classicnote on the poetry of robert frost of contents biography of frost, robert (1874-1963) 1 about...

ClassicNote on The Poetry of Robert Frost

Table of ContentsBiography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963)..............................................................................................................1

About The Poetry of Robert Frost........................................................................................................................3

Character List.........................................................................................................................................................5Narrator......................................................................................................................................................5The Neighbor ("Mending Wall")...............................................................................................................5Mary ("The Death of the Hired Man")......................................................................................................5Warren ("The Death of the Hired Man")...................................................................................................5Silas ("The Death of the Hired Man").......................................................................................................6Harold Wilson (The Death of the Hired Man").........................................................................................6The Wife/Mother ("Home Burial")............................................................................................................6The Husband/Father ("Home Burial").......................................................................................................6The Old Man ("An Old Man's Winter Night")..........................................................................................7The Boy ("Out, Out--")..............................................................................................................................7The Sister ("Out, Out--")............................................................................................................................7The Doctor ("Out, Out--")..........................................................................................................................7

Major Themes.........................................................................................................................................................8Nature.........................................................................................................................................................8Communication..........................................................................................................................................8Everyday Life.............................................................................................................................................8Isolation of the Individual..........................................................................................................................9Duty...........................................................................................................................................................9Rationality versus Imagination..................................................................................................................9Rural Life versus Urban Life...................................................................................................................10

Glossary of Terms................................................................................................................................................11abode........................................................................................................................................................11airy...........................................................................................................................................................11alter..........................................................................................................................................................11aster..........................................................................................................................................................11beholden...................................................................................................................................................11bracken.....................................................................................................................................................11clasp.........................................................................................................................................................11coax..........................................................................................................................................................11consign.....................................................................................................................................................12

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Table of ContentsGlossary of Terms

conspiracy................................................................................................................................................12copse........................................................................................................................................................12daft...........................................................................................................................................................12dalliance...................................................................................................................................................12dappled.....................................................................................................................................................12daunting...................................................................................................................................................12din............................................................................................................................................................12distraught.................................................................................................................................................12diverged....................................................................................................................................................13emulous....................................................................................................................................................13enamel......................................................................................................................................................13ether..........................................................................................................................................................13fay............................................................................................................................................................13feeble........................................................................................................................................................13fixity.........................................................................................................................................................13foot...........................................................................................................................................................13harbor.......................................................................................................................................................13idle...........................................................................................................................................................14inconsolable.............................................................................................................................................14kin............................................................................................................................................................14languor.....................................................................................................................................................14linger........................................................................................................................................................14loftiness....................................................................................................................................................14mar...........................................................................................................................................................14obscure.....................................................................................................................................................14orchis........................................................................................................................................................14perish........................................................................................................................................................15pique.........................................................................................................................................................15precipitate.................................................................................................................................................15queer.........................................................................................................................................................15ravel..........................................................................................................................................................15reckless.....................................................................................................................................................15rife............................................................................................................................................................15rueful........................................................................................................................................................15scythe.......................................................................................................................................................15shroud.......................................................................................................................................................16

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Table of ContentsGlossary of Terms

sidelong....................................................................................................................................................16snarl..........................................................................................................................................................16spade........................................................................................................................................................16staid..........................................................................................................................................................16subdue......................................................................................................................................................16suffice.......................................................................................................................................................16swale........................................................................................................................................................16taciturn.....................................................................................................................................................16taut...........................................................................................................................................................17undergrowth.............................................................................................................................................17verily........................................................................................................................................................17wages........................................................................................................................................................17wend.........................................................................................................................................................17whippoorwill............................................................................................................................................17whither.....................................................................................................................................................17wist...........................................................................................................................................................17witch hazel...............................................................................................................................................17wither.......................................................................................................................................................18zephyr.......................................................................................................................................................18

Short Summary....................................................................................................................................................19

Quotes and Analysis.............................................................................................................................................22

Summary and Analysis of "Mowing" (1913).....................................................................................................27

Summary and Analysis of "Reluctance" (1913)................................................................................................28

Summary and Analysis of "Mending Wall" (1914)..........................................................................................29

Summary and Analysis of "The Death of the Hired Man" (1914)..................................................................31

Summary and Analysis of "Home Burial" (1914).............................................................................................33

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Table of ContentsSummary and Analysis of "After Apple-Picking" (1914)................................................................................35

Summary and Analysis of "An Old Man's Winter Night" (1916)...................................................................37

Summary and Analysis of "Birches" (1916)......................................................................................................39

Summary and Analysis of "Bond and Free" (1916).........................................................................................40

Summary and Analysis of "Out, Out" (1916)...................................................................................................41

Summary and Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" (1916)...............................................................................43

Summary and Analysis of "The Sound of the Trees" (1916)...........................................................................44

Summary and Analysis of "A Patch of Old Snow" (1916)...............................................................................46

Summary and Analysis of "Fire and Ice" (1923)..............................................................................................47

Summary and Analysis of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (1923)..............................................48

Summary and Analysis of "The Lockless Door" (1923)...................................................................................50

Summary and Analysis of "Acquainted with the Night" (1928).....................................................................51

Summary and Analysis of "Once by the Pacific" (1928)..................................................................................53

Summary and Analysis of "The Gift Outright" (1941)....................................................................................55

Summary and Analysis of "Choose Something Like a Star" (1943)...............................................................57

Related Links........................................................................................................................................................59

Suggested Essay Questions..................................................................................................................................60

Setting Frost to Music: Randall Thompson and "Frostiana"..........................................................................64

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Table of ContentsAuthor of ClassicNote and Sources....................................................................................................................67

Essay: Nature Imagery in the Works of Robert Frost......................................................................................68

Quiz 1.....................................................................................................................................................................71

Quiz 1 Answer Key...............................................................................................................................................76

Quiz 2.....................................................................................................................................................................77

Quiz 2 Answer Key...............................................................................................................................................82

Quiz 3.....................................................................................................................................................................83

Quiz 3 Answer Key...............................................................................................................................................88

Quiz 4.....................................................................................................................................................................89

Quiz 4 Answer Key...............................................................................................................................................94

Copyright Notice..................................................................................................................................................95

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Biography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963)Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874 to William Prescott Frost, Jr., a journalist andzealous Democrat, and Isabelle Moodie, a Scottish schoolteacher. A descendant of early British colonistNicholas Frost, Frost’s father was originally based in New England but worked as a teacher and an editor of the“San Francisco Evening Bulletin” in California. When William Frost died of tuberculosis in 1885, the familywas left with only $8 to support themselves. Isabelle Moodie and the eleven-year-old Robert were forced tomove to Lawrence, Massachusetts, under the financial patronage of Frost’s paternal grandfather, William Frost,Sr.

During his time in Lawrence, Frost began to develop a particular interest in poetry and writing and published hisfirst poem in the student magazine of Lawrence High School. After receiving his high school diploma in 1892,Frost enrolled at Dartmouth College and was accepted into the Theta Delta Chi fraternity. However, he onlystudied at Dartmouth for a few months before returning home to work at a variety of jobs, including deliveringnewspapers, working in a factory, cobbling shoes, and editing the local newspaper.

In 1894, Frost sold his first professional poem to The Independent for fifteen dollars. He also had five poemsprivately printed. Encouraged by this success, Frost proposed marriage to Elinor Miriam White, a formerschoolmate who was studying at St. Lawrence University. White asked to postpone the wedding until she hadfinished college, and Frost acquiesced, deciding to study liberal arts at Harvard University while he waited forher to graduate. The couple was married in 1895 at Harvard and eventually had six children: sons Elliott(1896-1900) and Carol (1902-1940) and daughters Lesley (1899-1983), Irma (1903-1967), Marjorie(1905-1934), and Elinor Bettina (1907-1907).

Despite his academic success, Frost had to leave Harvard before obtaining a degree in order to support hisgrowing family. Frost’s grandfather had given the couple a small farm in New Hampshire as a wedding presentbefore his death, and Frost and White promptly relocated. For the next nine years, Frost would write poetry inthe early morning hours and then work on the farm for the rest of the day; it was during this period that he wrotemany of his most famous poems.

Unfortunately, despite the couple’s best efforts, the farm failed. Desperate for another means of financialsupport, Frost worked as an English teacher at Pinkerton Academy and the New Hampshire Normal Schoolfrom 1906-1912. Frost continued to write poetry but struggled to find success; his repeated applications to TheAtlantic Monthly were rejected with the declaration: “We regret that the Atlantic Monthly has no place for yourvigorous verse.”

In 1912, Frost sold the farm and moved to England with his wife and four small children. While abroad, Frostbecame exposed to prominent literary circles and began making the acquaintance of significant poets such asEdward Thomas, Rubert Brooke, Robert Graves, and Ezra Pound. He published his first full book of poetry, A

Biography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 1

Boy’s Will, in 1913, and followed it soon after with North of Boston, in 1914. North of Boston, which madeFrost’s reputation as a poet, included many of the poems for which he would ultimately become most famous,such as “Mending Wall” and “Death of the Hired Man.”

Prompted by the start of World War I, Frost returned to America with his family in 1915 and bought a farm nearFranconia, New Hampshire. His newfound success as a poet allowed him to embark on a lucrative career ofwriting, teaching, and lecturing. He was made a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1916and, later that year, published his third book of poetry, Mountain Interval, which included “The Road NotTaken” and “Birches.” In 1916, Frost also began to lecture and teach English at Amherst College, a position thathe would maintain off-and-on until 1938.

In 1920, Frost bought a farm near Middlebury College in Vermont and helped to found the Bread Loaf Schooland Conference of English, where he would spend nearly every summer teaching until 1963. The followingyear, Frost was given a teaching fellowship at the University of Michigan, and he lived in Ann Arbor until 1927,when he was awarded a lifetime appointment as a Fellow of Letters.

Tragedy struck in 1934 when Frost’s daughter, Marjorie, died from puerperal fever after childbirth. In 1938,Frost’s beloved wife (and the primary inspiration of his poetry) died of heart failure. Two years later, his sonCarol, a poet and farmer, committed suicide. Despite these tragedies, Frost continued to focus on his work,publishing A Witness Tree in 1942 and Come In, and Other Poems in 1943.

By the last decade of his life, Frost had achieved a coveted position as one of the most prominent poets in theUnited States. Among his many awards and honors, Frost received tributes from the American Academy ofPoets (1953) and New York University (1956), and four Pulitzer Prizes, as well as the Congressional GoldMedal (1962) and the Edward MacDowell Medal (1962). In additional, he was an honored guest at theinauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and was invited to travel to the Soviet Union as a member ofa goodwill group in 1962.

Despite his ultimate literary success, Frost’s personal life was plagued with depression and tragedy. Of his sixchildren, Frost outlived all but two. Moreover, three of his children suffered serious mental breakdowns (one ofhis daughters was eventually committed to a mental institution). Frost’s own depression constantly filled himwith self-doubt about his skill as a poet, and he became obsessed with a desire to be awarded the Nobel Prize forLiterature as justification for his talent.

On January 20, 1963, Frost died of complications from surgery. He is buried in Bennington, Vermont.

Biography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 2

About The Poetry of Robert FrostAs a poet, Robert Frost was greatly influenced by the emotions and events of everyday life. Within a seeminglybanal event from a normal day—watching the ice weigh down the branches of a birch tree, mending the stonesof a wall, mowing a field of hay—Frost discerned a deeper meaning, a metaphysical expression of a largertheme such as love, hate, or conflict.

Frost is perhaps most famous for being a pastoral poet in terms of the subject of everyday life. Many of his mostfamous poems (such as “Mending Wall” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”) are inspired by thenatural world, particularly his time spent as a poultry farmer in New Hampshire. Ironically, until his adulthoodin New England, Frost was primarily a “city boy” who spent nearly all of his time in an urban environment. It ispossibly because of his late introduction to the rural side of New England that Frost became so intrigued by thenatural world.

After the publication of his Collected Poems in 1930, Frost clarified his interest in the pastoral world as asubject for his poetry, writing: “Poetry is more often of the country than the city…Poetry is very, very rural –rustic. It might be taken as a symbol of man, taking its rise from individuality and seclusion – written first forthe person that writes and then going out into its social appeal and use.” Yet Frost does not limit himself toexpressing the pastoral only in terms of beauty and peace, as in a traditional sense. Instead, he also chooses toemphasize the harsh conflicts of the natural world: the clash between urban and rural lifestyles, the unfetteredemotions and struggles inherent in rural life, even the sense of loss and simultaneous growth that accompaniesthe changing of the seasons.

Frost’s poetry is also significant because of the amount of autobiographical material that it contains. Frost wasnot a happy man; he suffered from serious bouts of depression and anxiety throughout his life and was neverconvinced that his poetry was truly worthwhile (as evidenced by his obsessive desire to receive a Nobel Prize).He suffered through the untimely deaths of his father, mother, and sister, as well as four of his six children andhis beloved wife, all of which contributed to the melancholic mentality that appears in much of Frost’s work.

The raw emotion and sense of loss that pervades Frost’s poetry is particularly clear because of hisstraightforward verse style. Although he worked within some traditional poetic forms (usually iambic meter), hewas also flexible and changed the requirements of the form if it conflicted with the expression of a particularline. Yet, even as he was willing to utilize the basic conventions of some poetic forms, Frost refused to sacrificethe clarity of his poetry. With that in mind, he was particularly interested in what he called “the sound of sense,”a poetic belief system in which the sound of the poetry (rhythm, rhyme, syllables) is as important to the overallwork as the actual words. Therefore, in poems such as “Mowing” and “Stopping by Woods on a SnowyEvening,” Frost’s use of particular words and rhythmic structure creates an aural sense of the mood and subjectof the piece even as the words outline the narrative.

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Frost’s use of “the sound of sense” is most successful because of the general clarity and even colloquial natureof his poetry. At one point in his life, he asserted, “All poetry is a reproduction of the tones of actual speech.”Although this quotation is perhaps a generalization of Frost’s poetic style, it does speak to the accessibility andsimplicity that has made Frost’s poetry so appealing to so many readers for decades. Because of the clarity ofthe sounds in his work, both in terms of the narrative and in terms of “the sound of sense,” the readers are ableto comprehend the basic emotion of a poem almost instantly and then explore the deeper, more metaphysicalmeanings behind each simple line.

During his beginnings as a poet, Frost was often criticized for using such a colloquial tone in his poetry. Whenhis first poem was published in The Independent in 1894, the acceptance was accompanied by a copy ofLanier’s “Science of English Verse,” a not so subtle suggestion that Frost needed to work on mastering a moretraditional tone and meter. Even after his success as a poetic was assured, Frost was still censured by some forwriting seemingly simplistic poetry, works that were not reminiscent of high art.

Yet even though Frost’s poetry is simple and clear, Richard Wilbur points out that it is not written in thecolloquial language of an uneducated farm boy, but rather in “a beautifully refined and charged colloquiallanguage.” In other words, Frost’s ability to express such a depth of feeling in each of his poems through themedium of colloquial speech reveals a far greater grasp of the human language than many of his critics wouldadmit. It is because of the clarity of his poetry that his poems are beloved and studied in high schools throughoutthe United States, and it is also because of this clarity that Frost is able to explore topics of emotion, struggle,and conflict that would be incomprehensible in any other form.

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Character List

Narrator

The majority of Frost's poems are written in the first-person form with a common narrator. Although thenarrator in each of these poems is not necessarily the same, there are always aspects that relate to Frost's ownvoice. Many of the poems have autobiographical elements (for example: "Stopping by Woods on a SnowyEvening," "Acquainted with the Night," "Mending Wall," and "The Lockless Door"), which automatically createa sense of Frost's personality. The common themes of depression, isolation, and melancholy, relating directly toFrost's personal struggles with depression and loneliness, also reveal Frost as the primary inspiration for the"narrator."

At times, however, Frost clearly detaches himself from the character of the "narrator" as a way to provide ironiccommentary on the overall meaning of the poem. For example, in "The Road Not Taken," the first three stanzascan be seen as directly linked to Frost's own voice, but the final stanza (in which Frost ironically mocks thenarrator's sudden nostalgia for the past) has Frost swiftly pulling out of the poem's character in order to highlighthis hypocrisy to the reader.

The Neighbor ("Mending Wall")

At first, the neighbor is presented as a throw-back to earlier times, clinging to the old-fashioned habit ofmaintaining the property line simply for the sake of tradition. Whenever the narrator asks him to justify hishabit, the neighbor says only: "Good fences make good neighbors." Over the course of the poem, it becomesclear that the neighbor is not an unreasonable traditionalist, but is actually wise in his repeated adage and is aninspiration to the narrator.

