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what do trolls do in the leafless wood

In the poem context, trolls run around the leafless wood searching for food.

What Do Trolls Do in the Leafless Wood?

Quick Scoop

In W. H. Auden’s poem “Now the Leaves Are Falling Fast,” the line

“Starving through the leafless wood / Trolls run scolding for their food”

shows trolls as hungry, restless creatures moving through a bare, lifeless forest. Students’ guides and exam answer keys explain this in simple terms:

  • Trolls run in search of their food in the leafless wood.
  • They are starving , so they move “here and there” looking for something to eat.
  • “Scolding” suggests they are angry, frustrated, or muttering as they search.

So, when you ask “what do trolls do in the leafless wood” , the standard textbook-style answer is:

Trolls run here and there in the leafless wood, scolding and searching for food so they can live.

Mini sections

1. Literal meaning

  • The wood is “leafless,” so it is bare, wintry, and harsh.
  • Trolls are mythological creatures from Scandinavian lore, often ugly and menacing.
  • In the poem, they are starving , so they run through the wood to find food.

2. Why trolls, why leafless?

  • “Leafless wood” suggests a world without shelter, growth, or comfort.
  • Trolls running for food emphasize desperation and struggle in that harsh landscape.
  • Guides often connect this image with humans in hard times, scrambling for survival or advantage.

3. Symbolic viewpoint

Some literary notes interpret the trolls as:

  1. Predators in society
    • People who exploit the weak in difficult times are compared to trolls “running” for prey.
  1. Inner fears and anxieties
    • The bleak forest and starving trolls mirror inner emptiness, fear of death, and hopelessness in the poem’s mood.
  1. A contrast to lost beauty
    • Elsewhere in the poem, angels and nightingales are mentioned; silent angels and a “dumb” nightingale are set against noisy, scolding trolls.

Bullet recap

  • The line comes from Auden’s “Now the Leaves Are Falling Fast.”
  • Trolls run through the leafless wood because they are starving and looking for food.
  • They run “scolding,” suggesting irritation, anger, or harsh voices.
  • Many exam guides give the core answer:
    • “Trolls run in search of their food in the leafless wood. They search for food to live.”

TL;DR:
In “Now the Leaves Are Falling Fast,” trolls in the leafless wood are starving, angry creatures who run here and there scolding, searching for food so they can survive.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.