The Falling Leaves

Margaret Postgate Cole

Today, as I rode by,

I saw the brown leaves dropping from their tree
In a still afternoon,
When no wind whirled them whistling to the sky,
But thickly, silently,
They fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon;
And wandered slowly thence
For thinking of a gallant multitude
Which now all withering lay,
Slain by no wind of age or pestilence,
But in their beauty strewed
Like snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay

Comprehension Questions

1. This poem was written in November 1915. What is significant about this date?
2. What do you think the leaves represent? Consider the date of the poem and google the
words ‘Flemish clay’ to give you a clue.
3. What sort of afternoon is it? What mood does this create in the poem?
4. Describe how the poet conveys the leaves falling from the tree. Find a simile and
personification and annotate the effect they create.
5. Why are the leaves falling “silently” and what does this seem to indicate?
6. What does “gallant” mean? Why do you think the poet has used this word?
7. What does “multitude” mean, and why do you think this word has been used?
8. What does the word “withering” represent?
9. What is the effect of the word “slain”?
10. Why do you think the poet refers to the leaves as “strewed”?

Extension: Research the poem and find out the meaning behind it. Why did the poet write it?
What was their inspiration?

Challenge: Write a PETER paragraph to answer the following question:

How does the poet present attitudes to war in the poem ‘Falling Leaves’?
1. November 1915 was part of World War 1
2. The leaves represent the fallen soldiers who died in battle
3. It’s a still afternoon, that creates a mood of calmness
4. “They fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon” snowflakes could represent how the soldiers
are seen but not acknowledged that much, “slain by no wind of age or pestilence” shows
that they fell so easily
5. Silently indicates that the people didn’t notice the soldiers dying
6. Gallant means that the poet believes the soldiers fighting were brave and heroic
7. Multitude has been used to show the sheer mass of how many soldiers died
8. Withering shows that they have been neglected and are slowly dying
9. Slain gives an effect that the soldiers put up a fight and died bravely in battle, instead of
being slaughtered so easily
10. The bodies of the soldiers have been scattered across the fields