Mary ("The Death of the Hired Man")

Mary, Warren's wife, is presented in a more compassionate light than Warren in terms of her treatment of Silas.She believes that people should help those in need, whether they deserve it or not. Although she understandsthat Silas did not fulfill his obligation to the farm, Mary still wants to help him and suspects that he returned tothe farm to die. She convinces Warren to let Silas stay.

Warren ("The Death of the Hired Man")

Warren, Mary's husband, is presented as more rational and realistic than Mary. He gave Silas several chances toprove himself as a farmhand, but each time was disappointed by Silas' unreliability. When Silas returns to the

Character List Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 5

farm, Warren does not feel that he has any obligation to the former farmhand because Silas did not uphold hisend of the bargain. At Mary's urging, Warren eventually agrees to let Silas stay on the farm.

Silas ("The Death of the Hired Man")

Silas is an unreliable farmhand who has worked for Mary and Warren several times in the past. After a longperiod of absence, Silas returns to the farm and asks Mary and Warren to let him work for them again. Inactuality, Silas is returning to the farm to die. Although it is suggested that he has a wealthy brother, Frostmakes it clear that Silas prefers to have his last moments with Mary and Warren because of their kindness andcompassion. Because Silas dies by the last line of the poem, it seems likely that he knew that he would be toosick to work at the farm. Yet, out of pride (or perhaps embarrassment), Silas does not beg Warren and Mary fora place to die, but instead suggests the more honorable bargain of a room in exchange for work.

Harold Wilson (The Death of the Hired Man")

A former farmhand for Warren and Mary, Harold worked with Silas on the hay harvest four years before andwas immediately at odds with him because of his interest in education. Although Harold studied Latin andmusic and ultimately went to college, Silas maintained that all of his education was worthless because Haroldcould not find water with a hazel prong.

The Wife/Mother ("Home Burial")

After the death of her child, the wife is inconsolable and blames her husband for seeming to be apathetic abouttheir loss. She is particularly resentful of him for not appearing to understand why she cannot yet move on withher life. Although her husband begs her to stay and communicate with him, the wife is unable to see past hergrief to salvage the relationship.

The Husband/Father ("Home Burial")

At the beginning of the poem, the husband seems to be largely apathetic about the death of his child, but it soonbecomes clear that he simply expresses his grief in a different way. While his wife mourns outwardly, gazingendlessly at the child's grave, the husband uses physical labor (specifically, the act of digging a grave) as a wayto mourn. The husband has a difficult time communicating with his wife, but he does attempt to make an effortto save their marriage by empathizing with her.

Warren ("The Death of the Hired Man") Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 6

The Old Man ("An Old Man's Winter Night")

In this poem, the old man is a representation of complete isolation. Lacking the memory to recall formerhappiness, he has no past or future and does not even remember why he is in this house during the winter.However, despite his lack of identity, the old man clings tenaciously to his identity in terms of his existence inthe house. He is alone, but he is nevertheless unwilling to give up his claim on the present and thus becomes amodel of courage and the human spirit.

The Boy ("Out, Out--")

Frost characterizes the boy as a young man who is forced to do a man's work, even though he is a child at heart.It is because of his childish excitement over supper that the boy accidentally cuts his hand with the buzz sawand eventually bleeds to death. Even though he is mature enough to realize that his hand must be amputated, theboy still hopes to be intact as he dies. Frost presents the conflict between the boy's childhood and his adultresponsibilities in terms of World War I and the fields of Europe where many young boys were already losingtheir innocence, limbs, and lives.

The Sister ("Out, Out--")

When the sister calls the men in for supper at the end of the day, the boy is so distracted that he cuts his handwith the buzz saw. The boy urges his sister not to let the doctor amputate his hand, but, as the boy knows, thesister is powerless. The character of the sister is particularly significant as a feminine foil to the boy, a child whois forced to do the work of an adult before his time.

The Doctor ("Out, Out--")

The doctor treats the boy after he cuts his hand with the buzz saw. Despite the boy's protestations, the doctor hasto amputate the boy's hand. After he places him under anesthesia, the boy dies.

The Old Man ("An Old Man's Winter Night") Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 7

Major Themes

Nature

Frost places a great deal of importance on Nature in all of his collections. Because of the time he spent in NewEngland, the majority of pastoral scenes that he describes are inspired by specific locations in New England.However, Frost does not limit himself to stereotypical pastoral themes such as sheep and shepherds. Instead, hefocuses on the dramatic struggles that occur within the natural world, such as the conflict of the changing ofseasons (as in "After Apple-Picking") and the destructive side of nature (as in "Once by the Pacific"). Frost alsopresents the natural world as one that inspires deep metaphysical thought in the individuals who are exposed toit (as in "Birches" and "The Sound of Trees"). For Frost, Nature is not simply a background for poetry, butrather a central character in his works.

Communication

Communication, or the lack thereof, appears as a significant theme is several of Frost's poems, as Frost presentsit as the only possible escape from isolation and despair. Unfortunately, Frost also makes it clear thatcommunication is extremely difficult to achieve. For example, in "Home Burial," Frost describes two terribleevents: the death of a child and the destruction of a marriage. The death of the child is tragic, but inability of thehusband and wife to communicate with each other and express their grief about the loss is what ultimatelydestroys the marriage. Frost highlights this inability to communicate by writing the poem in free verse dialogue;each character speaks clearly to the reader, but neither is able to understand the other. Frost explores a similartheme in "Acquainted with the Night," in which the narrator is unable to pull himself out of his depressionbecause he cannot bring himself even to make eye contact with those around him. In each of these cases, thereader is left with the knowledge that communication could have saved the characters from their isolation. Yet,because of an unwillingness to take the steps necessary to create a relationship with another person, thecharacters are doomed.

Everyday Life

Frost is very interested in the activities of everyday life, because it is this side of humanity that is the most "real"to him. Even the most basic act in a normal day can have numerous hidden meanings that need only to beexplored by a poetic mind. For example, in the poem "Mowing," the simple act of mowing hay with a scythe istransformed into a discussion of the value of hard work and the traditions of the New England countryside. AsFrost argues in the poem, by focusing on "reality," the real actions of real people, a poet can sift through theunnecessary elements of fantasy and discover "Truth." Moreover, Frost believes that the emphasis on everydaylife allows him to communicate with his readers more clearly; they can empathize with the struggles andemotions that are expressed in his poems and come to a greater understanding of "Truth" themselves.

Major Themes Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 8

Isolation of the Individual

This theme is closely related to the theme of communication. The majority of the characters in Frost's poems areisolated in one way or another. Even the characters who show no sign of depression or loneliness, such as thenarrators in "The Sound of Trees" or "Fire and Ice," are still presented as detached from the rest of society,isolated because of their unique perspective. In some cases, the isolation is a far more destructive force. Forexample, in "The Lockless Door," the narrator has remained in a "cage" of isolation for so many years that he istoo terrified to answer the door when he hears a knock. This heightened isolation keeps the character fromfulfilling his potential as an individual and ultimately makes him a prisoner of his own making. Yet, as Frostsuggests, this isolation can be avoided by interactions with other members of society; if the character in "TheLockless Door" could have brought himself to open the door and face an invasion of his isolation, he could haveachieved a greater level of personal happiness.

Duty

Duty is a very important value in the rural communities of New England, so it is not surprising that Frostemploys it as one of the primary themes of his poetry. Frost describes conflicts between desire and duty as if thetwo must always be mutually exclusive; in order to support his family, a farmer must acknowledge hisresponsibilities rather than indulge in his personal desires. This conflict is particularly clear in "Stopping byWoods on a Snowy Evening," when the narrator expresses his wish to stay in the woods and watch the snowcontinue to fall. However, he is unable to deny his obligation to his family and his community; he cannot remainin the woods because of his "promises to keep," and so he continues on his way. Similarly, in "The Sound ofTree," Frost describes a character who wants to follow the advice of the trees and make the "reckless" decisionto leave his community. At the end of the poem, the character does not choose to leave (yet) because his senseof duty to those around him serves as the roots that keep him firmly grounded.

Rationality versus Imagination

This theme is similar to the theme of duty, in that the hardworking people whom Frost describes in his poetryare forced to choose between rationality and imagination; the two cannot exist simultaneously. The adults inFrost's poetry generally maintain their rationality as a burden of duty, but there are certain cases when the hintof imagination is almost too seductive to bear. For example, in "Birches," the narrator wishes that he couldclimb a birch tree as he did in his childhood and leave the rational world behind, if only for a moment. Thisability to escape rationality and indulge in the liberation of imagination is limited to the years of childhood.After reaching adulthood, the traditions of New England life require strict rationality and an acceptance ofresponsibility. As a result of this conflict, Frost makes the poem "Out, Out--" even more tragic, describing ayoung boy who is forced to leave his childhood behind to work at a man's job and ultimately dies in the process.

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Rural Life versus Urban Life

This theme relates to Frost's interest in Nature and everyday life. Frost's experience growing up in New Englandexposed him to a particular way of life that seemed less complicated and yet more meaningful than the life of acity dweller. The farmers whom Frost describes in his poetry have a unique perspective on the world as well asa certain sense of honor and duty in terms of their work and their community. Frost is not averse to examiningurban life in his poetry; in "Acquainted with the Night," the narrator is described as being someone who lives ina large city. However, Frost has more opportunities to find metaphysical meaning in everyday tasks and explorethe relationship between mankind and nature through the glimpses of rural life and farming communities that heexpresses in his poetry. Urban life is "real," but it lacks the quality and clarity of life that is so fascinating toFrost in his work.

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Glossary of Terms

abode

house

airy

light or delicate

alter

change

aster

a flower that blooms in the autumn

beholden

obligated

bracken

a large fern

clasp

a tight grip

coax

to influence or manipulate with gentle persuasion

Glossary of Terms Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 11

consign

entrust

conspiracy

a group of people agreeing to take part in an unlawful or immoral act

copse

a group of small trees

daft

foolish or crazy

dalliance

a trifling or pointless action

dappled

spotted or speckled

daunting

intimidating

din

a series of loud noises

distraught

emotionally agitated or upset

consign Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 12

diverged

extending in different directions

emulous

ambitious

enamel

a smooth or glossy substance

ether

a colorless liquid that serves as an anesthetic

fay

fairy

feeble

weak

fixity

stability or permanence

foot

A poetic term for a small group of syllables

harbor

to shelter or hide

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idle

inactive

inconsolable

unable to be comforted

kin

family members

languor

lack of energy

linger

to delay or dawdle

loftiness

elevated in height and dignity

mar

to damage or deface

obscure

unclear or unnoticeable

orchis

orchid

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perish

die

pique

attract or excite

precipitate

to cause in a violent or sudden manner

queer

odd

ravel

entangle

reckless

irresponsible

rife

common

rueful

regretful

scythe

a farm tool used for mowing

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shroud

burial wrapping

sidelong

sideways

snarl

growl

spade

a tool used for digging

staid

restrained or calm

subdue

to bring under control

suffice

satisfy, especially a need

swale

a low-lying stretch of land

taciturn

silent

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taut

drawn tightly

undergrowth

low-lying trees or shrubbery

verily

in reality

wages

money that is paid in exchange for daily or weekly labor

wend

to go one's way

whippoorwill

a small North American bird with white, gray, or black plumage

whither

an archaic term meaning "where"

wist

an archaic term meaning "know"

witch hazel

a small tree with flexible branches

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wither

to shrivel up

zephyr

a light Spring breeze

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Short SummaryThis ClassicNote on Robert Frost focuses on seven collections of poetry: “A Boy’s Will” (1913), “North ofBoston” (1914), “Mountain Interval” (1916), “New Hampshire” (1923), “West-Running Brook” (1928), “AWitness Tree” (1942), and “Come In and Other Poems” (1943). Twenty poems, some more well known thanothers, have been selected from among these collections of poetry in an effort to provide a broad spectrum ofFrost’s style, emotional range, and development as a poet over the course of his career.

Each of these poems demonstrates different aspects of Frost’s style; some are long narrative works that are morelike short stories than poems, and others speak to his sharp sense of irony and literary brilliance. Throughout allof these selections, however, there is a shared focus on the deeper meaning of everyday activities, the ruralsetting of New England, and the “truth” of real people and real struggles.

The first collection of poetry that will be examined is “A Boy’s Will,” which contains the poems “Mowing” and“Reluctance.” The title of the work is a reference to a line from Longfellow’s poem “My Lost Youth,” whichreads: “‘A boy’s will’ is the wind’s will / And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.” The majority ofthe poems in the collection have a pastoral quality and, though he is vague in terms of location, Frost clearlydemonstrates a growing attachment to New England. The poem “Mowing,” for example, which describes awhispered conversation between a farmer and his hard-working scythe, is clearly colored by thoughts of a NewEngland harvest. As “Reluctance” reveals, Frost also begins to explore ideas of development and maturity—thejourney from childhood to manhood—and questions the relationship between nature and mankind.

Frost followed “A Boy’s Will” with the 1914 collection “North of Boston,” which contains the poems“Mending Wall,” “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Home Burial,” and “After Apple-Picking.” No longer vaguein terms of location, Frost suddenly positions New England as the overt inspiration for his poetry, evenincorporating it into the title. The poems “Mending Wall” and “Home Burial” have autobiographical elementsthat suggest a certain amount of homesickness. “Mending Wall,” about two neighbors who meet every year torepair the wall dividing their property, is taken from an annual activity that Frost performed with hisFrench-Canadian neighbor in New Hampshire. The poem “Home Burial” describes the destruction of a marriageafter the death of a child: a possible reference to the tragic death of Frost’s first son during infancy. The poems“After Apple-Picking” and “The Death of the Hired Man” discuss more general themes of life in New England,particularly the loss associated with the changing seasons and the sense of isolation inherent in such a ruralenvironment.

After his return from England with his family, Frost published the collection “Mountain Interval,” whichcemented his reputation as a prominent New England poet. This collection contains “The Road Not Taken,”“An Old Man’s Winter Night,” “A Patch of Old Snow,” “Bond and Free,” “Birches,” “Out, Out—,” and “TheSound of Trees.” In these poems, Frost continues to explore the deeper meanings of everyday activity. In“Birches,” for example, Frost suggests that the childhood game of swinging on birches expresses a human

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desire to escape the rational world and climb up to the heights of imagination. This conflict between desire andresponsibility is also expressed in “The Sound of Trees,” in which the narrator sees the constant swaying of thetrees outside his house as a need to escape the “roots” of responsibility and considers taking the same actionhimself.

In “A Patch of Old Snow” and “An Old Man’s Winter Night,” Frost discusses the darker topics of isolation andoblivion, first describing an old man whose only remaining sense of identity is tied to his presence in a house,and then pointing out a once-beautiful patch of snow that is now mistaken for a worthless piece of oldnewspaper. Following this trend of existential thinking, he uses “Bond and Free” as a discussion of largerquestions regarding the conflict between Love and Thought. Frost creates one of his most compelling scenes oflife and death in “Out, Out—,” in which an accident with a buzz saw leads to the tragic death of a young boyand hints at the unthinkable horrors occurring in the battlefields of World War I. The final selection from thisgroup of poems is “The Road Not Taken,” a description of a man’s choice between two paths in a yellow woodand arguably the most famous of Frost’s poems.

The 1923 collection “New Hampshire” contains the poems “Fire and Ice,” “Stopping by Woods on a SnowyEvening,” and “The Lockless Door.” The piece “Fire and Ice” is a brilliant example of Frost’s skill with formand line structure; in only nine lines, he outlines the central debate about the fate of the world and thenundercuts it with an ironic quip. The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” another of his mostfamous works, combines an autobiographical experience with discussion of the conflict between desire andresponsibility in a classic New England setting. “The Lockless Door,” also based on an actual event, revisits thetheme of isolation as the narrator is so frightened by the sound of a knock (and the threat of a companion in his“cage”) that he would rather abandon his home than face his fear.

The 1928 collection “West-Running Brook” contains the poems “Once by the Pacific” and “Acquainted withthe Night,” both of which show a preoccupation with the themes of isolation and depression. “Once by thePacific,” about the destructive threat posed by the ocean, was inspired by a traumatic childhood experience inwhich Frost was accidentally left alone on a California beach as a storm approached the shore. The incidenthaunted Frost throughout his life, as did the fear of abandonment and complete isolation in the face ofunspeakable danger. The poem “Acquainted with the Night” takes a more passive perspective on isolation bydescribing an individual’s struggle with depression.

