The Kitten and the Falling Leaves by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

The Kitten and the Falling Leaves

by William Wordsworth

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

The Kitten and the Falling Leaves

That way look, my infant, lo!

What a pretty baby-show!

See the kitten on the wall,

Sporting with the leaves that fall,

Withered leaves—one—two—and three—

From the lofty elder-tree!

Through the calm and frosty air

Of this morning bright and fair,

Eddying round and round they sink

Softly, slowly: one might think,

From the motions that are made,

Every little leaf conveyed

Sylph or fairy hither tending,—

To this lower world descending,

Each invisible and mute,

In his wavering parachute.

 

—But the kitten, how she starts;

Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts!

First at one, and then its fellow,

Just as light and just as yellow;

There are many now—now one—

Now they stop, and there are none;

What intenseness of desire

In her upward eye of fire!

With a tiger-leap half-way

Now she meets the coming prey,

Lets it go as fast, and then

Has it in her power again:

Now she works with three or four,

Like an Indian conjurer;

Quick as he in feats of art,

Far beyond in joy of heart.

 

Were her antics played in the eye

Of a thousand standers-by,

Clapping hands with shouts of glee,

What would sober reason be?

Is it not a comedy?

Is not little Kitty now

Kitty, romping, kitten-brow?

Fairer than most beauteous bride

That sits in state by lover’s side?

And as wise, for, ’mid all this,

Playful, restless, her one bliss

Is with leaf upon the wall,

Chasing that, and that let fall.

 

—’Tis a pretty baby-treat;

Nor, I deem, for me unmeet;

Here, for neither Babe nor me,

Other playmate can I see.

Of the countless living things,

That with stir of feet and wings,

(In the sun or under shade,

Upon bough or grassy blade,)

And with busy revellings,

Chirp and song, and murmurings,

Made this orchard’s narrow space

And this vale so blithe a place;

Multitudes are swept away

Never more to breathe the day:

Some are sleeping; some in bands

Travelled into distant lands;

Others slunk to moor and wood,

Far from human neighbourhood;

And, among the kinds that keep

With us closer fellowship,

With us openly abide,

All have laid their mirth aside.

 

—Where is he that giddy sprite,

Blue-cap, with his colours bright,

Who was blest as bird could be,

Feeding in the apple-tree;

Made such wanton spoil and rout,

Turning blossoms inside out;

Hung—head pointing towards the ground—

Fluttered, perched, into a round

Bound himself, and then unbound;

Lithest, gaudiest Harlequin!

Prettiest tumbler ever seen!

Light of heart and light of limb;

What is now become of Him?

 

Lambs, that through the mountains went

Frisking on the free descent,

And with many a tambling bound

Smit the granite with a sound

Inaudible by daylight,

Then the moon filled up the night:

Birds, and butterflies, and flowers;

Episodical performers,

All a-having had their hours,

Each its little share of mirth,

All are quiet now, and earth

Sleeps in drowsy loneliness.

And the kitten does no less;

But the leaves that late did fall,

One and one, or rather all,

Have left the crooked stable-tree,

And my little Babe and me.

 

Summary

William Wordsworth’s poem The Kitten and the Falling Leaves opens with the poet drawing the attention of his infant child to a simple yet delightful sight: a kitten playing with withered leaves that drift down from a tree. The scene is set on a bright, frosty morning, and the leaves are described as eddying softly and slowly to the ground, almost as if they were little fairies or sylphs descending with parachutes. This gentle motion sets the stage for the playful antics of the kitten.

The poet then focuses on the kitten itself. The animal crouches, stretches, leaps, and darts at the falling leaves with eager excitement. It pounces upon one leaf and then another, letting one go only to chase another in quick succession. Sometimes there are several leaves to chase, sometimes none at all, but the kitten remains absorbed in its sport. Her movements are described with lively energy, compared to a tiger’s leap or even the clever tricks of an Indian conjurer, though the kitten surpasses both in sheer joy.

