Autumn Chapter in a Novel by Thom Gunn

 

Autumn Chapter In a Novel by Thom Gunn

Through woods, Mme Une Telle, a trifle ill
With idleness, but no less beautiful,
Walks with the young tutor, round their feet
Mob syllables slurred to a fine complaint,
Which in their time held off the natural heat.

The sun is distant, and they fill out space
Sweatless as watercolour under glass.
He kicks abruptly. But we may suppose
The leaves he scatters thus will settle back
In much the same position as they rose.

A tutor's indignation works on air,
Altering nothing; action bustles where,
Towards the pool by which they lately stood,
The husband comes discussing with his bailiff
Poachers, the broken fences round the wood.

Pighead! The poacher is at large, and lingers,          
A dead mouse gripped between his sensitive fingers          
Fences already keep the live game out:
See how your property twists her parasol,   
Hesitates in the tender trap of doubt.

Here they repair, here daily handle lightly
The brief excitements that disturb them nightly;
Sap draws back inch by inch, and to the ground
The words they uttered rustle constantly:
Silent, they watch the growing, weightless mound.

They leave at last a chosen element,
Resume the motions of their discontent;
She takes her sewing up, and he again
Names to her son the deserts on the globe,
And leaves thrust violently upon the pane.

Critical Appreciation

Thom Gunn’s "Autumn Chapter in a Novel" is a contemplative exploration of change, mortality, and the ephemeral nature of life, woven with the poet's characteristic precision and clarity. Gunn, known for his sharp observations and mastery of form, uses the autumnal setting as a metaphorical lens to examine the passage of time and the inevitable decline that accompanies it.

Mme Une Telle, a woman of status, walks through the woods with a young tutor. She is described as “a trifle ill with idleness,” suggesting a languid dissatisfaction or ennui that comes from a life of leisure. Despite this, her beauty remains untouched, emphasizing that her allure persists beyond her lack of purpose or excitement.

The act of walking through the woods with a young tutor suggests an intimate, perhaps intellectual companionship. The phrase “mob syllables slurred to a fine complaint” is particularly striking. It evokes the idea of words or sounds—perhaps the chaotic, indistinct murmurs of a crowd—being transformed into something more refined, almost artful. This could symbolize the way casual, everyday chatter is elevated in the context of their relationship, or how their shared discourse masks deeper dissatisfaction.

The final line of the first stanza is layered with meaning. “Held off the natural heat” could refer to the way their conversation or the act of walking serves as a distraction from the inevitable, more primal aspects of life—like physical desire, emotional intensity, or even the literal heat of summer. Alternatively, it may suggest that their intellectual or superficial engagement postpones confronting deeper truths, such as the inevitability of change, aging, or mortality.

The line "The sun is distant, and they fill out space / Sweatless as watercolour under glass" conveys a sense of detachment and stillness. The sun, typically a source of heat and energy, is described as distant, suggesting a lack of warmth or passion. The figures in the scene—possibly Mme Une Telle and the tutor—exist within this space but remain cool and almost unreal, like a watercolor painting preserved behind glass, untouched by the elements.

The next lines introduce a sudden movement: "He kicks abruptly." This moment of action disrupts the stillness, but Gunn quickly undercuts its significance with speculation: "But we may suppose / The leaves he scatters thus will settle back / In much the same position as they rose." The scattered leaves represent the small, seemingly insignificant disturbances in life—actions that might cause temporary disruption but ultimately have little lasting effect.The kicked leaves may flutter in the air, but they will return to nearly the same arrangement, reinforcing a theme of inevitability and stasis.

In the next stanza, the tutor’s indignation is described as having no tangible effect—it “works on air.” This suggests that his emotional outburst or moral outrage is hollow, ineffective, and disconnected from any real consequences. The phrase implies that his anger is more performative than transformative, perhaps reflective of a broader theme in the poem: the futility of human emotions when faced with life’s larger, indifferent forces.