The collection “A Witness Tree” was published after several unfortunate tragedies had occurred in Frost’spersonal life: his daughter Marjorie died of complications from childbirth in 1934, his beloved wife died ofheart failure in 1938, and his son Carol committed suicide in 1940. Despite these losses, Frost continued to workon his poetry and eventually fell in love with his secretary Kay Morrison, who became the primary inspirationof the love poems in “A Witness Tree.” This collection is the last of Frost’s books that demonstrates theseamless lyric quality of his earlier poems. This collection contains “The Gift Outright,” which describes thequest for an American identity through a connection to the land. This poem emphasizes the traditional NewEngland view of property and identity (also explored in “Mending Wall”), and was recited at the presidential


inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.

The final collection that will be discussed in this ClassicNote is the 1943 work “Come In and Other Poems,”which contains the piece, “Choose Something Like a Star” (titled “Take Something Like a Star” in someworks). This poem revisits Frost’s satirical side through its blended interpretation of science and religion and thehuman need for assurance from a higher power.

Each of these poems reveals a slightly different side of Robert Frost, just as the seven collections of poetry fromdifferent times in his life provide a glimpse into his development as an artist. Each poem should be read with theunderstanding that Frost instilled meaning into even the most basic aspects of a work, from the number of feetin a line to the specific sound of a syllable. As a result, the poems have endless possibilities in terms of meaningand interpretation and should be seen as an opportunity for the mind to revel in exploration.


Quotes and AnalysisTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I --

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken"

This quotation is significant because it demonstrates Frost's ironic treatment of the narrator. In the first threestanzas of the poem, the narrator states that the two paths are fundamentally identical in every way. He choseone path and contemplated returning one day to try the other path, but did not agonize over the decision. In thefourth stanza, however, when the narrator is an old man, he changes the truth of what happened and describeshis path as the one "less traveled by." This shift in the truth allows the old man to justify many of his lifechoices and perhaps explain why his life turned out the way that it did.

The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows."Mowing"

This quotation is written from the perspective of the scythe, whose only satisfaction comes from honest, hardwork. While human beings would dream of fairies and gold for pleasure, the scythe values only reality;specifically, the reality of work. The narrator admires his scythe's detachment from the trivialities of the humanimagination and hopes to model his own philosophy of work on that expressed by his whispering farm tool.This particular line also speaks to Frost's own emphasis on everyday life and the natural world in his poetry.While other poets focus on imaginary worlds and far-off places, Frost prefers to write about the world that heknows: the rural communities of New England.

Good fences make good neighbors."Mending Wall"

This quotation is perhaps one of the most frequently quoted lines from Frost's poetry. The neighbor repeats theadage three times over the course of the poem and, though the narrator is initially skeptical of his neighbor'sappreciation of an old-fashioned tradition, he eventually begins to agree with the adage as well. This line

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highlights the importance of property and individuality in the United States. Although the wall is not necessaryin a practical sense (the narrator's apple trees will not cross the property line to bother his neighbor's pine trees),it maintains each man's individual identity in the farm community and allows them to have a sense of pride intheir ownership of the land. Even on a more basic level, the act of mending the wall allows the neighbors todevelop their relationship through interpersonal communication.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

This selection occurs at the very end of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." It is clear that the narratorwishes to continue watching the snow fall in the woods, but he is not able to ignore his responsibilities. Therepeated "And miles to go before I sleep" can be read as a forced reminder that the narrator has obligations tofulfill, almost as if he would not be able to force himself to leave the woods without repeating the mantra. Thefinal line could also be read as the narrator slowly falling asleep, aware of his responsibilities at home butunable to resist the peaceful lull of the drifting snow.

Some say the earth will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

"Fire and Ice"

This quotation introduces the two sides of the debate on the world's fate. The narrator clarifies the strictdichotomy between the elements while also revealing that this is not an expression of an individual opinion, butrather a universal understanding. The world must end in one of these two contradictory ways - or at least that iswhat the reader is expected to believe. In the next line, however, the narrator undercuts this conclusion byintroducing his own opinion and acknowledging that the world could easily end both ways; thus, fire and ice


are inherently similar.

I have been one acquainted with the night.

I have walked out in rain - and back in rain.

I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.

"Acquainted with the Night"

This quotation highlights the narrator's overwhelming depression and sense of isolation. Nothing in hissurroundings is able to pull him out of his depression: neither walking in bad weather nor walking in goodweather, neither walking around the city nor walking beyond its limits. No matter what he does, the narratorremains a lonely, isolated "I." Significantly, even the narrator's relationship with the night is a detached one; thenight is not his friend or his lover, but solely a distant acquaintance.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."Birches"

This selection appears in the final line of the poem and serves as a thoughtful reiteration of the narrator's ideasabout swinging on birches. The act of swinging on a birch conveys a certain childlike innocence, but alsoallows the swinger to escape the cold rationality of the earth for a short time and reach into the heavens.Although the swinger is still grounded (through the roots of the birch tree), he is able to find freedom ofimagination and also keep his life from becoming static.

And nothing to look backward to with pride,

And nothing to look forward to with hope.

"Death of the Hired Man"


This quotation is spoken by Mary in reference to Silas, the hired man. Warren does not understand why Silaswould come back to their farm in order to die, and Mary expresses the extent of Silas' isolation. Even though hecares for the people around him, he remains detached: he has no past but the humiliating memory of his brokencontracts, and no family to give him a sense of hope for the future. In the end, Silas feels comforted by Maryand Warren, and chooses their farm as a place to die because he can think of no place that would be better.

No, from the time when one is sick to death,

One is alone, and he dies more alone.

Friends make pretense of following to the grave,

But before one is in it, their minds are turned

And making the best of their way back to life

And living people, and things they understand.

"Home Burial"

This quotation is spoken by the wife/mother in "Home Burial." Throughout the poem, the wife is inconsolablein her grief at the death of her child and cannot understand that her husband chooses to manifest his grief in adifferent way. This cynical passage demonstrates the extent of her resentment towards her husband, as well asher anger at people who expect her to move on with her life immediately.

They listened at his heart.

Little-less-nothing! and that ended it.

No more to build on there. And they, since they

Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.

"Out, Out--"


This quotation appears at the end of "Out, Out--" after the young boy has died from loss of blood. With theboy's death, the narrator suddenly becomes concise and straightforward in his writing style, simplyacknowledging that he has nothing else to say on the topic: "No more to build on there." This detachment doesnot mean that the narrator or the other people in scene are apathetic about the boy's tragic death; they simplyrealize that they can do nothing to bring the boy back. Horrific deaths were a common occurrence in rural NewEngland, just as they soon would be on the battlefields of World War I. All must internalize their grief andattempt to move forward with their lives.


Summary and Analysis of "Mowing" (1913)As the narrator works in the field on a hot day, he notices that his scythe seems to be whispering as it works.The narrator is unable to hear what the scythe is saying, and he admits the possibility that the whispering soundis simply his imagination or even the result of heatstroke. He eventually concludes that the scythe is expressingits own beliefs about the world. Instead of dreaming about inactivity or reward for its labor as a person would,the scythe takes its sole pleasure from its hard work. It receives satisfaction from “the fact” of its earnest laborin the field, not from transient dreams or irrational hopes. As the poem ends, the narrator ceases his ownunimportant musings and follows the scythe’s example: seizing on the pleasure of hard work and making hay.

Analysis

In terms of rhyme scheme, “Mowing” does not follow the traditional form of the sonnet, though it does includethe standard fourteen lines. Instead of using the strict Petrarchan rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDECDE) or theShakespearean rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG), Frost creates an amalgamation of both: ABC ABDECD FEG FG.

This poem is one of the first in which Frost utilizes his “sound of sense” technique. Within this technique, thepoet employs specific sounds and syllables in order to construct an aural feeling of the subject and narrativeintention. In this case, both the repeated use of the term “whisper” and the swaying motion of the meter incertain lines (such as “Perhaps it was something…/ Something perhaps) provide a visceral sense of the scythemoving back and forth as it cuts the hay in the field.

The fact that Frost uses the word “whisper” is significant because it personifies the scythe, transforming it into acompanion and working colleague for the narrator rather than an inanimate farming tool. With that in mind, thescythe and its philosophical view on work could actually be seen as a reflection of the narrator’s own beliefs, orrather a belief that the farmer hopes to have as he continues to work on his farm. The circular nature of the poemsupports this claim: by the end of the poem, the narrator has stopped attempting to analyze the scythe’swhispering within his imagination and has resorted to simple, honest work.

This mentality can be expanded as Frost’s justification of his own poetic sensibility. Frost was well known (andoften criticized) for writing poetry about everyday life on the farms of New England - a topic that did notalways seem appropriate for the high art of poetry. Yet, as Frost points out in “Mowing,” truth and fact are farmore significant than imaginative fancies of gold and elves. In other words, his emphasis on reality — the livesand struggles of real people — makes his poetry sweeter and more effective than any traditional sonnet thatnarrates fairytale lands.

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Summary and Analysis of "Reluctance" (1913)The narrator has traveled throughout the world, across mountains and rivers, and now finds himself on the pathback home. His journey has ended, and he is shocked to find the signs of the dead season all around him:crusted snow, dead leaves, withering flowers. He had not expected such a sight when he returned home, anddespairingly considers leaving again. However, he refuses to accept the end of the season without fighting for itand ends the poem on a courageous, hopeful note.

Analysis

This poem is divided into four stanzas of six lines each. The rhyme scheme for each stanza is ABCBDB.

This work is the final poem in Frost’s 1913 book “A Boy’s Will” and serves as a cap on the theme of exile andreturn that is introduced in the first poem of the book, “Into My Own.” In this first poem, the narrator expresseshis determination to turn his back on his own and travel the world in a quest for self-discovery. The narratordeclares, “I do not see why I should e’er turn back, / Or those should not set forth upon my track / To overtakeme…”

In “Reluctance,” the narrator’s travels have finally led him back home, but he is dismayed to find nothing leftfor him but the dead leaves of the winter season. Still, he is unwilling to accept such an ending to his adventuresand refuses to “yield” or “go with the drift of things” simply because the season proclaims it to be so. Histravels may be finished and the season may be ending, but that does not mean that he has to accept the turn ofevents without anger or emotion.

This poem also has an additional meaning that stems directly from an autobiographical event in Frost’s life. Hewrote this poem while he was living with his mother and sister in Lawrence, Massachusetts, before he hadconvinced his future wife, Elinor, to marry him. After he was firmly rejected by her during a visit to her schoolin New York, Frost contemplated committing suicide and becoming a part of the “last lone aster” and “deadleaves.” However, Frost eventually found courage and decided not to go “with the drift of things” and acceptElinor’s rejection. Such an admittance of failure would have been “treason” to his heart and his love.

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Summary and Analysis of "Mending Wall" (1914)Every year, two neighbors meet to repair the stone wall that divides their property. The narrator is skeptical ofthis tradition, unable to understand the need for a wall when there is no livestock to be contained on theproperty, only apples and pine trees. He does not believe that a wall should exist simply for the sake of existing.Moreover, he cannot help but notice that the natural world seems to dislike the wall as much as he does:mysterious gaps appear, boulders fall for no reason. The neighbor, on the other hand, asserts that the wall iscrucial to maintaining their relationship, asserting, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Over the course of themending, the narrator attempts to convince his neighbor otherwise and accuses him of being old-fashioned formaintaining the tradition so strictly. No matter what the narrator says, though, the neighbor stands his ground,repeating only: “Good fences make good neighbors.”

Analysis

This poem is the first work in Frost's second book of poetry, “North of Boston,” which was published upon hisreturn from England in 1915. While living in England with his family, Frost was exceptionally homesick for thefarm in New Hampshire where he had lived with his wife from 1900 to 1909. Despite the eventual failure of thefarm, Frost associated his time in New Hampshire with a peaceful, rural sensibility that he instilled in themajority of his subsequent poems. “Mending Wall” is autobiographical on an even more specific level: aFrench-Canadian named Napoleon Guay had been Frost’s neighbor in New Hampshire, and the two had oftenwalked along their property line and repaired the wall that separated their land. Ironically, the most famous lineof the poem (“Good fences make good neighbors”) was not invented by Frost himself, but was rather a phrasethat Guay frequently declared to Frost during their walks. This particular adage was a popular colonial proverbin the middle of the 17th century, but variations of it also appeared in Norway (“There must be a fence betweengood neighbors”), Germany (“Between neighbor’s gardens a fence is good”), Japan (“Build a fence evenbetween intimate friends”), and even India (“Love your neighbor, but do not throw down the dividing wall”).

In terms of form, “Mending Wall” is not structured with stanzas; it is a simple forty-five lines of first-personnarrative. Frost does maintain iambic stresses, but he is flexible with the form in order to maintain theconversational feel of the poem. He also shies away from any obvious rhyme patterns and instead relies uponthe occasional internal rhyme and the use of assonance in certain ending terms (such as “wall,” “hill,” “balls,”“well”).

In the poem itself, Frost creates two distinct characters who have different ideas about what exactly makes aperson a good neighbor. The narrator deplores his neighbor’s preoccupation with repairing the wall; he views itas old-fashioned and even archaic. After all, he quips, his apples are not going to invade the property of hisneighbor’s pinecones. Moreover, within a land of such of such freedom and discovery, the narrator asks, aresuch borders necessary to maintain relationships between people? Despite the narrator’s skeptical view of thewall, the neighbor maintains his seemingly “old-fashioned” mentality, responding to each of the narrator’s

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disgruntled questions and rationalizations with nothing more than the adage: “Good fences make goodneighbors.”

As the narrator points out, the very act of mending the wall seems to be in opposition to nature. Every year,stones are dislodged and gaps suddenly appear, all without explanation. Every year, the two neighbors fill thegaps and replace the fallen boulders, only to have parts of the wall fall over again in the coming months. Itseems as if nature is attempting to destroy the barriers that man has created on the land, even as man continuesto repair the barriers, simply out of habit and tradition.

Ironically, while the narrator seems to begrudge the annual repairing of the wall, Frost subtley points out thatthe narrator is actually more active than the neighbor. It is the narrator who selects the day for mending andinforms his neighbor across the property. Moreover, the narrator himself walks along the wall at other pointsduring the year in order to repair the damage that has been done by local hunters. Despite his skeptical attitude,it seems that the narrator is even more tied to the tradition of wall-mending than his neighbor. Perhaps hisskeptical questions and quips can then be read as an attempt to justify his own behavior to himself. While hechooses to present himself as a modern man, far beyond old-fashioned traditions, the narrator is really nodifferent from his neighbor: he too clings to the concept of property and division, of ownership andindividuality.

Ultimately, the presence of the wall between the properties does ensure a quality relationship between the twoneighbors. By maintaining the division between the properties, the narrator and his neighbor are able tomaintain their individuality and personal identity as farmers: one of apple trees, and one of pine trees.Moreover, the annual act of mending the wall also provides an opportunity for the two men to interact andcommunicate with each other, an event that might not otherwise occur in an isolated rural environment. The actof meeting to repair the wall allows the two men to develop their relationship and the overall community farmore than if each maintained their isolation on separate properties.

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Summary and Analysis of "The Death of the HiredMan" (1914)A farm wife, Mary pleads with her husband, Warren, to take back a former farmhand who has alwaysdisappointed him. The farmhand, Silas, is very ill, and Mary is convinced that he has returned to the farm to die.Warren has not seen Silas in his ill state and, still angry over the contract that Silas broke when them in the past,does not want to have Silas on his property. Mary’s compassionate urging eventually convinces him, but whenWarren goes to get Silas, he is already dead.

Analysis

This poem contains many of the stereotypical characteristics of Frost’s poetry, particularly the ruralenvironment, the everyday struggle of the farm couple over their relationship to the farmhand, and thecolloquial dialogue. The blank verse form makes the text extremely clear, and Frost even breaks up the stanzasby employing dialogue.

In the poem, Frost outlines the traditions of duty and hard work that he explores in many of his other poems.Silas returns to the farm so that he can fulfill his broken contract to Warren and die honorably, having fulfilledhis duty to the family and to the community. Silas’ return to the farm also signals the importance of the workthat he performed on the farm as a way to give his life meaning and satisfaction. Silas does not have anychildren or close family to provide a sense of fulfillment in his last hours; only the sense of duty and thesatisfaction of hard work can provide him with comfort.

Ironically, even after Silas’ attempt to die in the companionship of Mary and Warren, the people whom heviews as family more than any others, he ultimately dies alone. Moreover, he dies without ever fulfilling hiscontract to ditch the meadow and clear the upper pasture. For all his attempts to fulfill his duty, achievesatisfaction through hard work, and find a sense of family, Silas’ efforts are unsuccessful. Even the way inwhich his death is introduced expresses its bleak isolation: Warren merely declares, “Dead.”

