ClassicNote on The Poetry of Robert Frost
Table of Contents
Biography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963)..............................................................................................................1
About The Poetry of Robert Frost........................................................................................................................3
Character List.........................................................................................................................................................5
Narrator......................................................................................................................................................5
The Neighbor ("Mending Wall")...............................................................................................................5
Mary ("The Death of the Hired Man")......................................................................................................5
Warren ("The Death of the Hired Man")...................................................................................................5
Silas ("The Death of the Hired Man").......................................................................................................6
Harold Wilson (The Death of the Hired Man").........................................................................................6
The Wife/Mother ("Home Burial")............................................................................................................6
The Husband/Father ("Home Burial").......................................................................................................6
The Old Man ("An Old Man's Winter Night")..........................................................................................7
The Boy ("Out, Out--")..............................................................................................................................7
The Sister ("Out, Out--")............................................................................................................................7
The Doctor ("Out, Out--")..........................................................................................................................7
Major Themes.........................................................................................................................................................8
Nature.........................................................................................................................................................8
Communication..........................................................................................................................................8
Everyday Life.............................................................................................................................................8
Isolation of the Individual..........................................................................................................................9
Duty...........................................................................................................................................................9
Rationality versus Imagination..................................................................................................................9
Rural Life versus Urban Life...................................................................................................................10
Glossary of Terms................................................................................................................................................11
abode........................................................................................................................................................11
airy...........................................................................................................................................................11
alter..........................................................................................................................................................11
aster..........................................................................................................................................................11
beholden...................................................................................................................................................11
bracken.....................................................................................................................................................11
clasp.........................................................................................................................................................11
coax..........................................................................................................................................................11
consign.....................................................................................................................................................12
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Table of Contents
Glossary of Terms
conspiracy................................................................................................................................................12
copse........................................................................................................................................................12
daft...........................................................................................................................................................12
dalliance...................................................................................................................................................12
dappled.....................................................................................................................................................12
daunting...................................................................................................................................................12
din............................................................................................................................................................12
distraught.................................................................................................................................................12
diverged....................................................................................................................................................13
emulous....................................................................................................................................................13
enamel......................................................................................................................................................13
ether..........................................................................................................................................................13
fay............................................................................................................................................................13
feeble........................................................................................................................................................13
fixity.........................................................................................................................................................13
foot...........................................................................................................................................................13
harbor.......................................................................................................................................................13
idle...........................................................................................................................................................14
inconsolable.............................................................................................................................................14
kin............................................................................................................................................................14
languor.....................................................................................................................................................14
linger........................................................................................................................................................14
loftiness....................................................................................................................................................14
mar...........................................................................................................................................................14
obscure.....................................................................................................................................................14
orchis........................................................................................................................................................14
perish........................................................................................................................................................15
pique.........................................................................................................................................................15
precipitate.................................................................................................................................................15
queer.........................................................................................................................................................15
ravel..........................................................................................................................................................15
reckless.....................................................................................................................................................15
rife............................................................................................................................................................15
rueful........................................................................................................................................................15
scythe.......................................................................................................................................................15
shroud.......................................................................................................................................................16
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Table of Contents
Glossary of Terms
sidelong....................................................................................................................................................16
snarl..........................................................................................................................................................16
spade........................................................................................................................................................16
staid..........................................................................................................................................................16
subdue......................................................................................................................................................16
suffice.......................................................................................................................................................16
swale........................................................................................................................................................16
taciturn.....................................................................................................................................................16
taut...........................................................................................................................................................17
undergrowth.............................................................................................................................................17
verily........................................................................................................................................................17
wages........................................................................................................................................................17
wend.........................................................................................................................................................17
whippoorwill............................................................................................................................................17
whither.....................................................................................................................................................17
wist...........................................................................................................................................................17
witch hazel...............................................................................................................................................17
wither.......................................................................................................................................................18
zephyr.......................................................................................................................................................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 Contents
Summary 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 Contents
Author 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 and
zealous Democrat, and Isabelle Moodie, a Scottish schoolteacher. A descendant of early British colonist
Nicholas 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 family
was left with only $8 to support themselves. Isabelle Moodie and the eleven-year-old Robert were forced to
move 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 his
first 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 only
studied at Dartmouth for a few months before returning home to work at a variety of jobs, including delivering
newspapers, 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 poems
privately printed. Encouraged by this success, Frost proposed marriage to Elinor Miriam White, a former
schoolmate who was studying at St. Lawrence University. White asked to postpone the wedding until she had
finished college, and Frost acquiesced, deciding to study liberal arts at Harvard University while he waited for
her 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 his
growing family. Frost’s grandfather had given the couple a small farm in New Hampshire as a wedding present
before his death, and Frost and White promptly relocated. For the next nine years, Frost would write poetry in
the early morning hours and then work on the farm for the rest of the day; it was during this period that he wrote
many of his most famous poems.
