Dead Leaves by James Whitcomb Riley
The poem is a nostalgic and melancholic reflection on the passing of time and the fleeting nature of life. It describes the speaker's memories of childhood summers spent playing in the woods, chasing after leaves that fall from trees. The poem explores themes of loss, nostalgia, and the cyclical nature of life and death.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1880 · Genre: Poetry, Nature, Reflective · 484 words
First lines
DAWN
As though a gipsy maiden with dim look, / Sat crooning by the roadside of the year, / So, Autumn, in thy strangeness, thou art here / To read dark fortunes for us from the book / Of fate; thou flingest in the crinkled brook / The trembling maple's gold, and frosty-clear / Thy mocking laughter thrills the atmosphere, / And drifting on its current calls the rook / To other lands. As one who wades, alone, / Deep in the dusk, and hears the minor talk / Of distant melody, and finds the tone, / In some wierd way compelling him to stalk / The paths of childhood over, -- so I moan, / And like a troubled sleeper, groping, walk.
What this Textopian page supports
Dead Leaves is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1880 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: James Whitcomb Riley
- Date: 1880 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature, Reflective, Melancholic, Romantic
- Length: 484 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Dead Leaves by James Whitcomb Riley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
- My November Guest by Robert Frost
- Wind And Window Flower by Robert Frost
- Alpine Glow by Emily Dickinson
- Burning Drift Wood by John Greenleaf Whittier
- The Death Of Autumn by Edna St Vincent Millay
- The Onset by Robert Frost
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse, utilizing rhyme and meter, and employs poetic devices such as imagery and metaphor.
- Nature — The themes and imagery are heavily centered around natural elements and the changing seasons.
- Reflective — The text explores introspective themes, such as memory and nostalgia, prompting reflection on past experiences.
- Melancholic — The tone is somber and contemplative, with themes of loss and longing.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Imagery · Symbolism · Death · Loss · Grief · Mortality · Fleeting Life · Ephemerality · Seasonal Change · Autumn