The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Dietz, Maggie. “November.” That Kind of Happy (The University of Chicago Press, 2016).

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

In the Northern Hemisphere, November is among the last months of late autumn, and is generally characterized by cooler temperatures, shorter days, and the seasonal transition ushering in winter. This creates a contemplative and at times melancholic atmosphere that aligns with the way November is often associated with reflection. In her poem "November," Maggie Dietz combines all these elements, adding humor into the mix. The speaker adopts a theatrical persona to announce the end of October's vibrant splendor. As the poem goes on to outline November's bleakness, the speaker observes how the onset of winter affects various species.

"November" is written in a loose terza rima structure, a poetic form characterized by tercets with an interlocking rhyme scheme of ABA BCB CDC. This form is famously associated with the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who popularized it in his work The Divine Comedy. Dietz employs terza rima to explore the cyclical shifts of the seasons.