The Poetry of Robert Frost The complete poems c1969 Henry Holt & Co. New York
That IS November on the cover. You do not have to delve far into this volume to find My November Guest. It is right up front on page 6… If you are born in New England, you are required to know a few Frost poems by heart. We carry on about the weather as if there is no other topic of conversation, after we briefly go over the latest town meeting gossip, and Robert Frost is the best interpreter of how the weather contributes in making us the way we are. Read Brown’s Descent. We know it is colder and darker in Arctic regions, but they have the Northern Lights, don’t they.
My November Guest by Robert Frost
My Sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds have gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted gray
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
This poem is followed shortly by Storm Fear, but let’s not cower in the cave yet. What are we supposed to think in the opposite to May month? Have we done everything we were supposed to in the proper season? Better get caught up! Did we forget to appreciate what we have, better get on that too, especially if we a are certain age. Time is running out…
Stop right there, friends, and take in these November authors and artists who help us see the beauty in this time at the end of the year. If you are one of those people who have your Holiday shopping done, fie on you, but go outside after dark and see which constellations are visible. Enjoy the feel of a warm sweater, take the kids for a walk and ask them what they see. Bake something and bring it over here!
In November by Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Jill Kastner c2000 Voyager Books / Harcourt Inc.
Cynthia Rylant takes the youngest children on a simple stroll through the month, visiting the animals, scents, crisp sounds, and sights of winter coming on. Whether you live where it snows or not, changes are going on and children like to help you notice them. It is good to take their minds off the advertising and noise of the approaching Holidays with a little walk outdoors and some quiet listening. This book sets the tone for seeing the particular beauty of early winter.
Illustration by Jill Kastner from In November written by Cynthia Rylant
November is also warm inside with the folks.
Snow Toward Evening : A Year in a River Valley Poems selected by Josette Frank with paintings by Thomas Locker c1990 Dial Books / Penguin Books : New York
Short selections from famous poets and paintings by Thomas Locker showcase natural events in a river valley. There is a lovely view for each month of the year. From wild geese flying across cloudy skies in August, to golden leaves on the ground in October, and blue skies over daffodils in May, this book opens young eyes to beauty. November is featured above. Other books by Thomas Locker include: Where the River Begins, The Mare on the Hill, Sailing with the Wind and other lovingly illustrated titles.
Lest you become melancholy:
Waiting for Winter Written and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser c2009 Kane Miller : Tulsa First published in Germany in 2007.
Three friends, Squirrel, Hedgehog, and Bear have never seen snow and they are determined not to miss it this year. Deer has told them that snow is white, wet, cold and soft. While waiting impatiently for snow to appear, the friends amuse themselves by singing sea shanties, and finding various objects that fit the description deer gave them, but are hilariously wrong. The animals pictured here are all a bit disheveled and that fits the comic tone of the story perfectly. This book always broke up my story time audience who were also very eager for the first flakes to fall.
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Jon Klassen. c2012 HarperCollins : New York
November is sweater season. Annabelle is a knitter and her magic ball of yarn never runs out. She knits for friends, family, cats, dogs, and perhaps even large, inanimate objects that could use some new coverings. When her never ending ball of yarn is stolen by an evil archduke, Annabelle and her whole town are dismayed. Will the archduke’s new possession bring him what he desires?