Unfortunately, despite the couple’s best efforts, the farm failed. Desperate for another means of financial
support, Frost worked as an English teacher at Pinkerton Academy and the New Hampshire Normal School
from 1906-1912. Frost continued to write poetry but struggled to find success; his repeated applications to The
Atlantic Monthly were rejected with the declaration: “We regret that the Atlantic Monthly has no place for your
vigorous verse.”
In 1912, Frost sold the farm and moved to England with his wife and four small children. While abroad, Frost
became exposed to prominent literary circles and began making the acquaintance of significant poets such as
Edward Thomas, Rubert Brooke, Robert Graves, and Ezra Pound. He published his first full book of poetry, A
Biography of Frost, Robert (1874-1963)
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Boy’s Will, in 1913, and followed it soon after with North of Boston, in 1914. North of Boston, which made
Frost’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 near
Franconia, New Hampshire. His newfound success as a poet allowed him to embark on a lucrative career of
writing, teaching, and lecturing. He was made a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1916
and, later that year, published his third book of poetry, Mountain Interval, which included “The Road Not
Taken” and “Birches.” In 1916, Frost also began to lecture and teach English at Amherst College, a position that
he 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 School
and Conference of English, where he would spend nearly every summer teaching until 1963. The following
year, 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 son
Carol, 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 the
United States. Among his many awards and honors, Frost received tributes from the American Academy of
Poets (1953) and New York University (1956), and four Pulitzer Prizes, as well as the Congressional Gold
Medal (1962) and the Edward MacDowell Medal (1962). In additional, he was an honored guest at the
inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and was invited to travel to the Soviet Union as a member of
a goodwill group in 1962.
Despite his ultimate literary success, Frost’s personal life was plagued with depression and tragedy. Of his six
children, Frost outlived all but two. Moreover, three of his children suffered serious mental breakdowns (one of
his daughters was eventually committed to a mental institution). Frost’s own depression constantly filled him
with self-doubt about his skill as a poet, and he became obsessed with a desire to be awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature 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)
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About The Poetry of Robert Frost
As a poet, Robert Frost was greatly influenced by the emotions and events of everyday life. Within a seemingly
banal event from a normal day—watching the ice weigh down the branches of a birch tree, mending the stones
of a wall, mowing a field of hay—Frost discerned a deeper meaning, a metaphysical expression of a larger
theme 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 most
famous poems (such as “Mending Wall” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”) are inspired by the
natural world, particularly his time spent as a poultry farmer in New Hampshire. Ironically, until his adulthood
in New England, Frost was primarily a “city boy” who spent nearly all of his time in an urban environment. It is
possibly because of his late introduction to the rural side of New England that Frost became so intrigued by the
natural world.
After the publication of his Collected Poems in 1930, Frost clarified his interest in the pastoral world as a
subject 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 for
the person that writes and then going out into its social appeal and use.” Yet Frost does not limit himself to
expressing the pastoral only in terms of beauty and peace, as in a traditional sense. Instead, he also chooses to
emphasize the harsh conflicts of the natural world: the clash between urban and rural lifestyles, the unfettered
emotions and struggles inherent in rural life, even the sense of loss and simultaneous growth that accompanies
the changing of the seasons.
