the poem itself.
• The central theme of Ode to Autumn is the transitory nature of life. Keats contrasts the vibrancy of autumn with the subtle, underlying message of decline, symbolizing the inevitable passage of time.
• Themes of beauty, decay, and the cyclical nature of existence are explored through Keats’s detailed depiction of the autumn season.