The True Meaning of Autumn

The True Meaning of Autumn 

By: Haripriya  

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I couldn’t believe the beauty of the golden shimmers, decorating the floor, with its bright, vivid colors. In multiple shades of yellow, orange, red, green, and dusk brown, there it was, making the ground more colorful. It really was that time of year, wasn’t it? The season had changed from summer, now to fall. The weather, and the climate had also changed. The chilly breeze, yet so pleasant. The cool wind slips pass your hair, making you feel ever so slightly joyful. Every time you sniff, the smell of fresh blossom came to you. I lifted my head up and saw the gorgeous sky. With tones of lavender, peacock blue, sunflower, and rose red. The sky had lit up, filled with colorful beams.  

If I carefully squint my eyes, I could spot many little robins. They flew in flocks, to the south, looking like little winged angels soaring through the sky.  

I had thought to myself, “Fly little birdies, fly! Soar through the breeze, and the touch the sky!”  

I glanced down, to my watch. It had read 6:00 pm. Realizing that I had just came to reality. This wasn’t good. I was late, again! I can’t believe this had happened I even promised I would come back early, now I had betrayed her trust again. What a “lovely” daughter I must be.  

I scoffed and murmured to myself, “It’s fine. I guess... I was out for my school project. I can say to my mother that I was trying to get some fresh air, and at the same time, trying to answer the essay question.”  

I tried my best to calm myself, to reassure that there was nothing to worry about, but deep down, I knew I was going to get in trouble. But, worrying about getting in trouble wasn’t going to help me at all, so I devised a little plan. I would finish my essay while walking through the woods. After all, Autumn is around me! All I had to do was open my eyes and see the beauty of nature. Once I reach home, I would just explain that I needed to be inspired by the nature around me, which is why I reached late. For now, that sounded like a good plan. There was no more time to waste. I picked up my bag, held my notebook tightly around my cold hands, and sharpened my pencil. Slowly, I started to walk. 

“Remember to use your 5 senses to come up with the best essay. Something descriptive, and yet simple. That is the challenge for today students, and you have until Friday morning to draft and revise your essay. Good luck!” I recollected what my teacher had told me. 

“Hmmm... 5 senses you say, huh? The first one is sight. Well, I see... leaves. All around me, falling. I notice that each of them has different colors and different patterns. I also spot little squirrels... and rabbits hopping here and there. The sky looks amazing, with all the beautiful streaks of color, and I notice birds migrating. I guess this all I got for what I see.” I concluded. 

It took me a little time to draft the first paragraph, but I finished it. Now, it was time for the next sense, touch.  

“What do I feel?” I thought to myself. 

Suddenly, I tripped on a branch and fell flat on a blanket of more leaves. “AHA!” I shrieked, like a mad scientist. I didn’t realize how loud I had shouted it for all the squirrels and bunnies had leapt with fear. 

I held a leaf in my hand and wrote what I felt when touching it. “It feels a little rough and bumpy in the middle. Almost like I am touching the road. But, as I move my hand to the bottom of the leaf, it feels very soft, and smooth. Also, a little fragile. If I accidentally bent it a little too hard, it would break easily into 2 uneven pieces. But that was just one leaf. When I hold multiple leaves in my hands, they feel like tiny pieces of the clouds, up above, were raining on me.” 

I carefully wrote the second paragraph of my essay. I guess this won’t be as hard as I thought it was. I could easily write more paragraphs! Besides, this was very fun! I frolicked along the forest, feeling glee.  

“Now I have to write about what I smell. This might a little hard though...” I pondered deeply as I walked along.  

“Well, I do smell the musky-sweet aroma from the pile of leaves up ahead. I guess I could write that. Autumn makes me think about harvest, and earthly smells. A kind of melancholy hint in the air today. The smell of cinnamon, something sweet, like a treat! I might be going somewhere in this essay! I get a whiff of the leaves, saying their last goodbyes, while purifying the air...” I talked to myself, brainstorming quietly this time to not scare away the poor animals.  

I could feel each time, getting closer and closer as I reach the end of my essay. I was delighted to show this to my mom. I didn’t want to get distracted again like last time, so I brought my focus back to the next sense.  

“Crooo!! Crooo!!” I heard the little birds' call. 

“Yes! This is perfect for the next one, what I hear. The sweet little bird calls. Warning each other and preparing for their migration. Trying to find as much food as they can. The flock of birds, making a V shape, and now were all calling, filling the atmosphere with a hint of a gorgeous melody. Their songs were very beautiful, as it they were nature’s lullabies. I could their echoes, now getting a little softer, each time they fly farther and farther into the distance.” I wrote.  

This was the final one. What do I taste? When I think of Autumn, what does my stomach growl for?  

I thought a lot harder about this when I realized I had almost reached home. I decided that I would take a little break right now and come back to my essay later. Afterall, my legs were getting tired of walking for almost 30 minutes, and my hands were getting a little sore, for holding my pencil in that awkward position for a long time. I quickly ran very fast, until I saw that big banyan tree, surrounding my house. I would know that I have reached my house when I spot the banyan tree, hanging low, with it’s almost bare branches. The entire ground was yet again filled with numerous amounts of leaves, which were scattered everywhere randomly. It was like many toddlers had threw the leaves here and there, playing with it. I decided to leave my backpack, my notebook, and my pencil on the bench right next to the door. I was going to come back for it anyways.  

