Blackberries were a popular symbol in mid-century poetry. They are a fruit that grow in large parts of North America and Europe throughout late summer and early autumn. As such, blackberries can be foraged in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Blackberries are an excellent gateway into foraging your own food; eating them directly off the branch helps connect even the most adamant city-dweller with nature. Some notable poems about blackberries include Seamus Heaney’s “Blackberry-Picking” (1966), Sylvia Plath’s “Blackberrying” (1971), and Mary Oliver’s “August” (1983).

Kinnell likely chose blackberries as a metaphor for speaking and writing poetry because of their easy association. Many readers in North America and Europe might recognize blackberries and/or recognize the process of blackberry picking. Likewise, the sensation of eating a blackberry resonates with these readers in a tactile way.

Early autumn can be a placid time of year in some parts of the US and abroad. Some places then receive severe frost that takes hold and help cause leaves to fall from trees. In the northeastern United States, autumn usually begins in late September, so summer berries are at the end of their fruiting. Kinnell likely chose this season as the poem’s