The poet imagines how entertaining this sight would be if seen by a crowd of onlookers, who would clap and laugh as though watching a comedy. Yet even without an audience, the scene is captivating, for the kitten is as delightful in her play as a bride in her beauty, finding her only happiness in chasing the leaves as they fall.

At this point, the poet reflects on the setting more broadly. It is a quiet time, with no other playmates for himself or his child. Once, the orchard and valley were full of life: birds chirped, insects hummed, and countless creatures filled the air and grass with sound and movement. But now many of these creatures have disappeared. Some have gone to distant places, some rest in sleep, and others have withdrawn into wild, solitary haunts. Those that once openly shared their joy with humans have now grown silent, and the mirth of the orchard has faded.

The poet recalls one such lively presence: the blue-cap, a bright and giddy bird, who once made merry among the apple blossoms, tumbling and fluttering about in playful disorder. This bird, described as a harlequin and tumbler, once seemed full of life, yet now is nowhere to be seen. In the same way, lambs that had frisked and bounded on the hillsides, and other creatures that once filled the air and fields with movement and sound, are now quiet. The days of lively play and merriment have passed into silence.

In the closing lines, the poet observes that all nature has grown still, and the earth itself seems to sleep in drowsy loneliness. The kitten, too, finally grows weary and rests. Meanwhile, the leaves that were once drifting down so playfully have all fallen from the tree, leaving the boughs bare. Thus, only the poet and his little child remain to witness the end of the scene.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Stanza 1

That way look, my infant, lo!

-> Look over there, my child, see!

 

What a pretty baby-show!

-> What a charming little scene to watch!

 

See the kitten on the wall,

-> Look at the kitten perched on the wall,

 

Sporting with the leaves that fall,

-> Playing with the leaves that are dropping down,

 

Withered leaves—one—two—and three—

-> Dry leaves, one, two, three at a time,

 

From the lofty elder-tree!

-> Falling from the tall elder tree!

 

Through the calm and frosty air

-> They drift through the still, frosty air

 

Of this morning bright and fair,

-> On this bright and clear morning,

 

Eddying round and round they sink

-> Spinning in circles, they slowly sink,

 

Softly, slowly: one might think,

-> So softly and slowly that one could imagine

 

From the motions that are made,

-> From the way they move,

 

Every little leaf conveyed

-> That each little leaf is being carried

 

Sylph or fairy hither tending,—

-> Like a tiny spirit or fairy floating down,

 

To this lower world descending,

-> Coming down to our world,

 

Each invisible and mute,

-> Each one unseen and silent,

 

In his wavering parachute.

-> Riding gently in its fluttering parachute.

 

Stanza 2

—But the kitten, how she starts;

-> But look at the kitten—how suddenly she jumps!

 

Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts!

-> She crouches low, stretches out, bats with her paws, and leaps quickly!

 

First at one, and then its fellow,

-> First after one leaf, then after another,

 

Just as light and just as yellow;

-> Each one just as light and yellow as the first;

 

There are many now—now one—

-> Sometimes there are many at once, sometimes only one,

 

Now they stop, and there are none;

-> Then suddenly none at all when the leaves stop falling;

 

What intenseness of desire

-> How full of eager desire she is,

 

In her upward eye of fire!

-> With her bright, fiery eyes fixed upwards!

 

With a tiger-leap half-way

-> With a leap like a tiger, halfway up,

 

Now she meets the coming prey,

-> She catches the falling leaf as it comes down,

 

Lets it go as fast, and then

-> Quickly lets it go again, and then

 

Has it in her power again:

-> Grabs it once more within her reach.

 

Now she works with three or four,

-> Now she’s playing with three or four leaves at once,

 

Like an Indian conjurer;

-> Like an Indian magician doing tricks,

 

Quick as he in feats of art,

-> Just as quick in her playful skill,

 

Far beyond in joy of heart.

-> But far greater in sheer joy and delight.

 

Stanza 3

Were her antics played in the eye

-> If her tricks were performed in front of

 

Of a thousand standers-by,

-> A thousand spectators watching,

 

Clapping hands with shouts of glee,

-> Cheering and clapping with delight,

 

What would sober reason be?