I got ready to knock. My stomach was twisting, and my hands were reluctant to get close to the wooden door. I gulped very hard, and I saw my legs shaking and trembling from fear. But how else was I going to get in? I gathered up my courage, took a few deep breaths, closed my eyes and knocked, hoping for the best.  

At first, I didn’t hear the noise of the doorknob rattling, so I decided to knock again, and this time... well, she did open the door.  

“It’s explaining time... where were you for such a long time?” my mother asked me, looking very worried. 

“I was taking a stroll through the woods, to get an idea of what exactly I wanted to write for my essay. It was about Autumn, and I had to get inspired from the season to write it as if every word came from my heart. But the good news is that I drafted my 4 paragraphs for what I am going to include in the essay, and I just need to write one more paragraph!” I exclaimed, trying to change my mom’s mood. 

“Fine, but quickly get in, it is getting darker outside and a lot colder.” my mother replied.  

I did as my mother instructed me to do. I slowly, brushed my feet against the hard-wooden plank floor, and remembered to take my backpack and my other supplies with me as I entered. My body had felt a severe difference between the climate outside and inside the house. Cool and breezy outside. Hot and humid inside. I slowly, but carefully unzipped my jacket and hung it in the coat rack. I finally took a seat on the dining table as I continued to think about the last part of my essay – taste. 

I thought about the smell of cinnamon, I could almost taste it in my tongue. I quickly tried to write. Also, I thought about pumpkins, since they were kind of like the ‘mascot’ of October and fall in general. I thought of drinks, like hot chocolate my mom makes and there is only one word to describe them: delicious. Nutmeg, and clover, maybe even ginger! I thought of caramel... and even fresh sliced apples my mother was cutting for me right now! I jotted all my ideas and tried to make it a paragraph. I was done with my essay.  

Autumn for Me:  

What does Autumn mean to you? Write a multi-paragraph essay about what Autumn means to you. Try to use descriptive words, show not tell methods, and the 5 senses for you to come up with a good essay. 

Autumn to me means new beginnings. A new season. A new segment of our year. Autumn means nature slowly changing throughout time. Autumn, or fall as many people say, is the time of year when leaves fall, and animals migrate. It is the time of year when the weather starts changing, and the days start getting shorter. It is when our morning walks start to become even more gorgeous than before. For the leaves shed, and the tree branches become bare.  

I spot leaves all around me, creating a rather scattered arrangement of colors. Looking like abstract art. I see many animals such as squirrels and rabbits, hopping by here and there to gather and store food for the winter. As for the sky, painted with different tones and shades of blues, purples, pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, blending across the sky. As if someone had done finger painting and beautifully blended all the colors into one. I notice the birds, gracefully flying towards the south, for they were setting their own “camp”. 

Soft bits of leaves, falling on my forehead, swirling here and there, as the cool breeze moved them swiftly and gently. I held a leaf in my hand, and felt the roughness of its veins, as it created a beautiful pattern across the leaf. As I got to the end of the leaf though, it felt very smooth. I felt as if I was touching a piece of a soft, fluffy cloud. When I lost grip of the leaf though, as it went flying, my hair also was moving to the pleasant wind. I felt very relaxed and peaceful. 

I gently sniffed, to smell the earth and the beauty of mother nature. The leaves were making everything around me smell a bit musky. As if the leaves were the ones, who were purifying the air, and making it smell like this. If I was concentrating, I could even smell the wind past me. The cool, crisp air, making me feel so calm and peaceful. As I looked up above, I could see the grey clouds. They weren’t too grey, but enough so that many could spot it from a far distance. I could sense the smell of a fresh drizzle. 

That was when I heard the most amazing melody, a familiar one, yet a different tune. Of course! The birds were singing to each other. Keeping one another busy while they were working for traveling to the southern hemisphere! Some songs would go like this, “Tweet...Tweet...” and some others would sound like this, “Crooo....Crooo...” Yet, all the sounds were sweet to my ears. I could hear the soft movement of the leaves as they were being picked up by the gentle air.  

Mmm... I smelled something so sweet, something like a treat. Whenever I think of Autumn, my stomach always craves for a hot drink, like the hot cocoa my mother makes for me. It was simply delicious! A hot drink was always nice for such a pleasant weather. I also instantly think of pumpkins when fall comes. Nutmegs, clovers, cinnamon, ginger, all these unique flavors, blending to make any sweet dish more spectacular! I could also think of freshly cut apple slices, and berries such as cranberries! 

Autumn means all these things to me and even more. In fact, my favorite season is fall. I love looking outside and marveling at the changes of nature. Like the other three seasons, when Autumn occurs, the temperature drops, and the days are shorter. But, the best part of Autumn will have to be the amazing color palette of leaves. The gorgeous way it brightens up every step we take when we walk. Whenever we go outside, that melancholy feeling, that is the true meaning of Autumn. 

~The End~