5. After Apple-Picking

I feel "After Apple-Picking" really creates an image of the labor done, and the oncoming winter season. Some images that reflect the work finished include, ladder, tree, barrel, scent of apples, stem end and blossom end, cellar bin, and harvest. Winter reflects the author's need for rest. A common theme of winter is hibernation in which the author is taking part in after finishing his work. His work was so laborious, that he still feels the ache in his feet and the swaying of the ladder. The shift from the past tense to the present tense illustrates how the author talks of his future sleep and his actual dream. His work is so long and demanding, that he not only thinks about how he will dream about it, but he actually does dream about it. Once again, the woodchuck refers to an animal of hibernation and if the author will partake in this type of sleep, or human sleep.