Celebrating Halloween with Carl Sandburg

Theme in Yellow

THEME IN YELLOW

by Carl Sandburg

I spot the hills

With yellow balls in autumn.

I light the prairie cornfields

Orange and tawny gold clusters

And I am called pumpkins.

On the last of October

When dusk is fallen

Children join hands

And circle round me

Singing ghost songs

And love to the harvest moon;

I am a jack-o'-lantern

With terrible teeth

And the children know

I am fooling.

In "Theme in Yellow" by Carl Sandburg, the speaker describes the autumn landscape with hills adorned in yellow balls and prairie cornfields glowing in orange and tawny gold clusters. The speaker is referred to as pumpkins, evoking the imagery of Halloween. As dusk falls on the last day of October, children gather and form a circle around the speaker, singing ghost songs and expressing their affection towards the harvest moon. The speaker identifies as a jack-o'-lantern with menacing teeth, and the children are aware of the playful nature of the speaker.

Photography and Poetry Recitation by Rebecca Budd

Music by Arthur Benson “Creepy Crawly” Epidemic Sound

Location Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Campus