RPO -- William Wilfred Campbell : Indian Summer

William Wilfred Campbell (1858?-1918)

Indian Summer

1Along the line of smoky hills

2 The crimson forest stands,

3And all the day the blue-jay calls

4 Throughout the autumn lands.

5Now by the brook the maple leans

6 With all his glory spread,

7And all the sumachs on the hills

8 Have turned their green to red.

9Now by great marshes wrapt in mist,

10 Or past some river's mouth,

11Throughout the long, still autumn day

12 Wild birds are flying south.

Notes

7] sumachs: possibly Rhus typhina, the staghorn sumach, a small tree that turns bright red in the autumn. Thanks to Wasyl Sydorenko for identifying this plant.

Online text copyright © 2011, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: Wilfred Campbell, Lake lyrics and other poems (Saint John, N.B.: J. & A. McMillan, 1889): 113. See Early Canadiana Online.
First publication date: 1889
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2004
Recent editing: 1:2004/11/8*1:2011/3/6

Form: quatrains
Rhyme: abcb

Other poems by William Wilfred Campbell