Margaret Postgate Cole Falling Leaves

Intro… Is this really a poem about Falling Leaves?

Margaret Postgate Cole Dame Margaret Cole was born in Cambridge in 1893 and died in 1980. She wrote about politics and history and became a pacifist. She campaigned against military conscription when her brother (whose claims to be recognised as a conscientious objector had been rejected) was jailed for refusing military orders. In the 1930s she gave up her pacifist views however, in response to the Third Reich in Germany and Franco’s dictatorship in Spain.

Background Information: World War One (1914–18) is sometimes called the Great War – ‘great’ here meaning ‘immense’ or ‘huge’, because it was unlike previous wars. Firstly, it involved everyone, not just the army and navy. Secondly, and probably most devastatingly, it involved the first modern weapons (machine guns, bombs and gas) at a time when soldiers were still involved in hand-to-hand combat. The horror of the trenches is hard for us to grasp fully. However, many of the young soldiers who had signed up believing they were on an heroic mission to defend their families, country and way of life felt betrayed by those who had persuaded them to enlist. The reality of war was shown in their poetry and later – for those who survived – in their novels.

Background Information: As Margaret Postgate Cole and other women poets of World War One have shown in their work, it was not only the men who suffered as a result of the war. Women’s lives were affected too, not least because of the millions of young men who died, all borne by women, and many loved by women. So, while male poets of this generation can tell us about the agony of trench warfare, women poets voice the despair, anguish and endurance of women, waiting, wondering and grieving.

Background Information: In this poem, a tree dropping its leaves leads to thoughts of the thousands of young soldiers dying in their prime in the trenches. The pastoral imagery at the start of the poem becomes a contemplation of the death toll in Flanders, and vividly illustrates how the horror of war overshadows every area of life, even a peaceful ride in the countryside.

Sounds spontaneous and shows how fast and directly they fell 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, Sounds peaceful but doesn’t fit in with what’s happening Alliteration emphasises the idea that the leaves are old and it is natural for them to fall

They fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon; Simile – emphasises the number of leaves falling – they block out the light from the sun 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, Shows she’s feeling thoughtful She compares them to dead leaves She praises the soldiers as well as saying how many there are

Slain by no wind of age or pestilence, But in their beauty strewed Harsh word contrasts with the gentleness of the first few lines This suggests they were still young when they died Not a natural death, with no clear reason – linked to line 4 Slain by no wind of age or pestilence, But in their beauty strewed Like snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay. Thrown around carelessly as though their lives were not important There were three major battles in the Flemish province of Ypres in WW1. This makes it clear that the poet is referring to the war Snowflakes melt into nothing, just like leaves fall and soldiers’ lives are lost and vanish. This also emphasises the sheer numbers

Form and Structure Form – The poem is made up of one stanza which contains only one complex sentence. This represents a moment of intense thought. The lines are all different lengths – this could be to suggest the random way that leaves fall. The regular rhyme scheme helps to create a peaceful atmosphere with gentle sounds. Structure – The poem hinges around the semi-colon in line 6 – before this the poet is describing the leaves falling, and afterwards she switches to describing soldiers being killed. This creates a comparison between leaves falling for no apparent reason and soldiers dying for no good cause.

Language Formal Language – The poet uses quite formal, old-fashioned vocabulary to describe a simple scene. This adds dignity and gravity to the comparison with the soldiers’ deaths. Natural Imagery – Falling leaves and dying men are both compared to snowflakes. This highlights the sheer number of men killed, the silence of their deaths and how quickly their lives vanished. There is some alliteration to describe natural details like wind and snow.

Interpreting the text: Imagery What extended metaphor is used in the poem? Structure Track the punctuation of the poem. What do you notice? Is this significant? Sounds Track the sounds of words in this poem. What do you notice?

Reflection... * What is the significance of the words 'slain' and 'strewed'? * What impression do we get of the poet's attitude towards war? * Why is the comparison made to snowflakes? Explain your ideas

Questions 1. How does the poet create an atmosphere of sadness in the poem? 2. What details connect the leaves falling and the soldiers dying? 3. How does the poet show a sense of regret? 4. How does the poet feel about the soldiers that have died? 5. What is the poet's attitude towards war and how does she portray this is the poem?