Robert Frost
There are probably three things that account for Robert Frost’s poetry. In
his poems, he uses familiar subjects, like nature, people doing everyday things
and simple language to express his thought. His poems may be easy to read, but
not necessarily easy to understand. Almost all of Frost’s poems are hiding a
secret message. He easily can say two things at the same time. For example, in
“The Road Not Taken”, Frost talks about being a traveler, but the hidden message
is about decisions in life. In lines 19 and 20, he expresses that he did the
right thing, by choosing to go down the path that made the difference. Also, in
“Birches”, lines 48-59, it shows that the poem is about being carefree. Frost
wishes he could be like the boy swinging from the birch trees. The poem sets the
picture of a boy swinging from the tree branches, but he really is talking about
being carefree. He says that earth is the right place for love. He says that he
doesn’t know where he would like to go better, but he would like to go swinging
from the birches. Another example of symbolic description comes from the poem,
“Desert Places”; he talks about how he will not be scared of the desert places,
but of the loneliness. He is scared of his own loneliness, his own desert
places. Most of Frost’s poems are about nature. All three of the mentioned poems
are about nature. In “The Road Not Taken”, he talks of the woods and paths to
follow (line1). Also, in “Birches”, he talks of the birch tree, and winter
mornings (line 7). He also talks about rain and snow (line8-11).
In “Desert
Places”, he talks of woods and snow covering the ground (line 1-5). He shows the
relationship between nature and humans. As in “Tree at My Window”, the beginning
of the poem shows the intersection between humans and nature (lines 3-12). But
the end suggests there are differences that separate them (lines 13-16). In
“Birches”, he talks of the trees and “sunny winter mornings” (line 7). He also
talks of the sun’s warmth, and how it melts the snow (line 10-12). The poem,
“Desert Places”, talks of snow falling into a field, and covering the weeds
(line 1-4). It also talks about animals’ lairs being smothered in the snow (line
5-6). Which is ironic considering that deserts are hot, and it does not snow
there. Frost’s simple, yet creative language is used in two ways. He can stir up
your worst fears, or provoke a fantasy. The reader can put to terms our own
fearful fantasy. In “Once by the Pacific”, he uses a scheme of starting with a
storm, but it turns out to be more than just a storm (line 1-5). It turns out to
be mysterious, because something doesn’t like the way the shore is backed by the
cliff, or the way the continent backs the cliff (line 7-9). It even gets more
mysterious in the lines that follow; it talks of dark intent (line 10). It said
someone should prepare for rage, because more than ocean water will be broken
(line12). Frost uses simple word to describe some complicated things. He takes
the fears within himself and distributes them into the environment all around
him. The words he uses are easier to understand than other poets’ words are.
Reading a poem by Frost is not as confusing as some poets, but trying to
understand the hidden meanings are the most difficult. Trying to figure out any
poem is difficult, but Frost’s are unique.
Bibliography
Frost, Robert. “Birches.” Literature:Reading Fiction,Poetry,Drama, and The
Essay. Robert DiYanni. Boston:McGraw,1998. 669-70. --“Desert Places.”
Literature:Reading Fiction,Poetry,Drama, and the Essay. Robert DiYanni.
Boston:McGraw, 1998. 679. --“Once by the Pacific.”Literature:Reading Fiction,
Poetry, Drama and the Essay. Robert DiYanni. Boston:McGraw, 1998. 676. --“The
Road Not Taken.” Literature:Reading Fiction,Poetry,Drama,and the Essay. Robert
DiYanni. Boston:McGraw, 1998. 513. --“Tree at my Window.” Literature:Reading
Fiction,Poetry,Drama,and the Essay. Robert DiYanni. Boston:McGraw, 1998. 677.
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