The poem also creates a clear dichotomy between Mary and Warren, between Mary’s compassionatewillingness to help Silas and Warren’s feelings of resentment over the broken contract. Mary follows the modelof Christian forgiveness that expects her to help Silas because he needs it, not because he deserves it. Warren,on the other hand, does not believe that they owe anything to Silas and feels that they are not bound to help him.

It is interesting to note that, of the two, only Mary actually sees Silas over the course of the poem. She finds himhuddled against the barn and instantly recognizes the extent of his illness. As a result, she is automatically morewilling to be compassionate toward him. Having not seen Silas in his current state, Warren takes the morerational view of the situation. Had Warren found Silas first, his treatment of the former farmhand would no

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doubt have been more compassionate.

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Summary and Analysis of "Home Burial" (1914)In this narrative poem, Frost describes a tense conversation between a rural husband and wife whose child hasrecently died. As the poem opens, the wife is standing at the top of a staircase looking at her child’s gravethrough the window. Her husband, at the bottom of the stairs, does not understand what she is looking at or whyshe has suddenly become so distressed. The wife resents her husband’s obliviousness and attempts to leave thehouse. The husband begs her to stay and talk to him about her grief; he does not understand why she is angrywith him for manifesting his grief in a different way. Inconsolable, the wife lashes out at him, convinced of hisapathy toward their dead child. The husband mildly accepts her anger, but the rift between them remains. Sheleaves the house as he angrily threatens to drag her back by force.

Analysis

In terms of form, this poem is a dramatic or pastoral lyric poem, using free-form dialogue rather than strictrhythmic schemes. Frost generally uses five stressed syllables in each line and divides stanzas in terms of linesof speech.

The poem describes two tragedies: first, the death of a young child, and second, the death of a marriage. Assuch, the title “Home Burial,” can be read as a tragic double entendre. Although the death of the child is thecatalyst of the couple’s problems, the larger conflict that destroys the marriage is the couple’s inability tocommunicate with one another. Both characters feel grief at the loss of the child, but neither is able tounderstand the way that their partner chooses to express their sorrow.

The setting of the poem – a staircase with a door at the bottom and a window at the top – automatically sets upthe relationship between the characters. The wife stands at the top of the stairs, directly in front of the windowoverlooking the graveyard, while the husband stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. While thecouple shares the tragedy of their child’s death, they are in conflicting positions in terms of dealing with theirgrief.

With her position closest to the window, the wife is clearly still struggling with her grief over the loss of herbaby. Incapable of moving on at this point in her life, the wife defines her identity in terms of the loss andwould rather grieve for the rest of her life than grieve as a sort of pretense. The husband has dealt with hissorrow more successfully, as evidenced by his position at the bottom of the staircase, close to the door and theoutside world. As a farmer, the husband is more accepting of the natural cycle of life and death in general, butalso chooses to grieve in a more physical manner: by digging the grave for his child. Ironically, the husband’sexpression of his grief is completely misunderstood by the wife; she views his behavior as a sign of his callousapathy.

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Ultimately, each character is isolated from the other at opposite ends of the staircase. In order for the marriageto succeed, each character must travel an equal distance up or down the staircase in order to meet the other. Thehusband attempts to empathize with his wife, moving up the staircase toward her and essentially movingbackward in his own journey towards acceptance of his child’s death. Even so, the wife is unable to empathizewith her husband and only moves down the staircase after he has already left his position at the foot.

When the wife moves down the staircase, she assumes the upper hand in the power struggle between the two byensuring that her husband cannot move between her and the door and stop her from leaving. Without thephysical capacity to keep her from leaving, the husband must attempt to convince her to stay throughcommunication - something that, as the poem demonstrates, has been largely unsuccessful throughout theirmarriage.

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Summary and Analysis of "After Apple-Picking" (1914)At the end of a long day of apple picking, the narrator is tired and thinks about his day. He has felt sleepy andeven trance-like since the early morning, when he looked at the apple trees through a thin sheet of ice that helifted from the drinking trough. He feels himself beginning to dream but cannot escape the thought of his appleseven in sleep: he sees visions of apples growing from blossoms, falling off trees, and piling up in the cellar. Ashe gives himself over to sleep, he wonders if it is the normal sleep of a tired man or the deep winter sleep ofdeath.

Analysis

In terms of form, this poem is bizarre because it weaves in and out of traditional structure. Approximatelytwenty-five of the forty-two lines are written in standard iambic pentameter, and there are twenty end-rhymesthroughout the poem. This wandering structure allows Frost to emphasize the sense of moving between awaking and dream-like state, just as the narrator does. The repetition of the term “sleep,” even after its pairedrhyme (“heap”) has long been forgotten, also highlights the narrator’s gradual descent into dreaming.

In some respects, this poem is simply about apple picking. After a hard day of work, the apple farmercompletely fatigued but is still unable to escape the mental act of picking apples: he still sees the apples in frontof him, still feels the ache in his foot as if he is standing on a ladder, still bemoans the fate of the flawless applesthat fall to the ground and must be consigned to the cider press.

Yet, as in all of Frost’s poems, the narrator’s everyday act of picking apples also speaks to a more metaphoricaldiscussion of seasonal changes and death. Although the narrator does not say when the poem takes place, it isclear that winter is nearly upon him: the grass is “hoary,” the surface of the water in the trough is frozen enoughto be used as a pane of glass, and there is an overall sense of the “essence” of winter. Death is coming, but thenarrator does not know if the death will be renewed by spring in a few months or if everything will stay buriedunder mindless snow for all eternity.

Because of the varying rhymes and tenses of the poem, it is not clear when the narrator is dreaming or awake.One possibility is that the entirety of the poem takes place within a dream. The narrator is already asleep and isautomatically reliving the day’s harvest as he dreams. This explanation clarifies the disjointed narrative —shifting from topic to topic as the narrator dreams — as well as the narrator’s assertion that he was “well uponmy way to sleep” before the sheet of ice fell from his hands.

Another explanation is that the narrator is dying, and his rambling musings on apple picking are the feveredhallucinations of a man about to leave the world of the living. With that in mind, the narrator’s declaration thathe is “done with apple-picking now” has more finality, almost as if his vision of the apple harvest is a farewell.Even so, he can be satisfied in his work because, with the exception of a few apples on the tree, he fulfilled all

Summary and Analysis of "After Apple-Picking" (1914) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 35

of his obligations to the season and to himself. Significantly, even as he falls into a complete sleep, the narratoris unable to discern if he is dying or merely sleeping; the two are merged completely in the essence of theoncoming winter, and Frost refuses to tell the reader what actually happens.

Summary and Analysis of "After Apple-Picking" (1914) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 36

Summary and Analysis of "An Old Man's Winter Night"(1916)An old man stands alone in his house in the middle of winter. Because of his age, he does not remember why heis in the house or even his identity, but he maintains his presence against the grueling winter outside. At onepoint, he becomes frightened by the cellar beneath his feet and the dark night outside, and he stomps his feetloudly to frighten away the unknown. Eventually the old man dozes in front of the fire and, after being disturbedby a shifting log, falls into a deeper sleep.

Analysis

In terms of form, the poem does not have a traditional rhyme scheme, but instead makes use of alliteration(“doors,” “darkly”; “beating,” “box”; “separate,” “stars”;), personification, and haunting images.

From the title of this poem, the reader might expect a warm and cozy narrative about an old man in front of acrackling fire. Frost denies this comforting expectation and instead creates a haunting narrative — one of thedarkest works in his 1916 “Mountain Interval” – that describes an old man slowly dying alone during a harshNew England winter.

The poem never clarifies the reason why the old man is alone, only reiterating that he is completely isolated andbeyond the comfort of companionship. The most terrifying element of this poem is the old man’s loss ofmemory; he has no recollection of his purpose or identity and simply finds himself standing “with barrels roundhim – at a loss.” Not only is the old man isolated in body, he is isolated in mind: even the memories of pasthappiness cannot comfort him.

Even in this state of abject isolation, the old man still has the stubbornness and courage to fight for his existenceand scare off the fears that creep in around him. Although the old man does not remember exactly what he isafraid of in the cellar or in the outer night, he clings to the act of “clomping” as a familiar and yet unfamiliarcomfort. The overwhelming sense of loneliness and fear is accentuated by the noises all around the old man: thecracking of branches, the roar of the trees. However, the old man himself remains silent throughout the poem.When he does make sounds, he resorts to the more animalistic action of stomping his feet rather than trustinghis voice.

By rendering the old man mute, Frost strives to instill the readers with the same sense of isolation that the oldman himself experiences. If the poem included glimpses of the old man’s inner thoughts, the readers would feela sense of kinship with him, even a degree of companionship. As it is, however, the reader is forced to remain asilent observer who cannot connect to the inner workings of the old man’s mind.

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Yet the poem does not end on a completely hopeless note. Although the man is frightened of what he does notknow, he still succeeds in “scaring” off the unknown and falling into a comforting sleep. Frost suggests thateven a person in the depths of isolation and loneliness is still capable of maintaining a presence and “keeping” ahouse. Though Frost focuses solely on the old man, this idea can also be read as a discussion of the humancondition as a whole. The old man’s behavior in the house is not ideal or necessarily human, and he is stilldoomed to face death and perpetual loneliness, and yet his house is still his own because of his tenacious graspon it and his refusal to abandon himself entirely.

Summary and Analysis of "An Old Man's Winter Night" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 38

Summary and Analysis of "Birches" (1916)When the narrator looks at the birch trees in the forest, he imagines that the arching bends in their branches arethe result of a boy “swinging” on them. He realizes that the bends are actually caused by ice storms - the weightof the ice on the branches forces them to bend toward the ground - but he prefers his idea of the boy swingingon the branches, climbing up the tree trunks and swinging from side to side, from earth up to heaven. Thenarrator remembers when he used to swing on birches and wishes that he could return to those carefree days.

Analysis

This poem is written in blank verse with a particular emphasis on the “sound of sense.” For example, whenFrost describes the cracking of the ice on the branches, his selections of syllables create a visceral sense of theaction taking place: “Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells / Shattering and avalanching on thesnow crust — / Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away…”

Originally, this poem was called “Swinging Birches,” a title that perhaps provides a more accurate depiction ofthe subject. In writing this poem, Frost was inspired by his childhood experience with swinging on birches,which was a popular game for children in rural areas of New England during the time. Frost’s own childrenwere avid “birch swingers,” as demonstrated by a selection from his daughter Lesley’s journal: “On the wayhome, i climbed up a hi birch and came down with it and i stopt in the air about three feet and pap cout me.”

In the poem, the act of swinging on birches is presented as a way to escape the hard rationality or “Truth” of theadult world, if only for a moment. As the boy climbs up the tree, he is climbing toward “heaven” and a placewhere his imagination can be free. The narrator explains that climbing a birch is an opportunity to “get awayfrom earth awhile / And then come back to it and begin over.” A swinger is still grounded in the earth throughthe roots of the tree as he climbs, but he is able to reach beyond his normal life on the earth and reach for ahigher plane of existence.

Frost highlights the narrator’s regret that he can ow longer find this peace of mind from swinging on birches.Because he is an adult, he is unable to leave his responsibilities behind and climb toward heaven until he canstart fresh on the earth. In fact, the narrator is not even able to enjoy the imagined view of a boy swinging in thebirches. In the fourth line of the poem, he is forced to acknowledge the “Truth” of the birches: the bends arecaused by winter storms, not by a boy swinging on them.

Significantly, the narrator’s desire to escape from the rational world is inconclusive. He wants to escape as aboy climbing toward heaven, but he also wants to return to the earth: both “going and coming back.” Thefreedom of imagination is appealing and wondrous, but the narrator still cannot avoid returning to “Truth” andhis responsibilities on the ground; the escape is only a temporary one.

Summary and Analysis of "Birches" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 39

Summary and Analysis of "Bond and Free" (1916)The narrator describes the difference between Love and Thought. Love clings to the earth in such a way thatmakes it a denial of freedom and imagination. Thought, on the other hand, has cast aside the shackles of thetangible world and travels throughout the universe with a pair of wings. Yet, for all the freedom that Thoughtseems to have, the safe environment of Love is far more liberating.

Analysis

This poem is made up of four stanzas of five lines each with a rhyme scheme of ABBAA.

The poem expresses a debate similar to that described in “Fire and Ice.” Love is tied to the earth, while Thoughtis tied to heaven, and the narrator asks which state of mind is more liberating to mankind. At first, the narrator isfirmly in favor of Thought. Thought is not bound to the earth in any way and has the ability to travel through therealm of all possibilities, from star to star. Love, however, denies this freedom and actively chooses to staygrounded on the earth, actually “clinging” to it to make sure that nothing can separate the two. Thought, thenarrator assures the reader, “has need of no such things.”

Over the course of the poem, the rhetoric gradually changes to speak in favor of Love. While Thought musttravel across the universe to find beauty and freedom, Love is able to find the same beauty and freedom onearth, simply by staying: “Love by being thrall / And simply staying possesses all / In several beauty thatThought fares far / To find fused in another star.” Thought’s constant need to travel to all points of the universein search of freedom becomes its own type of shackle, tying Thought to this quest. Through its safety andcomfort on earth, the narrator concludes, Love is able to achieve a more lasting liberation.

Interestingly, the gender relation between Love and Thought (with Love as female and Thought as male) was alate addition to the poem. In its original 1913 draft, the poem characterized both Love and Thought as female.Frost’s decision to change the gender of Thought to masculine relates to traditional gender associations.Typically, women were associated solely with emotion and love (and thus needed to be taken care of), whilemen were associated with masculine rationality and thought.

By suggesting that Love is triumphant in the debate over liberation, Frost is not necessarily arguing that womenwill be victorious in the battle of the sexes. Instead, he is emphasizing the importance of emotion and softness incombination with the rationality of thought. Just as Thought is shackled without Love, poetry will be confinedto form if it does not make use of true emotion.

Summary and Analysis of "Bond and Free" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 40

Summary and Analysis of "Out, Out" (1916)A young man is cutting firewood with a buzz saw in New England. Near the end of the day, the boy’s sisterannounces that it is time for dinner and, out of excitement, the boy accidentally cuts his hand with the saw. Hebegs his sister not to allow the doctor to amputate the hand but inwardly realizes that he has already lost toomuch blood to survive. The boy dies while under anesthesia, and everyone goes back to work.

Analysis

Frost uses the method of personification to great effect in this poem. The buzz saw, though technically aninanimate object, is described as a cognizant being, aggressively snarling and rattling as it does its work. Whenthe sister makes the dinner announcement, the saw demonstrates that it has a mind of its own by “leaping” outof the boy’s hand in its excitement. Frost refuses to lay blame for the injury on the boy, who is still a “child atheart.”

In addition to blaming the saw, Frost blames the adults at the scene for not intervening and telling the boy to“call it a day” before the accident occurred. Had the boy received an early excuse from the workday, he wouldhave avoided cutting off his hand and would have been saved from death. Moreover, a mere half-hour breakfrom his job would have allowed the boy to regain part of his childhood, if only for a moment.

Frost’s emphasis on the boy’s passivity and innocence in this situation is particularly significant in the contextof the time period. After moving to England with his family, Frost was forced to return to America because ofthe onset of World War I in 1915, an event that would destroy the lives of many innocent young boys. With thatin mind, this poem can be read as a critique of the world events that forced boys to leave their childhoodsbehind and ultimately be destroyed by circumstances beyond their control.

After the boy’s hand is nearly severed, he is still enough of an adult to realize that he has lost too much blood tosurvive. He attempts to “keep the life from spilling” from his hand, but even that is only an attempt, sincenothing can be done. Above all, though, the boy hopes to maintain his physical dignity in his death, rather thandie with a missing hand. Again, Frost channels the horrors already occurring on the battlefields in Europe,where death from enemy shells was automatically devoid of dignity.

By the end of the poem, the narrator no longer has anything to say about the tragedy of the boy’s death. Whilethe first twenty-six lines contain elegant metaphors and descriptions of the scene, the final eight lines aredetached and unemotional. The narrator’s “So” and “No more to build on there” reveal that even the narrator isunable to find any explanation for why such a young boy had to die.

In the last line of the poem, the narrator enters a state of complete detachment, almost as if indifference is theonly way to cope with the boy’s death. Just as soldiers on the battlefield must ignore the bodies around them and

Summary and Analysis of "Out, Out" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 41

continue to fight, the people of this New England town have nothing to do but move on with their lives.

