gold-leaves

by Chesterton · Cluster: Seasons · Winter · Autumn

Abstract

An autumnal lyric on growing old: golden leaves and grey hairs mark the speaker’s passage from youthful heroic ambition to humble wonder at ordinary humanity, ‘the million masks of God.‘

Testo / Text

• gold-leaves

Connections

Historical References: Greek Mythology

Archetypes: Hero

Topoi: Ubi Sunt Motifs: Autumn, Seasons, Gold and Grey, Flowers, Concealment Hidden Identity, Stars Themes & Concepts: Mortality, Transience, Common Man, Humility, Wonder, Democracy, Ambition Forms & Genres: Lyric

Testo integrale / Full text

Gold Leaves

    by G.K.Chesterton  

Lo! I am come to autumn,  
  When all the leaves are gold;  
Grey hairs and golden leaves cry out  
  The year and I are old.  

In youth I sought the prince of men,  
  Captain in cosmic wars,  
Our Titan, even the weeds would show  
  Defiant, to the stars.  

But now a great thing in the street  
  Seems any human nod,  
Where shift in strange democracy  
  The million masks of God.  

In youth I sought the golden flower  
  Hidden in wood or wold,  
But I am come to autumn,  
  When all the leaves are gold.