Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost

MEANING BY LINES

Stanza 1

Line 1

Spades take up leaves

Meaning: the speaker uses spade to shovel up the leaves

Line 2

No better than spoons

The speaker trying to convey that there is no difference between using a spoon or a spade.

Line 3

And bags full of leaves

The speaker filled the sacks with leaves that he gathered.

 Line 4

Are light as balloons.

The sacks of leaves that he gathered are as light as balloon .

Stanza 2

Line 5

I make a great noise

The poet admired the noise that he made.

Line 6

Of rustling all day

The poet used his energy to collect the leaves for the whole day.

Line 7 & 8

Like rabbit and deer

Running away

The poet trying to say that the noises that he made is like rabbit and deer that trying to escape while he was gathering the leaves

Stanza 3

Line 9 &10

But the mountains I raise

Elude my embrace

The poet trying to state that he cherished the leaves that he gathered.

Line 11 &12

Flowing over my arms,

And into my face.

The leaves that he cherish fall on his arms and his face because he hugged the leaves that he gathered.

Stanza 4

Line 13 & 14

I may load and unload

Again and again

The poet trying to say he enjoys himself while gathered the leaves and willing to do it over and over again.

Line 15

Till I fill the whole shed

The poet worked hard to emplace the leaves that he gathered into his shed

Line 16

And what have I then?

The poet realize that what will he gets even though he collected a shed of leaves.

Stanza 5

Line 17

Next to nothing for weight

The poet trying to says that even though he gathered sacks of leaves it is still light.

Line 18, 19 & 20

And since they grew duller

From contact with earth

Next to nothing for color.

The poet trying to says that when the leaves decompose into soil then there will be no different between the colours of the earth.

Stanza 6

Line 21

Next to nothing for use

But a crop is a crop

The poet trying to say that the crop that he raised doesn’t mean anything but a plant is still a plant.

Line 23 & 24

And who’s to say where

The harvest shall stop

The poet try to convey that no one can even know when the harvest will stop.

1.4.2 MEANING BY STANZAS

Stanza 1:-

In stanza one, in line 1 and 2, the poet uses a spade to gather all the leaves and he realized that using a spade is way better than using a spoon because a spade has a wider surface to shovel up the leaves into the bag. In line 3 and 4, the poet trying to convey that even though the bag is full of leaves, it feels light like balloons.

Stanza 2:-

In this stanza, from line 4 to 8, the poet is trying to say that the noise that he did while collecting all the leaves sounded like a running rabbit and deer who tried to run away when he is doing his job.

Stanza 3:-

In stanza 3, from line 9 to 12, the poet trying to convey about the mountain of leaves that the he gathers avoids him and flowing all over his arms and into his face when the wind blows.

Stanza 4:-

In stanza 4, from line 13 to 16, the poet trying to say that he can gather all the leaves over and over again till he fill the whole shed and then he realized and asked himself, what will he get if he gathered the whole shed of leaves.

Stanza 5:-

In stanza 5, from line 17 to 20, the poet thinks that the leaves is getting older and grew duller, and soon the leaves will become a part of the earth.

Stanza 6:-

In stanza 6, in 21 and 22, the poet trying to tell us that he has crops to take care of. In line 23 and 24, the poet trying to tell us that no one can stop him from harvesting his crops.

THEME FOR THE WHOLE POEM

The theme for this poem is about a kinship between a living of a human and the task that human need to do. This theme can be seen in stanza one, in where the poet mentioned that he collected the leaves using a spade. The theme can also be seen in stanza three, in where he mentioned about the mountain he raised.

1.5 THEME BY STANZAS

Stanza 1

The theme for this stanza is hardworking because you can know that the poet is working hard on gathering the leaves using a spade and also he even tried to gather the leaves using a spoon. Moreover, he gathered a bag full of leaves.

Stanza 2

The theme for stanza two is also hardworking because the poet makes noises while he is gathering the leaves.

Stanza 3

The theme for stanza three is Proud of own achievement. The reason why is because we can see from line 9 and 10 where the poet cherished the leaves that he gathered.

Stanza 4

The theme for this stanza is being diligent because the poet convey that he can gather the leaves over and over again because he love his work.

Stanza 5

The theme for this stanza is the life of nature, because in line 18 to 20, the poet said that the leaves will decomposed and the colour will change into the colour of the soil, in which is the colour of the earth.

Stanza 6

The theme for this stanza is never give up because the poet mention that a plant will always be a plant and no one can stop him from harvesting his crops in his ranch or farm.

CRAFTMANSHIP

1.6.1 Structure

Has specific structure. Each stanzas of this poem has 4 lines and also consist of average 17 words.

1.6.2 Symbols

In this poem, the leaves probably symbolize the memories that the speaker wants to gather.

1.6.3 Imagery (figurative language)

1.6.3.1 Rhyme

This poem has the same rhyme at the end of every line, for example, from stanza one. “Spades take up leaves, No better than spoons, And bags full of leaves, Are light as balloons.”

1.6.3.2 Alliteration

The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables of an English language phrase. The alliteration from this poem can be seen in line 14. “Again and again”. The repetition of ‘A’ sound.

1.6.3.3 Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences. Assonance can be found in line 15. “Till I fill the whole shed”.

1.6.3.4 Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds either inside the lines of a poem or at the end of a line. For example, from line 17. “Next to nothing for weight”.

1.6.3.5 Repetition

Repetition of a sound, syllable, word, phrase, line, stanza, or metrical pattern. Repetition can be found in line 17, 20 and 21. “Next to nothing for weight” , “Next to nothing for color” and “Next to nothing for use”.

1.6.3.6 Simile

A phrase that uses the words like or as to describe someone or something by comparing it with someone or something else that is similar. Simile in this poem can be found in line 4 and 7. “Are light as balloons” and “Like rabbit and deer”.

1.6.3.7 Tone

At the beginning of this poem, the speaker’s tone is calm and relaxing. He gathers the leaves with good manner. However, from stanza 3, when the leaves flowing over the speaker’s arms, he starts to feel frustrated and continue to gather the leaves again and again with frustrated manner.

1.6.3.8 Movement and rhythm

In stanza 1, the rhythm is a, a, a, a. The speaker recites this stanza in medium speed. Not too slow and not too fast. In stanza 2, the rhythm is a, b, c, b. The speaker recites this stanza same speed with stanza 1. In stanza 4, the rhythm is a, b, a, b. The speaker starts reciting this stanza with frustrated tone. Stanza 5 , a, b, c, b. Stanza 6, the rhythm is a, b, a, b.

Stanza 1	Stanza 2	Stanza 3	Stanza 4	Stanza 5	Stanza 6
…leaves	…noise	…raise	…unload	…weight	…use
…spoons,	…day	…embrace,	…again	….duller	…crop,
…leaves	…deer	…arms	…shed,	…earth,	…where
…balloons.	…away.	…face	…then	…color.	…stop?

1.6.3.9 Mood

At the beginning of this poem, the mood is relaxing and calm. Starting from stanza 3, the mood changes to be frustrate because the speaker needs to gather the leaves again and again.

Citation

(2013, 12) Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost, lovelastlonger.blogspot.com. Retrieved 13, 2013, from http://lovelastlonger.blogspot.com/