Frost’s poetry is also significant because of the amount of autobiographical material that it contains. Frost was
not a happy man; he suffered from serious bouts of depression and anxiety throughout his life and was never
convinced 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 and
his 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 his
straightforward verse style. Although he worked within some traditional poetic forms (usually iambic meter), he
was also flexible and changed the requirements of the form if it conflicted with the expression of a particular
line. Yet, even as he was willing to utilize the basic conventions of some poetic forms, Frost refused to sacrifice
the 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 overall
work as the actual words. Therefore, in poems such as “Mowing” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening,” Frost’s use of particular words and rhythmic structure creates an aural sense of the mood and subject
of the piece even as the words outline the narrative.
About The Poetry of Robert Frost
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Frost’s use of “the sound of sense” is most successful because of the general clarity and even colloquial nature
of 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 and
simplicity that has made Frost’s poetry so appealing to so many readers for decades. Because of the clarity of
the sounds in his work, both in terms of the narrative and in terms of “the sound of sense,” the readers are able
to comprehend the basic emotion of a poem almost instantly and then explore the deeper, more metaphysical
meanings behind each simple line.
During his beginnings as a poet, Frost was often criticized for using such a colloquial tone in his poetry. When
his first poem was published in The Independent in 1894, the acceptance was accompanied by a copy of
Lanier’s “Science of English Verse,” a not so subtle suggestion that Frost needed to work on mastering a more
traditional tone and meter. Even after his success as a poetic was assured, Frost was still censured by some for
writing 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 the
colloquial language of an uneducated farm boy, but rather in “a beautifully refined and charged colloquial
language.” In other words, Frost’s ability to express such a depth of feeling in each of his poems through the
medium of colloquial speech reveals a far greater grasp of the human language than many of his critics would
admit. It is because of the clarity of his poetry that his poems are beloved and studied in high schools throughout
the 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.
About The Poetry of Robert Frost
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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 the
narrator in each of these poems is not necessarily the same, there are always aspects that relate to Frost's own
voice. Many of the poems have autobiographical elements (for example: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening," "Acquainted with the Night," "Mending Wall," and "The Lockless Door"), which automatically create
a sense of Frost's personality. The common themes of depression, isolation, and melancholy, relating directly to
Frost'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 ironic
commentary on the overall meaning of the poem. For example, in "The Road Not Taken," the first three stanzas
can be seen as directly linked to Frost's own voice, but the final stanza (in which Frost ironically mocks the
narrator's sudden nostalgia for the past) has Frost swiftly pulling out of the poem's character in order to highlight
his 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 of
maintaining the property line simply for the sake of tradition. Whenever the narrator asks him to justify his
habit, the neighbor says only: "Good fences make good neighbors." Over the course of the poem, it becomes
clear that the neighbor is not an unreasonable traditionalist, but is actually wise in his repeated adage and is an
inspiration 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 understands
that Silas did not fulfill his obligation to the farm, Mary still wants to help him and suspects that he returned to
the 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 to
prove himself as a farmhand, but each time was disappointed by Silas' unreliability. When Silas returns to the
Character List
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farm, Warren does not feel that he has any obligation to the former farmhand because Silas did not uphold his
end 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 long
period of absence, Silas returns to the farm and asks Mary and Warren to let him work for them again. In
actuality, Silas is returning to the farm to die. Although it is suggested that he has a wealthy brother, Frost
makes it clear that Silas prefers to have his last moments with Mary and Warren because of their kindness and
compassion. Because Silas dies by the last line of the poem, it seems likely that he knew that he would be too
sick to work at the farm. Yet, out of pride (or perhaps embarrassment), Silas does not beg Warren and Mary for
a 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 and
was immediately at odds with him because of his interest in education. Although Harold studied Latin and
music and ultimately went to college, Silas maintained that all of his education was worthless because Harold
could 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 about
their loss. She is particularly resentful of him for not appearing to understand why she cannot yet move on with
her life. Although her husband begs her to stay and communicate with him, the wife is unable to see past her
grief 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 soon
becomes clear that he simply expresses his grief in a different way. While his wife mourns outwardly, gazing
endlessly at the child's grave, the husband uses physical labor (specifically, the act of digging a grave) as a way
to mourn. The husband has a difficult time communicating with his wife, but he does attempt to make an effort
to save their marriage by empathizing with her.
