William Stanley Beaumont Braithwaite:
(December 6, 1878 – June 8, 1962).
African-American writer, poet, literary critic, anthologist, and publisher in the United States.
His work as a critic and anthologist was widely praised and important in the development of East Coast poetry styles in the early 20th century. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1918.
There is music in the meadows. In the air, autumn is here. Skies are gray, but hearts are mellow.
The calm of a thousand summers and dreams of countless Junes return when the lake-wind murmurs through golden August noons.
The lines mean that ‘a gentle breeze over a lake on a warm August afternoon can awaken deep feelings of peace, nostalgia, and remembered summers’.
– “The calm of a thousand summers” = an almost timeless, ancient peacefulness.
– “Dreams of countless Junes” = memories of early summer, youth, hope, beginnings, romance, and beauty.
– “Lake-wind murmurs” = the soft sound of wind over or near a lake.
– “Golden August noons” = warm, sunlit late-summer afternoons, rich with color and stillness.
In short:
‘nature brings back the serenity and dreams of all past summers.’🌿☀️
✍️ Author: ‘generally attributed to William Stanley Braithwaite‘.
William Stanley Braithwaite was an American poet, critic, editor, and anthologist, born in 1878 and died in 1962. He was an important figure in early 20th-century American poetry and also helped promote African American literary culture.
📚 Origin:
The passage is usually printed as a short poem or poetic fragment by Braithwaite, often under the title “August” or quoted simply as an August/summer lyric.
A common version is:
> “The calm of a thousand summers,
> And dreams of countless Junes,
> Return when the lake-winds murmur
> Through golden August noons.”
> — William Stanley Braithwaite
Some versions use “lake-wind” singular instead of “lake-winds” plural.
⚠️ Note on Verification:
This is ‘not really a proverb or traditional saying’; it is a literary quotation. It is widely attributed to Braithwaite, though many quotation sites repeat it without giving a precise book or first-publication reference. The attribution to William Stanley Braithwaite is the standard one, but exact bibliographic sourcing can vary.
The burning sun to rest. The calm of a thousand summers and dreams of countless Junes return when the lake-wind murmurs through golden August noons.