-> How dull would human reason seem in comparison!

 

Is it not a comedy?

-> Isn’t this like a comedy show?

 

Is not little Kitty now

-> Isn’t this small kitten, right now,

 

Kitty, romping, kitten-brow?

-> The very image of playful kittenhood?

 

Fairer than most beauteous bride

-> Even more lovely than the most beautiful bride

 

That sits in state by lover’s side?

-> Sitting in splendor beside her groom?

 

And as wise, for, ’mid all this,

-> And just as wise too, since in the middle of all this play,

 

Playful, restless, her one bliss

-> Restless and playful, her only joy

 

Is with leaf upon the wall,

-> Is to chase a leaf upon the wall,

 

Chasing that, and that let fall.

-> Running after whichever leaf falls next.

 

Stanza 4

—’Tis a pretty baby-treat;

-> This is a lovely amusement for a child;

 

Nor, I deem, for me unmeet;

-> And I think, not unfit for me to enjoy too;

 

Here, for neither Babe nor me,

-> Since for both the child and me,

 

Other playmate can I see.

-> No other companion for play is here.

 

Of the countless living things,

-> Of the countless creatures

 

That with stir of feet and wings,

-> Who once filled the place with the movement of feet and wings,

 

(In the sun or under shade,

-> Whether in sunlight or shade,

 

Upon bough or grassy blade,)

-> On tree branches or blades of grass,)

 

And with busy revellings,

-> And with their busy, joyful noises,

 

Chirp and song, and murmurings,

-> Their chirping, singing, and murmuring,

 

Made this orchard’s narrow space

-> Made this small orchard

 

And this vale so blithe a place;

-> And this valley so cheerful and lively;

 

Multitudes are swept away

-> Now many of them are gone,

 

Never more to breathe the day:

-> Never again to see the light of day:

 

Some are sleeping; some in bands

-> Some are sleeping; others have gone in groups

 

Travelled into distant lands;

-> Journeyed to faraway places;

 

Others slunk to moor and wood,

-> Others have slipped away to moors and woods,

 

Far from human neighbourhood;

-> Far from places where humans live;

 

And, among the kinds that keep

-> And among the kinds that stay closer

 

With us closer fellowship,

-> And live in closer fellowship with us,

 

With us openly abide,

-> That once openly stayed with us,

 

All have laid their mirth aside.

-> All have now become silent and still.

 

Stanza 5

—Where is he that giddy sprite,

-> Where is that lively little bird,

 

Blue-cap, with his colours bright,

-> The blue-cap, with his bright colours,

 

Who was blest as bird could be,

-> Who seemed as happy as any bird could be,

 

Feeding in the apple-tree;

-> Eating among the apple-tree blossoms;

 

Made such wanton spoil and rout,

-> Creating such playful disorder,

 

Turning blossoms inside out;

-> Pulling the blossoms about carelessly;

 

Hung—head pointing towards the ground—

-> Hanging upside down with his head toward the ground,

 

Fluttered, perched, into a round

-> Fluttering, perching, and spinning in circles,

 

Bound himself, and then unbound;

-> Twisting himself up, then untwisting again;

 

Lithest, gaudiest Harlequin!

-> The most graceful, brightly-dressed performer!

 

Prettiest tumbler ever seen!

-> The prettiest acrobat ever seen!

 

Light of heart and light of limb;

-> Light in spirit and quick in movement;

 

What is now become of Him?

-> Where has he gone now?

 

Stanza 6

Lambs, that through the mountains went

-> Lambs that once ran about on the mountains,

 

Frisking on the free descent,

-> Skipping and leaping down the slopes,

 

And with many a tambling bound

-> With many tumbling jumps,

 

Smit the granite with a sound

-> Striking the rocky ground noisily,

 

Inaudible by daylight,

-> Though unheard during the day,

 

Then the moon filled up the night:

-> They played when the moon shone at night:

 

Birds, and butterflies, and flowers;

-> Birds, butterflies, and flowers;

 

Episodical performers,

-> All performers for a short season,

 

All a-having had their hours,

-> Each having had their own time of joy,

 

Each its little share of mirth,

-> Each with its brief share of happiness,

 

All are quiet now, and earth

-> But now all is quiet, and the earth

 

Sleeps in drowsy loneliness.

