Nostalgia

In Maggie Dietz’s poem “November,” the speaker looks back on the beautiful displays of autumn with nostalgia. Nostalgia can be defined as a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, usually for a time or place with happy personal associations. For the speaker, the breathtaking fall foliage, the kaleidoscope of hues across the landscape, the cries of migrating birds, and the low-hanging moon are just a few details that color the sensory palette of autumn. Comparing them to the bleakness of November conveys a sense of loss and transition. Though the speaker waxes nostalgic, these memories of autumn are not overly tinged with sentimentality, meaning that the speaker’s nostalgia is firmly rooted in the present moment.

In the first tercet, the speaker approaches nostalgia with a sense of humor. The “bang-up job” that October has done has all but disappeared from the landscape...