"Altering nothing; action bustles where,"
This line reinforces the idea that despite the tutor’s indignation, nothing changes. The word "bustles" introduces a contrast: while the tutor’s emotional energy is stagnant and pointless, other forms of action—practical, perhaps mundane—continue around him. It suggests a world where life’s movements are indifferent to individual feelings or moral stances.

"Towards the pool by which they lately stood,"
The pool here serves as a specific, almost symbolic location. It’s a place they “lately stood,” suggesting a moment of reflection or connection that has now passed. The pool might represent a threshold between contemplation and action, or the fleeting nature of moments that once held significance.

"The husband comes discussing with his bailiff"
The husband’s arrival, engaging in a conversation with his bailiff, introduces a figure of authority and practicality. This contrast to the tutor’s emotional outburst highlights a shift from abstract indignation to the business of daily life—concerns about land, management, and control. The husband’s discussion seems grounded in reality, in contrast to the tutor’s disconnected moral outrage.

"Poachers, the broken fences round the wood."
The final line grounds the conversation in concrete, even somewhat petty, concerns: poachers and broken fences. These issues are tangible and immediate, representing the everyday struggles of maintaining order and control over nature and property. The mention of poachers and broken fences juxtaposes the grand, existential themes of the earlier lines with the mundane, suggesting that life’s persistent, practical concerns often overshadow philosophical or emotional conflicts.

In the next stanza the term "Pighead!" is an insult, directed at someone—possibly the husband or another authority figure—suggesting foolishness or stubbornness. It conveys frustration, perhaps with someone who is oblivious to obvious problems. The poacher being "at large" introduces a figure of transgression, someone who defies authority, and the fact that he lingers implies a brazen, almost defiant presence, refusing to be hidden or subdued.

"A dead mouse gripped between his sensitive fingers"
This image is both disturbing and strangely tender. The poacher holds a dead mouse—an object that should evoke revulsion or indifference—with "sensitive fingers," suggesting an unexpected care or delicacy. This contrast hints at the complex nature of the poacher: not just a villain or outsider, but someone who feels, perhaps even empathizes with the fragile life he handles. It blurs the line between hunter and caretaker, complicating the simple moral dichotomy.

"Fences already keep the live game out:"
Here, the fences serve as a literal and symbolic barrier. While they are meant to keep "live game"—valuable or desirable creatures—inside, the line suggests that the fences are already doing their job, keeping the creatures out. This could symbolize the futility of the husband’s or landowner’s attempts to control nature and property, as the barriers themselves are part of the larger system of control and exclusion.

"See how your property twists her parasol,"
Then, the perspective shifts to "your property," likely referring to Mme Une Telle. Her act of twisting her parasol seems minor, but Gunn frames it with precision—it suggests unease, hesitation, or suppressed emotion. The phrase "Hesitates in the tender trap of doubt" is particularly poignant, portraying uncertainty as a form of entrapment. Whether her doubt is romantic, moral, or existential remains open-ended.

The opening lines—"Here they repair, here daily handle lightly / The brief excitements that disturb them nightly;"—suggest a repeated, almost ritualistic return to a place or habit where they address fleeting passions or anxieties. The phrase "handle lightly" implies a certain detachment—perhaps they acknowledge their nightly disturbances without fully confronting them.

"Sap draws back inch by inch, and to the ground / The words they uttered rustle constantly:" introduces a natural parallel to this emotional withdrawal. Just as sap retreats in autumn, signaling the slow decay of life, their spoken words rustle to the ground—like fallen leaves, ephemeral and ultimately settling into silence.

The final line—"Silent, they watch the growing, weightless mound."—is especially haunting. The "mound" could symbolize accumulating fallen leaves, remnants of past conversations, or even time itself piling up unnoticed. The phrase "weightless mound" suggests that despite its growth, it carries no real substance—perhaps hinting at futility, resignation, or the fleeting nature of existence.

