Leaf Poetry - Poetry Teatime
Leaf Poetry

Leaf Poetry

It’s fall! The air is crisp, apples are starting to thump to the ground in orchards, and bats are swooping around in the dusk. For today’s teatime, we’d like to offer plenty of ways to use the multitude of leaves now littering your yard. So go outside, scoop up a handful, brew some hot apple cider, and enjoy a leafy Poetry Teatime!

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Not fall where you live? Not to worry! You can substitute fallen leaves of any sort, including evergreen needles, or use leaves made out of colored paper. Just get creative and use your imagination.

Now, let’s get to the serious business of fall. To get us in the mood, here is an excellent poem about leaves by Emily Brontë.

Fall, Leaves, Fall
By Emily Brontë

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

While it’s true that the trees may look a little more gloomy without leaves, there’s no need to get dreary quite yet! When you’ve collected some leaves to play with, come back and explore the following leaf-related activities.

  • Leaf sensory poem: Poetry is all about using each of your five senses. Get a piece of paper and a pencil and write a poem based on what your leaf smells like, feels like, looks like, and even sounds like. (Just don’t taste it!) Is it scratchy and dry, like an old crumpled piece of paper? Is it smooth and glossy, with a smell like wax and pepper mixed together? Did it crackle a bit when you picked it up? Is it the color of a fire engine, or more like a dried scab?

  • Leaf critter: You’ll need many different types of leaves for this project. Arrange your leaves so that they make a face or even the full body of a leaf-creature. Be sure to name your newborn critter. Then, read Leaf Man by Lois Elhert! Inspiration: this activity by My Mommy Style.

  • Frame some poetry: At Brave Writer, we love the idea of copying our favorite pieces of writing. Think of one of your favorite poems and write it out on a nice piece of paper. Then, use some of the leaves you gathered to make a frame for the poem. Put your work of art on display during your teatime, and be sure to share the poem, too!

  • Ghost leaves: Ever thought about how spooky some leaf shapes can be? If you’d like to see leaves in a whole new light and you don’t mind getting a bit messy to do it, then get ready to make some ghost leaves! Grab white paint and black markers and try out this ghost leaf craft from Growing a Jeweled Rose.

Books to Read

For some more fall poetry to read during this leafy teatime, check out these books.

Autumnblings, by Douglas Florian

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic, by Steven Schnur

Leaf by Leaf: Autumn Poems, by Barbara Rogasky


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