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Summary and Analysis of "The Road Not Taken"(1916)The narrator comes upon a fork in the road while walking through a yellow wood. He considers both paths andconcludes that each one is equally well-traveled and appealing. After choosing one of the roads, the narratortells himself that he will come back to this fork one day in order to try the other road. However, he realizes thatit is unlikely that he will ever have the opportunity to come back to this specific point in time because his choiceof path will simply lead to other forks in the road (and other decisions). The narrator ends on a nostalgic note,wondering how different things would have been had he chosen the other path.

Analysis

This poem is made up of four stanzas of five lines, each with a rhyme scheme of ABAAB.

Along with “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” this poem is one of Frost’s most beloved works and isfrequently studied in high school literature classes. Since its publication, many readers have analyzed the poemas a nostalgic commentary on life choices. The narrator decided to seize the day and express himself as anindividual by choosing the road that was “less traveled by.” As a result of this decision, the narrator claims, hislife was fundamentally different that it would have been had he chosen the more well-traveled path.

This reading of the poem is extremely popular because every reader can empathize with the narrator’s decision:having to choose between two paths without having any knowledge of where each road will lead. Moreover, thenarrator’s decision to choose the “less traveled” path demonstrates his courage. Rather than taking the safe paththat others have traveled, the narrator prefers to make his own way in the world.

However, when we look closer at the text of the poem, it becomes clear that such an idealistic analysis is largelyinaccurate. The narrator only distinguishes the paths from one another after he has already selected one andtraveled many years through life. When he first comes upon the fork in the road, the paths are described asbeing fundamentally identical. In terms of beauty, both paths are equally “fair,” and the overall “…passing there/ Had worn them really about the same.”

It is only as an old man that the narrator looks back on his life and decides to place such importance on thisparticular decision in his life. During the first three stanzas, the narrator shows no sense of remorse for hisdecision nor any acknowledgement that such a decision might be important to his life. Yet, as an old man, thenarrator attempts to give a sense of order to his past and perhaps explain why certain things happened to him. Ofcourse, the excuse that he took the road “less traveled by” is false, but the narrator still clings to this decision asa defining moment of his life, not only because of the path that he chose but because he had to make a choice inthe first place.

Summary and Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 43

Summary and Analysis of "The Sound of the Trees"(1916)The narrator wonders about trees, particularly the way that people willingly accept the noise of trees in theirlives. Trees make constant noise about going away but always end up staying, forced to remain because of theirdeep roots. Their perpetual discussion about leaving is imprinted on the people around them; even the narratorbegins to take on tree-like qualities as he considers the possibility of going away. Yet, unlike the trees that talkloudly and take no action, the narrator asserts that he will talk quietly and never come back.

Analysis

This poem describes the everyday event of the wind blowing through the trees. The wind forces the trees tosway from side to side and rustles their leaves to create the “sound of the trees.” Frost takes this usualoccurrence and, using the method of personification, transforms it into a metaphysical discussion of the treesloudly voicing their plans to leave. The wind is not moving the trees, Frost clarifies, but the trees are moving oftheir own accord, swaying toward freedom and then returning as they speak of their desire to the other trees.

Because of their roots, the trees are unable to fulfill their desire to leave; they are bound to the earth even astheir branches reach toward heaven. Yet, as the narrator points out grumpily, they continue with their endlessdiscussion, and their conversation is nothing more than meaningless noise to the people who hear it.

The noise of the trees is particularly dangerous because it affects the people around them and gives them thesame desire to leave. As he listens to the noise of the trees, the narrator emulates their movement, swaying backand forth and pulling on his “roots” on the ground. However, the narrator does not have any roots to force himto stay. He only has the knowledge of his duty and responsibility to his community, and this knowledge ishardly sufficient to quell his desire to go.

This conflict between duty and imagination is one that Frost brings up frequently in other poems, such as“Birches” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” In the rural communities of New England, duty wasa primary factor in every action; the call of imagination and personal indulgence was always overshadowed bythe realistic needs of the community and family. In “The Sound of Trees,” however, this recognition of duty isobscured by the endless noise and influence of the trees. Even more importantly, if this idea of duty andresponsibility is forgotten, the narrator worries, there will be nothing to make people stay and build theircommunity.

The poem does not end with the narrator choosing his imagination over his duty to his community, despite hisclear desire to do so. He does, however, outline his plan to leave in the future. Unlike the trees, the narratorpromises that his departure would only take place in a way that would not influence other people to make the

Summary and Analysis of "The Sound of the Trees" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 44

same selfish choice. Not only will he not speak of his desire to leave, but he will also not stay to remind otherpeople of the possibility.

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Summary and Analysis of "A Patch of Old Snow"(1916)The narrator notices a patch of old snow and at first believes that it must be an old newspaper that has blowninto the corner and been flattened by the rain. The flecks of dirt in the snow are similar to the fine print of anewspaper, which supports the narrator’s initial conclusion. The narrator points out that he never remembers thenews of the day even if he does read the newspaper.

Analysis

This poem is eight lines long and broken into two stanzas. According to Frost, the poem was meant to serve asan example of his “sense of sound” theory, in that the specific terms are meant to evoke the meaning of the text.Frost also intended this poem to emulate the pithy style of Ezra Pound, who was critical of Frost’s more verbosestyle. With that in mind, “A Small Patch of Snow” is stylistically similar to Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro,”which reads:

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petals on a wet, black bough.

Frost’s poem is still a great deal longer than Pound’s work, but Frost’s focus on clarity and brevity is apparent.

In the first stanza of Frost’s poem, the narrator notices the patch of snow and immediately concludes that it issomething else. The snow was once a beautiful symbol of the winter season, but now, after a few weeks on theground, it is as dirty and forgotten as an old newspaper. The narrator feels guilty about this misidentification,declaring that he “should” have recognized the snow; he “should” have recognized the beauty of winter.

In the second stanza, the narrator promptly undercuts the regret of the first stanza by rationalizing his initialconclusion about the snow. The dirt on the snow looks exactly like the fine print of the newspaper, so he cannotbe held responsible for his mistake; the beauty of winter is only present in flawless white snow, not in old snowthat can be easily confused for something else.

In the last two lines of the poem, the narrator provides an even more thorough justification of his behavior byadmitting that he rarely reads newspapers. Not only is the patch of snow forgotten as a sign of winter, but it isalso forgotten in terms of its accidental identity as an old newspaper. The beauty of winter and yesterday's newsare equally ignored and abandoned.

Summary and Analysis of "A Patch of Old Snow" (1916) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 46

Summary and Analysis of "Fire and Ice" (1923)This short poem outlines the familiar question about the fate of the world, wondering if it is more likely to bedestroyed by fire or ice. People are on both sides of the debate, and Frost introduces the narrator to provide hispersonal take on the question of the end of the world. The narrator first concludes that the world must end in fireafter considering his personal experience with desire and passion, the emotions of fire. Yet, after considering hisexperience with “ice,” or hatred, the narrator acknowledges that ice would be equally destructive.

Analysis

Only nine lines long, this little poem is a brilliant example of Frost’s concisely ironic literary style. The poemvaries between two meter lengths (either eight syllables or four syllables) and uses three sets of interwovenrhymes, based on “-ire,” “-ice,” and “-ate.”

In the first two lines of the poem, Frost creates a clear dichotomy between fire and ice and the two groups ofpeople that believe in each element. By using the term “some” instead of “I” or “an individual,” Frost assertsthat the distinction between the two elements is a universal truth, not just an idea promoted by an individual. Inaddition to the unavoidable contradiction between fire and ice, these first lines also outline the claim that theworld will end as a direct result of one of these elements. It is unclear which element will destroy the world, butit is significant to note that fire and ice are the only options. The poem does not allow for any other possibilitiesin terms of the world’s fate, just as there are not any other opinions allowed in the black-and-white debatebetween fire and ice.

Interestingly, the two possibilities for the world’s destruction correspond directly to a common scientific debateduring the time Frost wrote the poem. Some scientists believed that the world would be incinerated from itsfiery core, while others were convinced that a coming ice age would destroy all living things on the earth’ssurface. Instead of maintaining a strictly scientific perspective on this debate, Frost introduces a more emotionalside, associating passionate desire with fire and hatred with ice. Within this metaphorical view of the twoelements, the “world” can be recognized as a metaphor for a relationship. Too much fire and passion canquickly consume a relationship, while cold indifference and hate can be equally destructive.

Although the first two lines of the poem insist that there can only be a single choice between fire and ice, thenarrator undercuts this requirement by acknowledging that both elements could successfully destroy the world.Moreover, the fact that he has had personal experience with both (in the form of desire and hate) reveals that fireand ice are not mutually exclusive, as the first two lines of the poem insist. In fact, though the narrator firstconcludes that the world will end in fire, he ultimately admits that the world could just as easily end in ice; fireand ice, it seems, are strikingly similar.

Summary and Analysis of "Fire and Ice" (1923) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 47

Summary and Analysis of "Stopping by Woods on aSnowy Evening" (1923)On a dark winter evening, the narrator stops his sleigh to watch the snow falling in the woods. At first heworries that the owner of the property will be upset by his presence, but then he remembers that the owner livesin town, and he is free to enjoy the beauty of the falling snow. The sleigh horse is confused by his master’sbehavior — stopping far away from any farmhouse — and shakes his harness bells in impatience. After a fewmore moments, the narrator reluctantly continues on his way.

Analysis

In terms of text, this poem is remarkably simple: in sixteen lines, there is not a single three-syllable word andonly sixteen two-syllable words. In terms of rhythmic scheme and form, however, the poem is surprisinglycomplex. The poem is made up of four stanzas, each with four stressed syllables in iambic meter. Within anindividual stanza, the first, second, and fourth lines rhyme (for example, “know,” “though,” and “snow” of thefirst stanza), while the third line rhymes with the first, second, and fourth lines of the following stanza (forexample, “here” of the first stanza rhymes with “queer,” “near,” and “year” of the second stanza).

One of Frost’s most famous works, this poem is often touted as an example of his life work. As such, the poemis often analyzed to the minutest detail, far beyond what Frost himself intended for the short and simple piece.In reference to analyses of the work, Frost once said that he was annoyed by those “pressing it for more than itshould be pressed for. It means enough without its being pressed…I don’t say that somebody shouldn’t press it,but I don’t want to be there.”

The poem was inspired by a particularly difficult winter in New Hampshire when Frost was returning homeafter an unsuccessful trip at the market. Realizing that he did not have enough to buy Christmas presents for hischildren, Frost was overwhelmed with depression and stopped his horse at a bend in the road in order to cry.After a few minutes, the horse shook the bells on its harness, and Frost was cheered enough to continue home.

The narrator in the poem does not seem to suffer from the same financial and emotional burdens as Frost did,but there is still an overwhelming sense of the narrator’s unavoidable responsibilities. He would prefer to watchthe snow falling in the woods, even with his horse’s impatience, but he has “promises to keep,” obligations thathe cannot ignore even if he wants to. It is unclear what these specific obligations are, but Frost does suggest thatthe narrator is particularly attracted to the woods because there is “not a farmhouse near.” He is able to enjoycomplete isolation.

Frost’s decision to repeat the final line could be read in several ways. On one hand, it reiterates the idea that thenarrator has responsibilities that he is reluctant to fulfill. The repetition serves as a reminder, even a mantra, to

Summary and Analysis of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (1923) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 48

the narrator, as if he would ultimately decide to stay in the woods unless he forces himself to remember hisresponsibilities. On the other hand, the repeated line could be a signal that the narrator is slowly falling asleep.Within this interpretation, the poem could end with the narrator’s death, perhaps as a result of hypothermia fromstaying in the frozen woods for too long.

The narrator’s “promises to keep” can also be seen as a reference to traditional American duties for a farmer inNew England. In a time and a place where hard work is valued above all things, the act of watching snow fall inthe woods may be viewed as a particularly trivial indulgence. Even the narrator is aware that his behavior is notappropriate: he projects his insecurities onto his horse by admitting that even a work animal would “think itqueer.”

Summary and Analysis of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (1923) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 49

Summary and Analysis of "The Lockless Door" (1923)The narrator is alone in a house with a lockless door when he hears an unexpected knock. He immediatelyblows out his candle in terror and tiptoes to the door, silently praying that no one will come in. Upon hearinganother knock on the door, the narrator hastily jumps out the window to safety and shouts “Come in!” towhoever (or whatever) was knocking.

Analysis

This poem is made up of five stanzas of four lines each. Each line is very short and written in the dance-like“tumbling” meter of two feet per line with one to three syllables per foot.

The poem is based on an autobiographical event that occurred early in Frost’s career. Throughout his childhood,Frost was extremely afraid of the dark, to the point where he slept on a bed in his mother’s room through hishigh school years. In 1895, Frost was staying alone in a cottage on Ossipee Mountain when he heard a knock onthe old, lockless door. Frost was too terrified to answer the door but jumped through a window in the back andthen called “Come in!” from the outside. The next morning, Frost returned to the cottage and found one of hisneighbors in a drunken slumber on the floor.

In the poem, Frost takes the comic event and creates a more ominous force outside the lockless door. He usesthe term “whatever” instead of “whoever” in order to express the knock’s unknown and potentially threateningorigin, as well as the abstract nature of the narrator’s own fear. Frost also highlights the narrator’s terror byusing short, stilted lines and placing the stress on the final syllable of each statement.

In the final stanza, Frost gently mocks the terrified narrator (and himself) by pointing out that a simple knock isenough to make the narrator completely leave his home for the “safety” of the New England winter. Frost alsosuggests that the narrator is losing an opportunity to save himself from isolation: this is the first knock on thedoor for “many years” and possibly the first chance that the narrator has had to meet another person for anequally long amount of time. Rather than communicating with another person in his “cage,” however, thenarrator chooses to abandon it completely.

Significantly, the narrator still invites the person outside to “come in,” but only after he has established adetached position outside the house. He is willing to offer hospitality, but cannot bring himself to offer thehospitality on a personal level: even if the person does enter the house, the narrator will not be there to welcomehim. Yet, in his effort to escape the person at his door, the narrator inadvertently escapes his own enforcedisolation. Since he cannot reenter his house (not knowing who is in there), the narrator is suddenly forced tointeract with the rest of the world and finally “alter with age,” adapting to others than only himself.

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Summary and Analysis of "Acquainted with the Night"(1928)The narrator describes his loneliness as he walks the isolated city streets at night. He has walked beyond the citylimits and along every city lane, but has never found anything to comfort him in his depression. Even when hemakes contact with another person (such as the watchman), the narrator is unwilling to express his feelingsbecause he knows that no one will understand him. At one point he hears a cry from a nearby street, but realizesthat it is not meant for him; no one is waiting for him. He looks up at the moon in the sky and acknowledges thattime has no meaning for him because his isolation is unending.

Analysis

This poem is written in strict iambic pentameter, with the fourteen lines of a traditional sonnet. In terms ofrhyme scheme, Frost uses the “terza rima” ("third rhyme") pattern of ABA CDC DAD AA, which isexceptionally difficult to write in English.

This poem is commonly understood to be a description of the narrator’s experiences with depression. The mostcrucial element of his depression is his complete isolation. Frost emphasizes this by using the first-person term“I” at the beginning of seven of the lines. Even though the watchman has a physical presence in the poem, hedoes not play a mental or emotional role: the narrator, the sole “I,” remains solitary. Similarly, when the narratorhears the “interrupted cry” from another street, he clarifies that the cry is not meant for him, because there is noone waiting for him at home.

The narrator’s inability to make eye contact with the people that he meets suggests that his depression has madehim incapable of interacting in normal society. While normal people are associated with the day (happiness,sunlight, optimism), the narrator is solely acquainted with the night, and thus can find nothing in common withthose around him. The narrator is even unable to use the same sense of time as the other people in the city:instead of using a clock that provides a definitive time for every moment, the narrator relies solely on “oneluminary clock” in the sky.

Ironically, since night is the only time that he emerges from his solitude, the narrator has even less opportunityto meet someone who can pull him from his depression. His acquaintance with the night constructs a cycle ofdepression that he cannot escape.

Frost adds to the uncertainty inherent in the poem by incorporating the present perfect tense, which is used todescribe something from the recent past, as well as something from the past that is still ongoing in the present. Itseems as if the narrator’s depression could be from the recent past because of the phrase: “I have been…”However, the verb tense also suggests that his depression could still be a constant, if unseen, force. With that in

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mind, it is unclear whether the narrator will truly be able to come back to society or if his depression willresurface and force him to be, once again, acquainted with the night.

