The poem "Gathering Leaves" by Robert Frost reflects on the seemingly mundane task of collecting fallen leaves. The poet compares the act of gathering leaves to using spoons, highlighting the simplicity of the task. Despite the noise made while rustling through the leaves, there is an underlying sense of futility in the effort, as the collected leaves are light and lack substantial value or vibrant color after being taken from their natural environment. This emphasizes the transient nature of such a harvest.