Sandwiched between blazing summer and chilly winter, autumn is the “cooling off” season. Nighttime arrives earlier, temperatures begin to drop and most vegetative growth decreases. Animals begin to prepare for the dearth of food that generally comes during the winter, gathering supplies or traveling to warmer climates.

The season is often regarded as a melancholy time and has inspired many writers and poets. Here are some quotes about autumn:

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus

“Autumn … the year’s last, loveliest smile.” — William Cullen Bryant

“Now Autumn’s fire burns slowly along the woods and day by day the dead leaves fall and melt.” — William Allingham

“Summer ends, and autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.” — Hal Borland

“I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence.” — Thomas Hood

“Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” — Samuel Butler