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Summary and Analysis of "Once by the Pacific" (1928)The narrator describes a night on an ocean beach when the ocean waves seem to be preparing to destroy the landand its people. The shore, cliff, and continent are allied together against the threat of the oncoming storm, butthe narrator doubts that they will be successful at quelling the destructive force of the ocean. Moreover, thisdestruction will not last a single night, but rather for an “age” - perhaps even at the direct order of a higherpower.

Analysis

This poem is in the traditional sonnet form of fourteen lines and corresponds to the Shakespearean rhymescheme: AABB CCDD EEFF GG.

The poem is based on a traumatic experience from Frost’s childhood in San Francisco. During a walk along apopular ocean beach, Frost’s parents accidentally left him behind, and Frost found himself alone, facing anominous storm suddenly coming toward land. This upsetting event was exacerbated by numerous other trips tothe ocean when Frost’s father would leave him on the beach while he took long-distance swims. Frost would beconvinced that his father was abandoning him and would wait in a state of heightened anxiety until his fatherwould reappear in the waves.

Frost clearly incorporates his childhood terror of the ocean into the poem, but expands the threat by describingthe destructive rage of the ocean against all of mankind. The ocean waves have a palpable consciousness that isconcerned only with the destruction of anything they can touch: “Great waves…thought of doing something tothe shore / That water never did to land before.” In this clash between the rising titans of water and land, it iseasy to imagine a terrified little boy trapped between the two, unable to escape and doomed to destruction byone of the two forces.

The threat of the ocean is particularly palpable because of the waves’ malevolent personification. These wavesare not the unconscious results of changing weather systems, but rather evil, sentient beings that intend to use allof their might to destroy anything they can touch. The “thought” of the ocean waves makes them the mostterrifying because their war against humanity seems to be premeditated. Moreover, the vast ocean is anunconquerable foe; even the shore and cliffs need to be supported by the entire continent in order to face themalignant waters.

Above all, Frost makes it clear that the ocean waves are not a threat to be faced by an individual, let alone achild. He describes a fear that should be felt by all people on a universal level and provides a general warning:“Someone had better be prepared for rage.”

Summary and Analysis of "Once by the Pacific" (1928) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 53

Frost ends the poem with a question about the source of the ocean’s destructive rage. Is it possible that the sameGod who ordered, “Let there be light!” could be provoking the ocean in order to destroy all of mankind? Frostleaves it to the reader to ask whether God has completely abandoned humanity and allied Himself with theangry forces of nature to destroy the unappreciative human species.

Summary and Analysis of "Once by the Pacific" (1928) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 54

Summary and Analysis of "The Gift Outright" (1941)The narrator describes America’s history as a nation from the time of the European colonists. Although thecolonists owned the land, they could not draw a national identity from it because they were still tied to England.They eventually realized that they were denying their beliefs in freedom and, by embracing the lessons of theland, were able to establish an American identity. In order to accept this gift of identity, the people had tocommit many acts of war and mark the land as their own, but the end result was a truly American land.

Analysis

This poem is technically a sonnet, though unusual in this form because of its sixteen lines. It is written in iambicpentameter and free verse.

This poem was written as early as 1936, but Frost did not publish it until 1941, a few months after the UnitedStates entered World War II. Although it had already achieved a level of familiarity and fame among theAmerican public, “The Gift Outright” received special attention when Frost recited it at the inauguration ofPresident John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961. Frost had originally planned to recite a poem entitled“Dedication” that he had written for the event. However, because of the glare of the sun and his poor eyesight(he was eighty-seven years old at the time), he was unable to read his copy of the poem and instead recited “TheGift Outright.”

From one perspective, this poem may seem to be nothing more than a triumphantly patriotic work; Frost himselfonce compared it to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The colonists in America initially struggled to become onewith the land because of their ties to England. As years passed, however, they were able to build a commitmentto the land and establish their identities as Americans because of their efforts to build a land that was not basedon the traditions of Europe. In this way, the poem can be read as Frost’s personal celebration of manifestdestiny.

The broad enthusiasm for America that characterizes the poem takes an unexpected turn in the grave thirteenthline: “(The dead of gift was many deeds of war.)” Suddenly, the poem is not only about a commitment to theland, but also a discussion of the Revolutionary War and remorse that the battle over the land caused so manydeaths. The use of parentheses in this particular line ensures that the specifics of the war are not mentioned, butdoes insist that the memory of the war should not be forgotten or cast aside.

The poem can also be read as somewhat defensive and even belligerent in terms of its approach to the land.Frost repeats the term “ours” numerous times in the text, but insists that the “we” of the poem is the whitesettlers from Europe, rather than the original “owners” of the land: the Native Americans. Frost chooses toignore the conflict between the colonists and the Native Americans and instead focuses on the clash between theOld World and the New World, the European world of tradition and oppression and the new American world of

Summary and Analysis of "The Gift Outright" (1941) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 55

freedom and destiny. As a result, the type of American identity that Frost expresses is very different from thecontemporary understanding of the American identity as an amalgamation of different cultures and ethnicities.

Summary and Analysis of "The Gift Outright" (1941) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 56

Summary and Analysis of "Choose Something Like aStar" (1943)The narrator speaks to a star in the sky and urges it to give him something to believe in. Although heacknowledges that stars are naturally quiet, the narrator still begs the star to say something to him. The starsimply replies, “I burn.” The narrator is not satisfied with the star’s response and urges it to be even morespecific. He explains that a few words from the star would be enough to help humanity strive for greater heightsand, at the very least, be comforted.

Analysis

In terms of form, this poem is relatively traditional, with a regular rhyme scheme and iambic meter. Frost usesrhymes for “-ight,” “-oud,” “-earn,” “-eat,” “-end,” “-aid,” “-ere,” and “-ar” to create the following pattern:AABAABCBCDCDEFFEFAGGAHIIH.

The poem focuses on humanity’s need for reassurance from a higher power. Some individuals use religion as away to reassure themselves, while others emphasize science as a comfort. Frost plays with these genres ofthought by blending different aspects of each into the narrator’s urgent plea to the star. In the very first line,Frost echoes a traditional prayer to God with the reverential tone and the term “O” (which would normallyprecede “God” or “Lord”). Later, when the star declares, “I burn,” Frost introduces the scientific genre ofthought and describes the narrator’s need for specific, scientific information about the star. Knowledge of thestar’s existence is not enough; the narrator wants scientific evidence of the star’s temperature and elementalmakeup.

In addition to creating this combination of religion and science, Frost expands the irony of the narrator’s pleathrough the use of the term “something.” The narrator needs the star to say “something” to him so badly that itdoes not even matter what the “something” is. When the star speaks, its words have nothing to do with thenarrator’s experience on earth. Instead, the pithy “I burn” relates only to the star itself and, even moreimportantly, does not provide clear evidence that the star possesses any intelligent thought. The star has nocomprehension of anything outside of its own existence and can only quantify its presence with “I burn.”

However, Frost asserts (ironically) that what the star says does not actually matter. The simple existence of thewords is enough to reassure mankind, because it proves that humans are not isolated in the universe. Moreover,even the object of such reverence is not crucial to narrator’s comfort: as the title reveals, an individual must onlychoose “something” like a star, not necessarily the star itself.

In the last line of the poem, Frost uses the wordplay of the terms “to stay” and “to be staid” to reiterate thenarrator’s explanation in the poem. By selecting a distant object to idolize, no matter what it is, an individual

Summary and Analysis of "Choose Something Like a Star" (1943) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 57

has the capacity to become “stayed” (comforted; rooted), even as such devotion threatens to make humanity“staid” (old-fashioned; static).

Summary and Analysis of "Choose Something Like a Star" (1943) Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 58

Related Linkshttp://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192Robert Frost on Poets.org This link includes a brief biography of Robert Frost and several short essays aboutrelated topics, including the Frost farm in Franconia, New Hampshire and Frost's use of contrast in his poetry.

http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.htmlCollection of Robert Frost poetry This website provides the complete text of several of Frost's books of poetry,including "A Boy's Will," "North of Boston," and "Mountain Intervals."

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199604u/frost-introRobert Frost and The Atlantic Monthly This online article describes the events surrounding The AtlanticMonthly's rejection of Frost's poetry before his rise to literary success in England.

http://robertfrostfarm.org/The Robert Frost Farm This is the official website of the Robert Frost Farm, the small farm in New Hampshirein which Frost and his family lived from 1900-1911. In addition to providing historical details about theproperty, the site includes a detailed description of Frost's time at the farm.

http://www.frostfriends.orgThe Friends of Robert Frost This link includes a detailed chronology of Frost's works, as well as a thoroughbiography, photographs of his family, and information about architectural landmarks from his life, including hishome in Vermont from 1938-1963.

Related Links Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 59

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192

http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199604u/frost-intro

http://robertfrostfarm.org/

http://www.frostfriends.org

Suggested Essay QuestionsWhat is the "sound of sense," and why does Robert Frost use it in his poetry?

The "sound of sense" is a literary theory in which specific syllables and sounds are used to express the subject ofa poem in a visceral way. For example, in the poem "Mowing," Frost selects certain terms (such a "whispering")in order to convey an aural sense of the swishing motion of the scythe as it cuts the hay. Frost is very concernedwith the clarity and expression of his poetry, particularly in terms of the topic that he is discussing. By using the"sound of sense," Frost is able to layer additional meaning onto each of his works. Instead of absorbing themeaning of the poem solely through visual means, a reader is able to feel and even hear the meaning of thepoem on a deeper level.

Why does Frost choose to write about everyday life in a rural environment? What is the effect of this choice onhis poetry?

Frost is a major advocate of "reality" in terms of his poetry as a means of discovering greater metaphysicaltruths. By writing about everyday life instead of imaginary worlds, he is able to layer the basic meaning of hispoems over more metaphorical ideas. For example, a poem about taking a sleigh ride through the woods("Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening") can also be about the threat of death in the changing seasons andthe traditional expectations of duty. In this way, his poems may seem to be simplistic on a cursory level, butthey are actually multi-faceted in terms of their meaning and appeal. As a result of this choice, Frost allows hisreaders to become individual explorers in each of his poems. Although the basic meaning of the poem may bespelled out in a clear manner, the reader is left with unending possibilities of analysis and ultimately possesses agreater connection to each poem.

How does Frost use poetic form in unusual ways?

Frost is atypical as a poet because he uses a wide variety of forms and rhyme schemes in his poetry. However,in each case, Frost does not seem to select a specific form simply for the sake of having a difficult form to workwith. Instead, he carefully chooses the form that will most clearly express the idea and meaning of his poem. Inthat way, Frost uses form in the same way that he uses the "sound of sense"; nothing is his poems is coincidentaland everything is meant to evoke a certain idea, whether it is the sound of a syllable or the motion of a rhymescheme. For example, in "After Apple-Picking," Frost creates a specific amalgamation of traditional rhymeschemes and free verse that is meant to illustrate the narrator's constant shifting between dreaming and waking.This also allows the reader to feel the same shifting of consciousness as the narrator while they are reading. Thefact that Frost is able to execute each form flawlessly, even while using it to express the meaning of his poems,reveals the extent of his literary talent.

How did Frost's personal life influence his poetry?

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Because Frost's poems are based on everyday events, many of his works are largely autobiographical. Even twoof his most famous poems, "Mending Wall" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," are based onspecific events in his life. In many cases, Frost was able to draw inspiration from his own life for his poems andthen incorporate more metaphysical themes to give each event a deeper meaning. In addition to using life eventsas inspiration, Frost also used many aspects of his emotional side in his poetry, such as his life-long depression,loneliness, and sadness at the deaths of so many of his family members. Because Frost places so much ofhimself in each of his poems, they have a personal touch that makes them particularly appealing to the reader.

How does the familiarity of Frost's poems affect an analysis of their meaning? Is it better or worse that they arewell-known?

Some of Frost's poems are so famous that it can be difficult to create an individual analysis of their meaning.The poems "Mending Wall," "The Road Not Taken," and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" have beenstudied in so many high schools and colleges that, in some ways, it may seem as if further analysis isimpossible. However, this level of familiarity can also be beneficial because it forces the reader to go beyondthe basic analysis that has already been established. Since so many people have read these poems, new readersmust force themselves to think deeply about Frost's intentions and challenge themselves to reveal yet anotherlayer of meaning.

How does Frost discuss the importance of communication in his poems?

Communication is an issue that appears in several of Frost's poems as a dangerously destructive force. In "HomeBurial," for example, Frost introduces two characters whose inability to communicate eventually destroys theirmarriage. Each character expresses their own view about the death of their child, but only the reader is able tounderstand each side of the argument; the husband and wife are unable to communicate directly with each other.In this way, the reader is left with the agonizing truth that the husband and wife are speaking differentlanguages, and that the rift in their marriage can never be healed. If their child had not died, the couple mighthave been able to save their relationship, but the unfortunate tragedy required a level of communication that wasnot possible. In Frost's poems with an isolated central character, there is a similar emphasis on communicationas a saving force that is denied. For example, the old man in "An Old Man's Winter Night" and the depressednarrator in "Acquainted with the Night" are both unable to communicate with those around them and savethemselves from their loneliness: the old man cannot make verbal noises, while the depressed narrator isunwilling to make eye contact with the watchman. In each of these cases, communication plays a far moreimportant role than anything else; communication with other human beings would be enough to save any ofthese characters if they would only allow it.

What are some of the American ideals that are explored in Frost's poems?

Considering his background in the rural communities of New England, it is not surprising that Frostincorporates numerous American ideals and traditions into his poems. One of these primary ideals is the


importance of hard work above all else. For the farmers in "Mowing" and "After Apple-Picking," hard work isnecessary for survival, but it also creates a unique satisfaction that cannot be felt from the trivialities ofimagination. Hard work is tangible and directly linked to an individual's success and happiness in America.Frost highlights the proud idealism of this mentality, even while discussing the loss and tragedy that hard workcan occasionally cause (such as the death of the young boy in "Out, Out--"). Another traditional American idealthat Frost emphasizes in his poems is the concept of duty. In "Stopping by Woods on the Snowy Evening," thenarrator wishes that he could stay in the woods to watch the snow fall, but he remembers his responsibilities tothose around him. Rather than indulging in his own desires, the narrator fulfills his duties to his family and tohis community and makes the necessary sacrifices for their well-being.

What is the role played by God and religion in Frost's poetry?

The figure of God does not appear in the majority of Frost's poetry. Instead of traditional religion, Frost seemsto have a more transcendental approach toward the issue of faith, specifically in terms of mankind's relationshipto nature. There are times when Frost does suggest the presence of a higher power (such as in "Birches"), buteven those references are largely metaphorical and hint at a personal relationship between the individual and thefreedom of nature. In "Choose Something Like a Star," Frost takes a rather ironic position on the existence ofGod and quips about humanity's need to find comfort in a higher power. However, there is not an overwhelmingsense that Frost has atheistic beliefs. Instead, he seems to promote a more everyday religion, one that highlightstraditional American values such as hard work, duty, and communication.

Which of Frost's poems do you think is the most effective in terms of form and meaning? Why?

The answer to this essay question is highly individual, but there are certain poems in Frost's oeuvre that areparticularly dramatic and powerful. One such poem is "Fire and Ice," which is far more compelling than onewould imagine, given the length of the piece. The poem does not have a single extraneous syllable, yet Frost isstill able to take the age-old question of the world's fate and instantly transform it into a metaphor about theemotional destruction of a relationship from either desire or hate. The equally concise poem "A Patch of OldSnow" follows a similar pattern, with Frost creating a comparison between snow and an old newspaper as a wayto broach the larger topic of the loss of the past. Frost's ability to inspire a vast range of emotions and metaphorsin only a few lines speaks to the potency of these poems.

Does Robert Frost deserve the praise that he has received for his poetry? Why or why not?

This question is challenging because Frost's poetry has become so ingrained in American culture that it is hardto imagine the effect that it had when it was first published. Poems such as "The Road Not Taken" and"Mending Wall" have been repeated ad nauseum by high school English teachers and graduation speakers, somuch so that it is sometimes impossible to view the poems with fresh eyes. At the time of its publication, Frost'spoetry - inspired by everyday life and using a variety of poetic techniques - was unique and completelyAmerican. He created a literary canon in which the struggles and triumphs of real people were elevated to the


level of high art; even the most simplistic activity could contain a deeper metaphysical meaning. Ironically,Frost's successful creation of the rural American genre of poetry could be what makes him seem irrelevant intoday's society: the sense of American "reality" that he revealed in his poetry has become such a fundamentalpart of the American sensibilty that Frost's poetry seems almost simplistic. Although people find flaws in Frost'sstyle and choice of topic, he is still worthy of praise as America's unofficial poet laureate for having created anew approach to poetry in America.


