Imagery: Frost paints vivid pictures with his words, drawing on sensory details to create a strong impression of the scene. For example, he describes the "rusty black" leaves, the "wind's gone out" feeling, and the "crackling brittle" sound of leaves underfoot.
Metaphor: The poem's central metaphor is the comparison of gathering leaves to "life's great task." This highlights the cyclical nature of life, death, and renewal, suggesting that even as we gather leaves, we are also gathering the memories and experiences that shape our lives.
Personification: Frost gives human qualities to the natural world. He describes the wind as "gone out," implying a loss of energy and vitality. This personification connects the natural world to the emotional state of the speaker.
Symbolism: The leaves represent a variety of things. They can symbolize the fleeting nature of time, the inevitability of change, and the process of letting go. The act of gathering leaves itself could symbolize the collection of memories and experiences that shape our lives.
Alliteration: The poem uses alliteration to create a sense of rhythm and emphasis. For example, "crackling brittle" and "wind's gone out" use repeated consonant sounds.
Assonance: Frost uses assonance to create a musical effect and link related ideas. The repetition of the vowel sound "a" in "gather" and "leaves" creates a sense of unity between the speaker and the task.
Repetition: The poem features repetition of phrases like "and yet," which emphasizes the speaker's conflicted emotions about the task of gathering leaves.
Structure: The poem's structure is simple and straightforward, reflecting the straightforwardness of the task at hand. The use of quatrains and a regular rhyme scheme contributes to the poem's overall sense of order and control.
These literary devices, combined with Frost's masterful use of language, create a profound and thought-provoking poem about the complexities of life and the passage of time.