New Hampshire · Chapter
Misgiving explained
The poem reflects on leaves that follow the wind but are overcome by sleep and reluctance, ultimately choosing to stay rather than continue their flight.
What happens
The poem reflects on leaves that follow the wind but are overcome by sleep and reluctance, ultimately choosing to stay rather than continue their flight. The speaker hopes that when they are free to seek knowledge beyond life, they will not similarly prefer to rest.
Themes in this chapter
Nature and Transience
The poem uses leaves and wind as metaphors for the fleeting nature of life and the reluctance to embrace change or the unknown.
Mortality and Loss
The speaker contemplates death and the afterlife, hoping that the desire for rest does not overcome the quest for knowledge beyond life.
Key passages
“All crying “We will go with you, O Wind!” The foliage follow him, leaf and stem; But a sleep oppresses them as they go, And they end by bidding him stay with them.”
The leaves initially call out to follow the wind, but as they move, a drowsiness overcomes them, and they ultimately ask the wind to stay with them instead.
Illustrates the theme of transience and the conflict between the desire for movement and the comfort of rest.
“I only hope that when I am free As they are free to go in quest Of the knowledge beyond the bounds of life It may not seem better to me to rest.”
The speaker hopes that when they are liberated from life and able to seek understanding beyond death, they will not find rest more appealing than the journey.
Expresses the central concern about mortality and the fear of choosing stasis over the pursuit of truth.