Setting Frost to Music: Randall Thompson and"Frostiana"Since the early days of his publication, Robert Frost has been identified as a brilliant poet and teacher of whollyAmerican creation. His collections of poetic works have achieved unparalleled heights in the literary canon,while his use of untraditional forms, colloquial language, and New England sensibilities helped to construct anentirely new genre of pastoral poetry. In addition to his literary achievements, Frost also received a prominenthonor from the musical world when American composer Randall Thompson set seven of his poems to music in1959.

Born in 1899, Randall Thompson was similar to Frost in that he spent much of his childhood and adult life inNew England. After attending Harvard University in 1916, Thompson developed an avid interest in choralcomposition and worked at numerous music-related jobs. In 1927, Thompson was appointed assistant professorof music and choir director at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and, after gaining standing in the musicworld, began to teach and conduct at Harvard, Princeton, Juilliard, Curtis, the University of Virginia, andBerkeley. After receiving a commission from the League of Composers in 1935, Thompson wrote “ThePeaceable Kingdom,” which would become one of his most famous choral works and establish his reputation asa choral composer. Thompson eventually met Frost, and the two became good friends; in addition to theircommon love for New England, both men greatly respected each other’s artistic accomplishments.

In 1959, Thompson was commissioned by the town of Amherst to compose a choral work in honor of theirtwo-hundredth anniversary. Because of Amherst’s close association with Frost (as well as Thompson’sfriendship with the poet), the town decided that Thompson should set one of Frost’s poems to music for theevent. They initially selected “The Gift Outright,” Frost’s well-known patriotic piece, but Thompson disagreedwith the selection and asked for permission to select his own text from among Frost’s work. The end result,entitled “Frostiana: Seven Country Songs,” is a seven-movement choral piece based on the text of seven ofFrost’s poems: “The Road Not Taken,” “The Pasture,” “Come In,” “The Telephone,” “A Girl’s Garden,”“Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “Choose Something Like a Star.”

Because Thompson composed the work while in Switzerland, Frost heard the piece for the first time at itspremiere at the Amherst Regional High School in Amherst on October 18, 1959. Thompson conducted thepremiere and used the Bicentennial Chorus, made up of local singers, and piano accompaniment (Thompson didnot orchestrate the suite until after Frost’s death in 1965). According to some reports, Frost was so delighted bythe performance that, at the conclusion of the piece, he stood up and shouted, “Sing that again!” In fact, he wasso impressed by the composition that he banned any other composers from setting his poems to music.

Thompson made a palpable effort to match his music to Frost’s poetry, particularly in terms of the themes ofeveryday life, rural tradition, and nature that Frost highlights in his work. As a result, “Frostiana” has the same

Setting Frost to Music: Randall Thompson and "Frostiana" Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 64

appealing, colloquial elements found in Frost’s poetry but with the additional layer of musical language. Forexample, “A Girl’s Garden” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” both have folksy melodies, while“Come In” features (in orchestrated form) a flute solo that imitates the sound of a thrush.

This layering effect of musical meaning over poetic meaning is particularly clear in the final movement of thepiece, “Choose Something Like a Star.” In the opening and closing sections, the sopranos sing the text “O star”on a high D and hold the note for several measures while the rest of the choice continues with the text of thepoem. By placing the held soprano line high above the other voices, Thompson creates a musical image of thedistant star that reassures mankind.

Thompson’s compositional decisions in the piece clearly follow Frost’s example in terms of metaphoricalmeanings. As we have found in all of Frost’s texts, he attempted to instill meaning in every aspect of his poetry,from the sound of certain syllables and the meter to the rhyme scheme and specifically New England topic.Frost exhausted the possibilities for layering meaning in his poetry, particularly in such famous pieces as “TheRoad Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” yet when Thompson added the genre ofmusic to Frost’s poetry by composing “Frostiana,” he allowed for additional layers of meaning in the text: themusical metaphors of choral harmony, melodic text painting, and folk references in addition to the literarymetaphors of the “sound of sense,” meter, and rhythm.


Author of ClassicNote and SourcesCaitlin Vincent, author of ClassicNote. Completed on May 01, 2009, copyright held by GradeSaver.

Updated and revised Jordan Reid Berkow May 12, 2009. Copyright held by GradeSaver.

Robert Frost and Edward Connery Lathem. The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York City: Henry Holt andCompany, LLC, 2002.

Jay Parini. Robert Frost: A Life. New York City: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2000.

Robert Faggen. The Cambridge Companion to Robert Frost. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Lawrence Thompson. Selected Letters of Robert Frost. New York: Holt, 1964.

Nancy Lewis Tuten, John Zubizarreta. The Robert Frost Encyclopedia. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000.

"The Friends of Robert Frost." 2007-02-15. 2009-04-29. <http://www.frostfriends.org/>.

Robert S. Newdick. "Robert Frost and the Classics" in The Classical Journal, Vol. 35, No. 7 (April, 1940): pp.403-416.

Priscilla Paton. "Apologizing for Robert Frost" in South Atlantic Review, Vol. 63, No. 1 (Winter, 1998): pp.72-89.

Sheldon W. Liebman. "Robert Frost: On the Dialectics of Poetry" in American Literature, Vol. 52, No. 2 (May,1980): pp. 264-278.

Robert H. Swennes. "Man and Wife: The Dialogue of Contraries in Robert Frost's Poetry" in AmericanLiterature, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Nov., 1970): pp. 363-372.

Nina Baym. "An Approach to Robert Frost's Nature Poetry" in American Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Winter,1965): pp. 713-723.

Wolfgang Mieder, "'Good fences make good neighbors': history and significance of an ambiguous proverb" inFolklore, Vol. 114, No. 2 (August 2003): pp. 155-179.

John F. Sears, "Robert Frost and the Imagists: The Background of Frost's 'Sentence Sounds'" in The NewEngland Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 4 (December 1981): pp. 467-480.

Author of ClassicNote and Sources Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 67

http://www.frostfriends.org/

Essay: Nature Imagery in the Works of Robert Frostby Ellie RoanDecember 08, 2002

Many of Robert Frost's poems explore the splendor of the outdoors. In poems such as "A Prayer in Spring" and"To the Thawing Wind," the speakers show appreciation of nature's beauty surrounding them. However, "AServant to Servants" is a contrast to the typical Frostian nature poem. The poem's speaker, the wife of ahard-working farmer, no longer takes pleasure in her beautiful surroundings. She feels trapped in a life that, toher, seems meaningless, under appreciated by her husband and the hired hands she cooks for. She explains hermonotonous daily routine and subtly reveals her desperation. The speaker knows she is falling victim to theinsanity that runs in her family, but although she perceives what is happening, she is unable to change hersituation.

Frost wrote "A Servant to Servants" using iambic pentameter, although he varies the meter, such as in line 20,"Like a deep piece of some old running river." This, aided by his frequent use of enjambed lines, makes thepoem sound more conversational, rather than following a rigid meter. He includes colloquialisms in thewoman's speech so that the reader hears a realistic farm woman. There is no apparent rhyme scheme, alsoadding to the conversational flavor of the dramatic monologue. A rhyme in a serious poem like "A Servant toServants" would run the risk of de-emphasizing the poem's content while calling more attention to the rhyme.This is evident in "Blueberries", where Frost writes rhymed couplets throughout the poem and cannot help butcreate a lighter tone.

At the start of "A Servant to Servants," the speaker is conversing with a man who has been camping on her land.She reveals her happiness that he is there and mentions that she had meant to visit him. "I promised myself toget down some day / And see the way you lived� / With a houseful of hungry men to feed / I guess you'd find�"(3-6) Although she wanted to see how her guest was living, she is trapped by the routine of her endless cookingduties. She didn't take the initiative to visit him, which reveals that she does not see the possibility of change inher monotonous life. Even a disruption in her schedule for a quick visit was impossible.

Then the speaker explains that she no longer feels emotion and has trouble expressing herself, foreshadowingthe inevitability of her fate. "I can't express my feelings any more," she says. "It's got so I don't even know forsure / Whether I am glad, sorry, or anything." (7, 11-12) She goes on to describe the lake outside her window asan example. It's evidently a beautiful thing to look at, but she no longer enjoys it. Perhaps the lake represents thefreedom that exists in nature�a freedom the speaker cannot have in her role as an under-appreciated wife andcook. She has to "make [her]self repeat out loud / The advantages it has." (18-19) This refers back to herstatement that because she doesn't feel emotion, she has to tell herself "how I ought to feel." (14) She wants toconform to her role, but although she knows what she "should" think and what she "should" feel, she cannotthink or feel these things. The lake, just like her life, has lost its beauty.

Essay: Nature Imagery in the Works of Robert Frost Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 68

Then, she asks the man how he had heard of their land. Frost does not write the camper's responses in the poem,unlike conversational poems such as "The Generations of Men" or "The Fear." There is no need to break up thewoman's monologue with insignificant words of an outsider. "A Servant to Servants" focuses entirely on thespeaker's rambling speech to the camper, who merely provides the audience she needs. Interrupting her streamof consciousness would only disrupt the poem's flow. However, the woman repeats the man's answer, making itknown that he heard of her land in a fern book. "In a book about ferns? Listen to that! / You let things more likefeathers regulate / Your going and coming," she says, amazed at her guest's whimsical behavior. (35-7) Again,nature represents freedom. The speaker wishes that she could come and go as she pleased, living in thesimplicity of nature, but she is chained to her daily routine.

The speaker then reveals some characteristics of her husband, Len. He is an optimist, totally absorbed in hiswork, believing that their land will be worth something with time, and that his wife will "be all right / Withdoctoring." (46-7) However, just as no one appreciates the land, the speaker is likewise unappreciated. Sheknows that living such a mundane, meaningless life is slowly driving her insane, yet she accepts this. She needsa break "From cooking meals for hungry hired men / And washing dishes after them�from doing / Things overand over that just won't stay done," yet the speaker takes Len's advice that "the best way out is always through."(50-2, 56) She knows that there is no escaping her destiny. "As that I can see no way out but through� /Leastways for me�and then they'll be convinced." (58-9) She knows that she is beyond the help of doctors andtheir medicine, but Len is so caught up with his work, "from sun to sun," that he doesn't notice his wife'sdeteriorating situation.

She tells the camper about the indolent hired hands that take advantage of her absorbed husband. The womanresents that she has to continuously cook and clean up after these lazy men, "great good-for-nothings, /Sprawling about the kitchen with their talk / While I fry their bacon." (76-8) Although she works as hard as herhusband, even the hired men don't appreciate her efforts. She is a "servant to servants."

The speaker then describes the insanity that runs in her family. She had been put into the State Asylum at onepoint in her life, but feels that the state institution is better than being kept at home. It was the common beliefthat the asylum was the "poorhouse," and those who could afford it should care for mentally ill family members.She argues that at the asylum, "they have every means proper to do with, / And you aren't darkening otherpeople's lives� / Worse than no good to them." (98-100) Perhaps this is foreshadowing her own situation�shealready feels unnoticed in her work. Also, the speaker comments that "You can't know / Affection or the want ofit in that state," referring back to her remark that she no longer feels emotion. (101-2) She seems unable to avoidher progressing insanity.

The woman's uncle had been mentally ill, kept in a cage of hickory poles built by his family. Because he wouldtear up any furniture they tried to give him, "they made the place comfortable with straw, / Like a beast's stall, toease their consciences." (120-1) This physical cage may be symbolic of the speaker's own cage�her unsatisfyinglife and unbreakable routine. Though the family meant well by caring for the speaker's uncle, they reduced himto the state of an animal. This experience is probably why the woman is in favor of the State Asylum. "I've


heard too much of the old-fashioned way," she admits. Her uncle would yell at night, keeping her motherawake. "She had to lie and hear love things made dreadful / By his shouts in the night," the speaker describes.(131-2) She goes on to say that "they found a way to put a stop to it." (140) This "way" is not revealed, allowingthe reader to imagine what they could have done to quiet the caged man.

Although the uncle died before the speaker was born, the cage remained upstairs�a constant lurking presence ofmadness. The woman would joke, "It's time I took my turn upstairs in jail," again foreshadowing her owninsanity. When she finally moved away with Len, she thought the change would make her happy. However, shehad merely escaped from one unfavorable set of circumstances to the next. She had her attractive naturalsurroundings, but "the change wore out like a prescription," she states ironically. (161) The beauties of naturecouldn't mask unhappiness caused by her situation. However, she seems to accept her impending insanity,speaking in a matter-of-fact tone about such subjects. She says, "I'm past such help� / Unless Len took thenotion, which he won't, / And I won't ask him� / I s'pose I've got to go the road I'm going." (163-6)

Then, she seems to remember that the camper is listening to her soliloquy. She mentions that she wishes shecould live as he does�to "drop everything and live out on the ground." (170) She quickly changes her mind,saying that she may not like the night in the outdoors, or the rain. Although her mundane life behind kitchenwalls constrains her, she is drawn towards it. There is no escaping the inevitable. She sees herself too weak tolive as the camper does. "I haven't courage for a risk like that," she explains. She knows the only way out of herseemingly meaningless existence is to break the routine that imprisons her, but she is unable to do it. She knowsthat she is destined to insanity, yet accepts this without a battle. She even jokes about it when speaking of thehired hands, saying, "I'm not afraid of them, though, if they're not / Afraid of me." (85-6) She tells the camper,"The worst that you can do / Is set me back a little more behind. / I sha'n't catch up in this world, anyway."(182-4)

Finally, the speaker answers the question that the camper had most likely come to ask. "I'd rather you'd not gounless you must." (185) She wants to see an example of someone living freely�someone who can travel fromplace to place, based on locations he reads about in fern books. The camper is a foil to the speaker. While he iscapricious, taking what nature gives him, the woman is trapped by routine and looming insanity, unable tochange her fate. Because she has no hope for herself, she enjoys thinking about and watching this man takingpleasure in nature that she no longer finds beautiful.

A constant symbol in this poem is nature representing freedom. Like her tragic uncle, the speaker is trapped in acage�the endless job of cooking for her husband's hired men. This task will never bring her satisfaction, and yetshe has no other options. She is the wife of a farmer, with limited finances and limited opportunity. Althoughshe appreciates the idea of living in freedom like the camper, she knows that for her, this is impossible. Naturehas lost its beauty because she knows she will never be the recipient of the freedom it represents. The outdoorsused to take "[her] mind off doughnuts and soda biscuit / To step outdoors and take the water dazzle / A sunnymorning," but it no longer has this effect. She has accepted her fate as the wife of a man too absorbed in hiswork to notice her, and as an unappreciated cook for hired men, a servant to servants.


Quiz 1Fill in the blanks: "The buzz saw _____ and _____ in the yard." A. Leered; destroyed B. Growled; bounced C. Snarled; rattled D. Buzzed; hummed

1.

What is the first line of "The Gift Outright"? A. "Love has earth to which she clings..." B. "The shattered water made a misty din..." C. "The land was ours before we were tha land's." D. "Some say the world will end in fire..."

2.

What should the author have guessed was the patch of old snow in "A Patch of Old Snow"? A. A small cat B. A used kleenex C. A blow-away paper D. An old shirt

3.

In "An Old Man's Winter Night," why is the man unable to remember what brought him to theroom? A. Age B. The dark C. The lamp D. The snow

4.

In "A Patch of Old Snow," what do the speckles look like? A. Small print B. Seeds C. Insects D. Dirt

5.

How does Frost describe the trees in "The Sound of the Trees"? A. Talkative B. Angry C. Resentful D. Melancholy

6.

Quiz 1 Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 71

What is the overwhelming emotion in the poem "An Old Man's Winter Night"? A. Anger B. Fear C. Regret D. Loneliness

7.

What does the narrator say to the person who knocks in "The Lockless Door"? A. "Please don't hurt me" B. "Leave me in peace" C. "Come in" D. "Go away"

8.

Which of the following is NOT a series of alliterations that Frost uses in "An Old Man's WinterNight"? A. Brilliant, ball B. Doors, darkly C. Separate, stars D. Beating, box

9.

What does the narrator decide to do at the end of "The Sound of Trees"? A. Die B. Leave C. Love D. Stay

10.

What does the narrator do before going to the door in "The Lockless Door"? A. He grabs a knife B. He hides C. He prays D. He runs outside

11.

How many apples does the narrator leave on the bough in "After Apple-Picking"? A. Four or five B. One or two C. Two or three D. Six or seven

12.


