Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

May Swenson’s “On Its Way” is a compact yet vivid exploration of the fleeting beauty of autumn, a season that represents both abundance and decline. Through striking imagery and a rhythm that mirrors the accelerating transition from vitality to decay, Swenson captures the tension between life’s vibrancy and its inevitable conclusion.

The poem opens with the phrase, “Orange on its way to ash,” immediately juxtaposing color and its eventual dissolution. This imagery of orange—the emblematic color of autumn—evokes warmth, ripeness, and the peak of life, yet the mention of ash introduces the idea of decline and mortality. Swenson sets the tone for the entire piece, where opposites coexist: the fervor of life and the certainty of death.

Swenson’s language is sensorial and visceral, painting the landscape in vivid hues and textures. Phrases like “passion in its honey swell” and “pumpkin-plump before the rot” emphasize fullness and richness, while simultaneously hinting at over-ripeness and inevitable decay. The natural world is portrayed in a state of fiery exuberance, as seen in “bush of fire everywhere” and “fur of hillside running flame.” The imagery suggests both the literal appearance of autumnal foliage and the metaphorical fire of life at its most intense—a fire that will, like all fires, burn out.

The interplay between movement and stillness in the poem reflects the dual forces of vitality and finality. The dynamic “rush of heat to rosehip cheek” evokes the fleeting flush of life, a brief moment of warmth before the cold inevitability of frost. The juxtaposition of “ripeness on its way to frost” reinforces the transitory nature of this vibrancy, underscoring the tension between abundance and its decline.

Swenson’s use of sound and rhythm enhances the poem’s urgency. Short, declarative phrases such as “Glare of blood before the black” and “Foxquick pulse” convey a sense of immediacy and fleetingness, mimicking the rapid pace of seasonal change. The internal rhymes and alliterations—“pumpkin-plump” and “foxquick”—add musicality, further drawing the reader into the sensory richness of the poem.

The poem takes a darker turn in its final lines, with the explicit acknowledgment of death as the driving force behind autumn’s beauty: “It is death that tints the leaves.” This conclusion reframes the preceding imagery, suggesting that the vibrant colors and fiery displays of fall are, paradoxically, born of decline. The metaphorical connection between death and the “tinting” of the leaves imbues the season with a bittersweet poignancy. Autumn’s beauty is not merely a celebration of life but also a prelude to its end.

Swenson’s compact, free-verse structure mirrors the fleeting nature of the subject. Each line is short and sharp, like a quick intake of breath, emphasizing the brevity of the season and the intensity of its transformation. The lack of a consistent meter or rhyme scheme reflects the unpredictability of nature and the inevitability of its cycles.

“On Its Way” is a meditation on the paradoxical beauty of autumn, a season that embodies both life’s peak and its decline. Through rich, dynamic imagery and a rhythm that mirrors the urgency of change, Swenson captures the fleetingness of passion and vitality, reminding readers of the profound connection between beauty and impermanence. The poem’s acknowledgment of death as the force behind autumn’s brilliance invites reflection on the cyclical nature of existence and the ways in which endings enrich the moments that precede them.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...