When the Leaves Fall-James Stephens

WHEN THE LEAVES FALL

When the leaves fall off the trees

Everybody walks on them;

Once they had a time of ease

High above, and every breeze

Used to stay and talk to them.


Then they were so debonair

As they fluttered up and down;

Dancing in the sunny air,

Dancing without knowing there

Was a gutter in the town.


Now they have no place at all!

All the home that they can find

Is a gutter by a wall,

And the wind that waits their fall

Is an apache of a wind.


JAMES STEPHENS


Summary: 'When the Leaves Fall' by James Stephens is a short poem that reflects on the changing fortunes of leaves as they fall off trees. The speaker notes that when the leaves were on the trees, they enjoyed a carefree life, dancing in the air and chatting with the breeze. However, now that they have fallen to the ground, they are trampled upon by everyone and have lost their former elegance. They have no place to call home except for gutters by walls, and the wind that once used to play with them is now a harsh wind that ushers their downfall. The poem presents a melancholic reflection on the fleeting nature of beauty and the transience of life.

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