Deer in Autumn by Ruth Collie (1929)

Name: Deer in Autumn
Author: Ruth Collie

"Deer in Autumn" is a short descriptive verse by Ruth Collie that celebrates the beauty of deer set against the muted, russet colors of the autumn landscape. The poem opens with an invitation to observe the deer at their most striking, framed by a misty blue distance and richly-toned ferns that echo the animals' own velvet-soft coats. Collie portrays the deer as fastidious and discerning, refusing grass trampled by human feet in favor of fresher pasture, and emphasizes their innate grace and dignity as they move from place to place. Their eyes are described as eloquent, friendly, and wise, reinforcing an image of gentle nobility rather than any baseness of spirit. The poem's tone shifts in its closing lines, as the deer, resting on a bed of ferns, are startled by the faint sigh of falling leaves. Despite the sound's slightness, the animals rise in evident fear, and the poem ends on a note of poignant apprehension, with the speaker reflecting on the sorrow of the thought that humans might ever harm such a creature. In sum, this opening section establishes the poem's central contrast between the deer's serene, dignified beauty and their underlying vulnerability, using the autumn setting as both aesthetic backdrop and quiet reminder of nature's fragility in the face of human presence.

By Ruth Collie · First published 1929 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Poetry, Animal Poetry · 202 words

First lines

If you would see great beauty, watch the deer, that look their / loveliest when Autumn's here against a background of the deep-toned / year. The distance shows a veil of misty blue, the ferns are / richly-clad, a russet hue, the deer seem garbed in velvet soft and / new. They are fastidious creatures when they eat, turning from / verdure trampled by man's feet and seeking pastures that look fresh / and sweet. They are, indeed, embodiment of grace, moving with / dignity from place to place, impossible to think a deer's heart base! / How eloquent and friendly are their eyes. They couch upon a bed of / ferns and look so wise. Hark! What was that? The falling leaves' / faint sighs. So faint a sound and yet the shy beasts hear, rise to / their feet in agony of fear -- to think that man would ever hurt a deer!

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Deer in Autumn is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ruth Collie, dated 1929 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Ruth Collie
Date: 1929 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Nature Poetry, Animal Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Romantic Poetry
Length: 202 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — The work is fundamentally composed in verse with consistent rhyme scheme and metrical structure, establishing its primary literary form as poetry.
Nature Poetry — The entire composition centers on the celebration and detailed observation of nature, specifically the autumn landscape and its aesthetic qualities.
Animal Poetry — The deer serve as the exclusive subject of admiration and contemplation throughout the work, with focus on their grace, behavior, and intrinsic value as sentient beings.
Lyric Poetry — The work emphasizes emotional resonance, personal reflection, and vivid sensory imagery rather than narrative progression, characteristic of the lyric mode.