"Here they repair, here daily handle lightly"
The repetition of "here" creates a rhythmic anchor, emphasizing that this is a recurring, almost ritualistic action. "They repair" suggests an attempt to fix or maintain something—perhaps their environment, their relationships, or even their own sense of purpose. The phrase "handle lightly" implies that their efforts are superficial, done with a kind of delicate touch that avoids confronting the deeper issues. It reflects a tendency to manage life’s disturbances without fully engaging with them, maintaining a fragile facade.

"The brief excitements that disturb them nightly;"
This line introduces the idea of "brief excitements," fleeting events or emotions that temporarily disrupt their routine. The fact that these disturbances occur "nightly" suggests a cyclical, almost predictable nature—small upheavals that are part of the rhythm of their lives. The word "brief" downplays their significance, as if to suggest that these emotional or dramatic spikes are ephemeral and ultimately inconsequential.

"Sap draws back inch by inch, and to the ground"
Here, Gunn shifts to a natural metaphor. The image of "sap drawing back" evokes the slow, almost imperceptible process of decline or withdrawal, much like the approach of autumn when life retreats into itself. This is not a sudden collapse but a gradual fading, symbolizing aging, emotional withdrawal, or the slow loss of vitality. The sap’s movement "to the ground" implies a return to the earth, a cycle of life and decay.

"The words they uttered rustle constantly:"
This line personifies the words spoken by the characters, likening them to leaves rustling on the ground. The idea of words "rustling constantly" suggests that even after being spoken, they remain present, lingering in the background, subtly affecting the environment and the individuals involved. It reflects how language and communication, even if seemingly insignificant in the moment, have an ongoing, almost unconscious impact.

"Silent, they watch the growing, weightless mound."
The stanza concludes with an image of silent observation. The "growing, weightless mound" could symbolize something like a pile of leaves, a grave, or even an abstract accumulation of time, memory, or unspoken emotions. The word "weightless" adds a paradoxical quality—while the mound grows, it carries no tangible weight, suggesting that it’s not the physical but the emotional or existential burden that matters. Their silence implies resignation, an acceptance of this slow, inevitable process without resistance.

The first line of the final stanza suggests that the characters have finally departed from a place or moment that held some significance—a "chosen element." The phrase implies that this was not just a random departure but one marked by a deliberate choice, possibly reflecting a decision to move on from an emotional or existential engagement. It could symbolize leaving behind a fleeting connection, a memory, or even an emotional state that no longer serves them.

"Resume the motions of their discontent;"
Here, Gunn introduces a sense of inevitable return to the mundane. Despite the departure, the characters fall back into the "motions"—a mechanical, almost robotic repetition of actions—driven by an underlying discontent. This suggests that their dissatisfaction is not tied to a specific place or situation but is an intrinsic part of their lives. It reflects the existential idea that discontent can be a constant companion, not easily shaken by change or movement.

"She takes her sewing up, and he again"
The resumption of ordinary activities—"she takes her sewing up"—symbolizes a return to domestic, repetitive tasks that offer little emotional or intellectual stimulation. The use of "again" for the husband’s action suggests that whatever he does is also part of this monotonous cycle, reinforcing the idea that their lives are marked by routine, devoid of real engagement or growth.

"Names to her son the deserts on the globe,"
This line adds a curious, almost detached educational or conversational element. The husband is teaching his son about "the deserts on the globe," a fact-based, impersonal subject that contrasts sharply with the emotional distance between the characters. It might reflect an attempt to impart knowledge or values, but it also underscores the lack of deeper connection—he’s discussing geography rather than engaging with his family on a meaningful emotional level.

"And leaves thrust violently upon the pane."
The final image is vivid and somewhat jarring. "Leaves thrust violently upon the pane" could symbolize the way nature intrudes upon the artificial barrier of human life—like the unavoidable passage of time or the persistence of decay. The word "violently" contrasts with the otherwise mundane tone, suggesting that even in the quietest moments, life’s forces—change, death, or the inevitable drift of time—assert themselves with undeniable force.


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