Nature

The Withered Leaf

by William Lisle Bowles 1762–1850

From The Villager's Verse-Book

Nature

Oh! mark the withered leaves that fall
In silence to the ground;
Upon the human heart they call,
And preach without a sound.

They say, So passes man's brief year!
To-day, his green leaves wave;
To-morrow, changed by time, and sere,
He drops into the grave.

Let Wisdom be our sole concern,
Since life's green days are brief!
And faith and heavenly hope shall learn
A lesson from the LEAF.

MLA

Bowles, William Lisle. “The Withered Leaf.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bowles/135/.

Chicago

Bowles, William Lisle. “The Withered Leaf.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bowles/135/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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