-> Sleeps in a state of dreamy solitude.

 

And the kitten does no less;

-> And the kitten too has grown quiet;

 

But the leaves that late did fall,

-> And the leaves that just now were falling,

 

One and one, or rather all,

-> One by one, or rather all together,

 

Have left the crooked stable-tree,

-> Have all fallen from the crooked old tree,

 

And my little Babe and me.

-> Leaving only my little child and me.

 

Analysis in Detail

William Wordsworth’s The Kitten and the Falling Leaves is at once a playful and reflective poem. On the surface, it presents a simple domestic scene: a kitten chasing autumn leaves as they drift down from a tree. Yet beneath this lighthearted picture lies a deeper meditation on nature, transience, childhood innocence, and the joy of simple pleasures. Wordsworth weaves together childlike wonder and adult reflection, embodying the Romantic belief that profound truths can be discovered in everyday sights.

The poem begins with the poet addressing his infant child, urging the baby to look at the charming scene before them. The falling leaves are described in magical terms, almost as if they were fairies or sylphs gliding to the ground on invisible parachutes. This imaginative transformation of ordinary leaves sets the tone: Wordsworth encourages both his child and the reader to see the world with freshness, as if infused with enchantment. In this way, he underscores the Romantic vision that nature, no matter how humble, contains beauty and mystery when viewed with childlike eyes.

The focus then shifts to the kitten itself. Wordsworth captures its spontaneous energy with vivid detail: crouching, darting, leaping, and batting at the falling leaves. The comparison to a tiger emphasizes the fierceness in its play, while the reference to an Indian conjurer highlights the quickness and agility of its movements. Yet Wordsworth stresses that the kitten surpasses both the tiger and the magician in one key respect: the sheer joy with which it plays. Here, the kitten becomes a living emblem of vitality and delight, wholly absorbed in the moment, finding fulfillment not in grand pursuits but in chasing a single falling leaf.

At this point, the poet reflects on the value of such play. He imagines how the kitten’s antics would entertain a crowd, and he likens the performance to a comedy. Yet Wordsworth suggests that there is wisdom in the kitten’s behavior too. In her single-minded pursuit of falling leaves, she finds her bliss. The comparison to a bride seated in beauty at her wedding highlights the surprising dignity Wordsworth perceives in the kitten. Through this, he elevates her simple play into something almost ceremonial—an image of joy that is no less significant than human celebrations.

The poem then widens its lens to consider the absence of other forms of life in the orchard. Wordsworth recalls how the place was once filled with movement and sound: birds chirping, insects buzzing, lambs frisking. Now, however, the orchard is quiet; many creatures have migrated, some are sleeping, others have vanished into distant or wilder places. Even the lively blue-cap bird, once a merry performer among the apple blossoms, has disappeared. This contrast between the playful kitten and the absence of other living beings adds a tone of melancholy. It is as if the season of liveliness has passed, and silence has descended with autumn.

In the closing stanzas, the poem balances joy with stillness. The earth itself is described as sleeping in “drowsy loneliness,” and even the kitten eventually grows tired and rests. The falling leaves, once numerous and animated, have all drifted down to the ground, leaving the tree bare. What remains is a quiet scene: only the poet and his infant child stand as witnesses to this passing moment. The poem thus moves from animation and delight to reflection and stillness, mirroring the rhythm of life itself—bursting with activity, then fading into rest.

Taken as a whole, The Kitten and the Falling Leaves demonstrates Wordsworth’s gift for finding depth in the ordinary. The playful energy of the kitten embodies pure, immediate joy, while the fallen leaves and absent creatures hint at the passage of time and the transience of life. The presence of the infant suggests the continuity of wonder across generations, as the poet shares the vision of beauty with his child. Ultimately, the poem affirms that simple scenes in nature—fleeting though they are—can awaken delight, reflection, and a sense of connection between human life and the natural world.