The Coming of Summer
This work is a collection of essays that explore the changing seasons and the natural world. The author reflects on the arrival of summer and its effects on the landscape, wildlife, and human experience. He describes the season's warmth, growth, and decay, and how it influences his own thoughts and emotions.
By John Burroughs · First published 1867 · Genre: Nature Writing, Essays, Poetry · 2,132 words
First lines
Who shall say when one season ends and another begins? Only the almanac-makers can fix these dates. It is like saying when babyhood ends and childhood begins, or when childhood ends and youth begins. To me spring begins when the catkins on the alders and the pussy-willows begin to swell; when the ice breaks up on the river and the first sea-gulls come prospecting northward. Whatever the date -- the first or the middle or the last of March -- when these signs appear, then I know spring is at hand. Her first birds -- the bluebird, the song sparrow, the robin, the red-shouldered starling -- are here or soon will be. The crows have a more confident caw, the sap begins to start in the sugar maple, the tiny boom of the first bee is heard, the downy woodpecker begins his resonant tat, tat, tat, on the dry limbs, and the cattle in the barnyard low long and loud with wistful looks toward the fields.
What this Textopian page supports
The Coming of Summer is listed on Textopian as an essay by John Burroughs, dated 1867 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: John Burroughs
- Date: 1867 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Nature Writing, Essays, Poetry, Memoir, Environmental Literature
- Length: 2,132 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Coming of Summer by John Burroughs
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Coming of Summer?
- How does this essay by John Burroughs fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Nature Writing first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Nature Writing — The text focuses on the observations and experiences of nature, particularly the transition of seasons and the beauty of summer.
- Essays — The work presents reflective and philosophical musings on the seasons, characteristic of essay writing.
- Poetry — The lyrical quality and vivid imagery evoke a poetic style, celebrating the beauty of nature.
- Memoir — The personal reflections and nostalgic elements suggest a memoir-like quality, recounting experiences tied to nature.
Tags
Nature Writing · American Literature · Seasonal Themes · Philosophy · Observation · Descriptive Prose · Poetic Style · Rural Life · Summer · Solstice · Change of Seasons · Cycles of Nature