Kicking the Leaves

Kicking the Leaves is Donald Hall's seventh collection of poetry, published in 1978. The book contains poems written during Hall's time living at Eagle Pond Farm in New Hampshire, his grandparents' former home. The collection moves through seasons and memories, with many poems focused on rural life and agricultural work. Hall writes about haying, gardening, and the rituals of maintaining a New England farm across generations. The book centers on themes of family legacy, manual labor, and man's connection to land. Through direct language and concrete imagery, Hall examines the intersection of past and present, exploring how time shapes both people and places. The poems in this collection represent a meditation on inheritance, loss, and the way physical work can bridge distances - between generations, between humans and nature, between life and death. The verses build a world where daily tasks carry deeper meaning and where memories live in the soil itself.

Readers connect with Hall's intimate observations of rural New England life and his reflections on family, mortality, and the passing of time. The poems about his grandfather and ancestral farm resonate deeply with many readers, particularly "Ox Cart Man" which multiple reviewers cite as their introduction to Hall's work. What readers liked: - Clear, accessible language that remains sophisticated - Strong sense of place and connection to nature - Emotional depth without sentimentality - Personal narratives woven with universal themes What readers disliked: - Some poems feel less polished than others - A few reviewers found certain sections repetitive - References can be too region-specific Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (12 ratings) Several poetry bloggers highlight "The Man in the Dead Machine" and "Mount Kearsarge" as standout poems. One reviewer noted: "Hall captures the essence of New England farm life with precision and grace, but never romanticizes it."

A Witness Tree by Robert Frost This collection combines rural New England imagery with meditations on mortality and the passage of time.

Staying Alive by Gregory Orr These poems explore loss and grief through nature-centered metaphors and family memories.

The Wild Iris by Louise Glück Plants and seasons become voices that speak of death, rebirth, and human consciousness in a garden setting.

Delights & Shadows by Ted Kooser The poems focus on everyday rural Midwestern life and the intersection of memory with present moments.

Time and Materials by Robert Hass The collection weaves personal history with natural observation in the tradition of American pastoral poetry.

🍂 "Kicking the Leaves" was published in 1978, during a pivotal period in Donald Hall's poetry when he returned to his ancestral Eagle Pond Farm in New Hampshire. 📝 The collection's title poem reflects Hall's deep connection to New England seasons and his childhood memories of walking through autumn leaves on his way to school. 👨‍🌾 Many poems in this collection draw from Hall's experience of working on his grandparents' farm, where he spent summers as a child and later lived permanently with his wife, poet Jane Kenyon. 🎓 The book marks a transition in Hall's writing style, moving from his earlier formal verse to a more conversational tone that became his signature voice in later works. 🏆 Donald Hall went on to become U.S. Poet Laureate (2006-2007) and received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Arts and the Robert Frost Medal.