Fill in the blanks: "Whose ______ these are I think I ______." A. Trees; know B. Woods; know C. Fields; desire D. Birds; ken

13.

In "The Gift Outright," whose were we before we were the land's? A. Hate's B. Love's C. Europe's D. England's

14.

In "The Sound of Trees," what happens when the narrator watches the trees? A. He wonders at the futility of life B. He becomes hypnotized and falls asleep C. He becomes angry at their repetitive motion D. His feet tug at the floor and his head sways to his shoulders

15.

When did Frost write: "Poetry is more often of the country than the city"? A. 1894 B. 1930 C. 1942 D. 1955

16.

Which of the following poems does NOT clearly use Frost's "sound of sense"? A. My Butterfly B. Once by the Pacific C. Mowing D. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

17.

How many times does the term "sleep" appear in the poem "After Apple-Picking"? A. One B. Three C. Seven D. Six

18.


Fill in the blanks: "Thine emulous ______ flowers are ______, too." A. Delicate; wilting B. Blue; dying C. Beautiful; living D. Fond; dead

19.

Where is Frost buried? A. Franconia, New Hampshire B. Bennington, Vermont C. Boston, Massachusetts D. San Francisco, California

20.

Which of the following was NOT a name of one of Frost's books of poetry? A. A Boy's Will B. Leaves of Grass C. North of Boston D. West-Running Brook

21.

Fill in the blanks: "The _____ water made a _____ din." A. Shattered; misty B. Ominous; transient C. Broken; foggy D. Dark; raucous

22.

In the poem "Bond and Free," what does Thought possess? A. Friends B. Joy C. Wings D. Love

23.

In "Choose Something Like a Star," what is the star as steadfast as? A. Webster's New Dictionary B. The Bible C. Keats' Eremite D. The ocean

24.


When did Frost die? A. 1940 B. 1958 C. 1963 D. 1976

25.


Quiz 1 Answer Key(C) Snarled; rattled1. (C) "The land was ours before we were tha land's."2. (C) A blow-away paper3. (A) Age4. (A) Small print5. (A) Talkative6. (D) Loneliness7. (C) "Come in"8. (A) Brilliant, ball9. (B) Leave10. (C) He prays11. (C) Two or three12. (B) Woods; know13. (D) England's14. (D) His feet tug at the floor and his head sways to his shoulders15. (B) 193016. (A) My Butterfly17. (D) Six18. (D) Fond; dead19. (B) Bennington, Vermont20. (B) Leaves of Grass21. (A) Shattered; misty22. (C) Wings23. (C) Keats' Eremite24. (C) 196325.

Quiz 1 Answer Key Copyright (C) 2009 GradeSaver LLC 76

Quiz 2Where did Frost spend most of his teenage years? A. Franconia, New Hampshire B. Lawrence, Massachusetts C. Boston, Massachusetts D. San Francisco, California

1.

What was the title of the first poem that Frost published professionally? A. Two Roads Diverged in a Wood B. Fire and Ice C. My Butterfly: An Elegy D. Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

2.

In what year did Frost receive his undergraduate diploma from Dartmouth College? A. 1892 B. 1894 C. He did not receive a diploma D. 1906

3.

Which of the following was NOT one of the jobs that Frost did to support his family? A. Delivering newspapers B. Teaching Italian C. Editing the Lawrence newspaper D. Cobbling shoes

4.

In what year did Frost sell his first professional poem to the New York Independent? A. 1892 B. 1894 C. 1901 D. 1920

5.

What was the name of Frost's wife? A. Miriam White B. Elinor White C. Irma Frost D. Isabelle Moodie

6.


How did the Atlantic Monthly describe Frost's poetry in their rejection letters? A. "pathetic poetry" B. "precious prose" C. "repetitive rhyming" D. "vigorous verse"

7.

In what year did Frost and his family move to England? A. 1892 B. 1910 C. 1912 D. 1915

8.

In "Mending Wall," what is there that does not love a wall? A. A neighbor B. God C. Something D. Nature

9.

What term does Frost use to personify the scythe in "Mowing"? A. Singing B. Working C. Standing D. Whispering

10.

Fill in the blanks: "It went many _____, but at last came a _____." A. Hours; joy B. Moments; leaf C. Days; friend D. Years; knock

11.

Which poets were particularly influential for Frost during his time in England? A. Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, and Percy Shelley B. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Amy Lowell, and E.E. Cummings C. Emily Dickinson, Robert Hayden, and Thomas Hardy D. Ezra Pound, Robert Graves, and Rubert Brooke

12.


Why did Frost come back to America in 1915? A. He was tired of England B. His wife died of smallpox C. The outbreak of World War I D. The outbreak of World War II

13.

What significant institution did Frost co-found in 1920? A. Bread Loaf School and Conference of English B. Princeton University C. Amherst College D. University of Michigan School of Poetry

14.

How many of Frost's children died before him? A. Three B. Six C. Two D. Four

15.

What personal tragedy for Frost occurred in 1938? A. Frost died of heart failure B. Frost's son died of heart failure C. Frost's daughter died of heart failure D. Frost's wife died of heart failure

16.

Who was the inspiration for "A Witness Tree"? A. Elinor White B. Ezra Pound C. Kay Morrison D. Isabelle Moodie

17.

Where did Frost teach English off-and-on for twenty-two years? A. Harvard University B. Amherst College C. Dartmouth College D. University of Michigan

18.


Which of the following awards did Frost NOT receive? A. The Nobel Prize in Literature B. The Lifetime Fellowship of the University of Michigan C. The Edward MacDowell Medal D. The Congressional Gold Medal

19.

How many of Frost's children suffered from mental breakdowns? A. Three B. Six C. Two D. Four

20.

In the poem "Birches," what does the poet like to think causes the branches to bend? A. A boy swinging on them B. The rain C. The weight of ice from an ice storm D. The wind blowing

21.

What honor did Frost receive in 1961? A. He was declared the official poet laureate of the United States B. He received the Nobel Prize in literature C. He visited the Soviet Union as part of a goodwill group D. He recited his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy

22.

Which of the following poems did Frost NOT write? A. Birches B. I Felt a Funeral in my Brain C. Fire and Ice D. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

23.

What conflict is foremost in "Mowing"? A. The conflict between imagination and practical hard work B. The conflict between work and religion C. The conflict between God and Man D. The conflict between country life and city life

24.


Fill in the blanks: "He is all _____ and I am _______. My _____ will never get across." A. Pride; defiance; hatred B. Fire; ice; fiery ice C. Loneliness; fatigue; children D. Pine; apple orchard; apple trees

25.


Quiz 2 Answer Key(B) Lawrence, Massachusetts1. (C) My Butterfly: An Elegy2. (C) He did not receive a diploma3. (B) Teaching Italian4. (B) 18945. (B) Elinor White6. (D) "vigorous verse"7. (C) 19128. (C) Something9. (D) Whispering10. (D) Years; knock11. (D) Ezra Pound, Robert Graves, and Rubert Brooke12. (C) The outbreak of World War I13. (A) Bread Loaf School and Conference of English14. (D) Four15. (D) Frost's wife died of heart failure16. (C) Kay Morrison17. (B) Amherst College18. (A) The Nobel Prize in Literature19. (A) Three20. (A) A boy swinging on them21. (D) He recited his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy22. (B) I Felt a Funeral in my Brain23. (A) The conflict between imagination and practical hard work24. (D) Pine; apple orchard; apple trees25.


Quiz 3Which of Frost's children committed suicide in 1940? A. Carol B. Marjorie C. Irma D. Robert

1.

In "Mending Wall," what quality does the narrator find in his neighbor? A. He is mischievous B. He is old-fashioned C. He is ironic D. He is modern

2.

Who has been buried in "Home Burial"? A. The wife B. The mother C. The child D. The husband

3.

Why does the narrator believe the wall is unnecessary in "Mending Wall"? A. Because there is an electric fence separating the two properties B. Because his apple trees will not eat his neighbor's pine trees C. Because he doesn't like his neighbor's property D. Because his children have grown up and left home

4.

In "Home Burial," why is the mother angry at the father? A. Because he killed their child B. Because he did not love their child C. Because he buried their child in the wrong graveyard D. Because he does not recognize the cause of her distress

5.

What is the color of the wood in "The Road Not Taken"? A. Black B. Green C. Blue D. Yellow

6.


How does the poem "Home Burial" end? A. The wife opens the door to leave B. The father begins to cry C. The father kills the wife D. The wife commits suicide

7.

In "Home Burial," what does the father want his wife to do? A. Stop looking at the grave out the window B. Share her grief with him C. Make dinner D. Forget about their dead child

8.

What is the main difference between the two roads in "The Road Not Taken"? A. One was less worn with traveling B. One was grassier than the other C. Both were about the same D. One was dark and desolate

9.

What feeling pervades the poem "The Road Not Taken"? A. Happiness B. Remorse C. Humor D. Joy

10.

What would be a more appropriate title for the poem "Birches"? A. "Birches with Swaying Branches" B. "Birch swinging" C. "Ice storms" D. "Climbing Birches"

11.

In "Fire and Ice," why does the narrator agree that the earth will end in fire? A. Because of the heat of hatred B. Because of the heat of desire C. Because of the heat of jealousy D. Because of the heat of greed

12.


Which of the following is NOT a set of contrary forces at work in "Birches"? A. Truth and imagination B. Flight and return C. Joy and sadness D. Earth and heaven

13.

What happens to the farm boy in "Out, Out"? A. He gets married B. He buys a farm C. His hand is cut off by a saw D. He dies of pneumonia

14.

In "Mowing," what does the scythe whisper about? A. The winter nights B. Idle hours C. Gold from an elf or fairy D. The truth

15.

In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," why does the narrator decide to keep going? A. Because he has personal obligations and is still a long way from home B. Because he is afraid of the dark and ominous trees C. Because his wife is going to scold him for being late D. Because the owner of the property has warned him not to linger in the area

16.

What style does Frost use to write "Birches"? A. Classical rhyme scheme B. Formal paragraphs C. Blank verse D. Strict rhythm

17.

When he uses the verb "to whisper" in reference to the scythe in "Mowing," what literarymethod is Frost employing? A. Personification B. Onomatopoeia C. Allegory D. Pathetic fallacy

18.


What element does the narrator associate with hatred in "Fire and Ice"? A. Ice B. Water C. Fire D. Wind

19.

In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," how does the horse signal his impatience? A. He looks around at the driver B. He begins to gallop C. He neighs D. He shakes the harness bells

20.

In "Out, Out," what makes the farm boy become excited? A. The prospect of eating supper B. Seeing his sister C. Working with a buzz saw D. Receiving a visit from the doctor

21.

When does "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" take place? A. The darkest night of the year B. The longest day of the year C. Christmas day D. The first day of February

22.

In "Acquainted with the Night," what does the clock in the sky proclaim? A. That the narrator is late B. That the narrator has lost his way C. That the narrator is early D. That the time is neither wrong nor right

23.

Which of the following is NOT a term that Frost uses to describe the woods in "Stopping byWoods on a Snowy Evening"? A. Deep B. Cold C. Dark D. Lovely

24.


In "Out, Out," what happens when the doctor gives the boy anesthesia? A. He cries B. He falls asleep and never wakes up C. He is unaffected D. He dreams of his hand

25.


Quiz 3 Answer Key(A) Carol1. (B) He is old-fashioned2. (C) The child3. (B) Because his apple trees will not eat his neighbor's pine trees4. (D) Because he does not recognize the cause of her distress5. (D) Yellow6. (A) The wife opens the door to leave7. (B) Share her grief with him8. (C) Both were about the same9. (B) Remorse10. (B) "Birch swinging"11. (B) Because of the heat of desire12. (C) Joy and sadness13. (C) His hand is cut off by a saw14. (D) The truth15. (A) Because he has personal obligations and is still a long way from home16. (C) Blank verse17. (A) Personification18. (A) Ice19. (D) He shakes the harness bells20. (A) The prospect of eating supper21. (A) The darkest night of the year22. (D) That the time is neither wrong nor right23. (B) Cold24. (B) He falls asleep and never wakes up25.


Quiz 4What is the irony of the poem "Acquainted with the Night"? A. Even though the narrator lives in a city, he is still completely alone B. God is never present for anyone who needs Him C. Time always stands still when someone is alone D. The narrator was once good friends with the night watchman

1.

What is the meter of "Acquainted with the Night"? A. Blank verse B. Dactylic meter C. Trochaic tetrameter D. Iambic pentameter

2.

What is the name of the hired man in "Death of the Hired Man"? A. Silas B. Robert C. Warren D. John

3.

In "Death of the Hired Man," what does Mary urge Warren to do? A. Be generous B. Be kind C. Be helpful D. Be stern

4.

How many Pulitzer Prizes did Frost win over the course of his career? A. Two B. None C. Four D. Three

5.

Why does the hired man come back to the farm to die in "Death of the Hired Man"? A. Because Mary and Warren are kind to him B. Because it is home C. Because he has no where else to go D. Because he wants to disrupt their life

6.


In "Reluctance," what do the feet question? A. Who? B. Why? C. What? D. Whither?

7.

Which imagery does Frost NOT use to create a sense of melancholy in "Reluctance"? A. Withered flowers B. Crusted snow on the ground C. A dead bird D. Dead leaves

8.

How much did Frost receive for his first published poem? A. $10 B. $15 C. $25 D. $100

9.

In "Reluctance," what does Frost associate with the transient seasons? A. Hatred B. Love C. Happiness D. Sadness

10.

How old was Frost when his father died? A. 5 B. 11 C. 15 D. 22

11.

What must people prepare for in "Once by the Pacific"? A. A giant wave B. Unhappiness C. The ocean's D. God's anger

12.


What were the titles of the first two books of poetry that Frost published? A. "A Boy's Will" and "North of Boston" B. "The Lovely Shall Be Choosers" and "The Lone Striker" C. "The Road Not Taken" and "Birches" D. "North of Boston" and "Mending Wall"

13.

Which region of the United States does Frost describe in much of his poetry? A. Pacific Northwest B. East Coast C. Midwest D. New England

14.

What famous Shakespeare play does Frost quote in the last line of "Once by the Pacific"? A. King Lear B. Hamlet C. Romeo and Juliet D. Othello

15.

In "Once by the Pacific," what doe the ocean waves think of doing? A. Something that has never been done to land before B. Drowning the sand C. Overwhelming all of humanity D. Fading into obscurity

16.

Fill in the blanks: "From what I've tasted of _____, I hold with those who favor _____." A. Desire; fire B. Happiness; love C. Passion; hate D. Loss; death

17.

To what does Love cling in "Bond and Free"? A. The ocean B. The earth C. The sky D. The wind

18.


In "After Apple-Picking," the narrator compares the oncoming winter to what? A. Loneliness B. Loss C. Happiness D. Mortality

19.

What subject is Frost most famous for writing about? A. Sex B. The natural world C. Love D. Urban life

20.

What did "The Independent" send to Frost after agreeing to publish his first poem? A. A copy of Lanier's "Science of English Verse" B. A check for $100 C. A contract to work for them D. A copy of Webster's New Dictionary

21.

What does the narrator want the star to "talk" in "Choose Something Like a Star"? A. Fahrenheit and Centigrade B. Music and Words C. Love and Hate D. French and German

22.

What poetic belief system did Frost use in his poetry? A. The sound of sense B. Iambic meter C. Rhyming D. The sound of syllables

23.

Which of the following poems was NOT inspired by his time in the rural environment of NewEngland A. Mending Wall B. Mowing C. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening D. Choose Something Like a Star

24.


Why does the narrator select this particular star in "Choose Something Like a Star"? A. Because it is the smallest one in sight B. Because it is the brightest one in sight C. Because it is the fairest one in sight D. Because it is the largest one in sight

25.


Quiz 4 Answer Key(A) Even though the narrator lives in a city, he is still completely alone1. (D) Iambic pentameter2. (A) Silas3. (B) Be kind4. (C) Four5. (B) Because it is home6. (D) Whither?7. (C) A dead bird8. (B) $159. (B) Love10. (B) 1111. (C) The ocean's12. (A) "A Boy's Will" and "North of Boston"13. (D) New England14. (D) Othello15. (A) Something that has never been done to land before16. (A) Desire; fire17. (B) The earth18. (D) Mortality19. (B) The natural world20. (A) A copy of Lanier's "Science of English Verse"21. (A) Fahrenheit and Centigrade22. (A) The sound of sense23. (D) Choose Something Like a Star24. (C) Because it is the fairest one in sight25.


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