Warren ("The Death of the Hired Man")
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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 former
happiness, 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 in
the house. He is alone, but he is nevertheless unwilling to give up his claim on the present and thus becomes a
model 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 saw
and eventually bleeds to death. Even though he is mature enough to realize that his hand must be amputated, the
boy still hopes to be intact as he dies. Frost presents the conflict between the boy's childhood and his adult
responsibilities in terms of World War I and the fields of Europe where many young boys were already losing
their 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 hand
with the buzz saw. The boy urges his sister not to let the doctor amputate his hand, but, as the boy knows, the
sister is powerless. The character of the sister is particularly significant as a feminine foil to the boy, a child who
is 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 has
to amputate the boy's hand. After he places him under anesthesia, the boy dies.
The Old Man ("An Old Man's Winter Night")
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Major Themes
Nature
Frost places a great deal of importance on Nature in all of his collections. Because of the time he spent in New
England, 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, he
focuses on the dramatic struggles that occur within the natural world, such as the conflict of the changing of
seasons (as in "After Apple-Picking") and the destructive side of nature (as in "Once by the Pacific"). Frost also
presents the natural world as one that inspires deep metaphysical thought in the individuals who are exposed to
it (as in "Birches" and "The Sound of Trees"). For Frost, Nature is not simply a background for poetry, but
rather 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 presents
it as the only possible escape from isolation and despair. Unfortunately, Frost also makes it clear that
communication is extremely difficult to achieve. For example, in "Home Burial," Frost describes two terrible
events: the death of a child and the destruction of a marriage. The death of the child is tragic, but inability of the
husband and wife to communicate with each other and express their grief about the loss is what ultimately
destroys 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 similar
theme in "Acquainted with the Night," in which the narrator is unable to pull himself out of his depression
because he cannot bring himself even to make eye contact with those around him. In each of these cases, the
reader 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, the
characters 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 be
explored by a poetic mind. For example, in the poem "Mowing," the simple act of mowing hay with a scythe is
transformed into a discussion of the value of hard work and the traditions of the New England countryside. As
Frost argues in the poem, by focusing on "reality," the real actions of real people, a poet can sift through the
unnecessary elements of fantasy and discover "Truth." Moreover, Frost believes that the emphasis on everyday
life allows him to communicate with his readers more clearly; they can empathize with the struggles and
emotions that are expressed in his poems and come to a greater understanding of "Truth" themselves.
Major Themes
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Isolation of the Individual
This theme is closely related to the theme of communication. The majority of the characters in Frost's poems are
isolated in one way or another. Even the characters who show no sign of depression or loneliness, such as the
narrators 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. For
example, in "The Lockless Door," the narrator has remained in a "cage" of isolation for so many years that he is
too terrified to answer the door when he hears a knock. This heightened isolation keeps the character from
fulfilling his potential as an individual and ultimately makes him a prisoner of his own making. Yet, as Frost
suggests, this isolation can be avoided by interactions with other members of society; if the character in "The
Lockless Door" could have brought himself to open the door and face an invasion of his isolation, he could have
achieved 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 Frost
employs it as one of the primary themes of his poetry. Frost describes conflicts between desire and duty as if the
two must always be mutually exclusive; in order to support his family, a farmer must acknowledge his
responsibilities rather than indulge in his personal desires. This conflict is particularly clear in "Stopping by
Woods on a Snowy Evening," when the narrator expresses his wish to stay in the woods and watch the snow
continue to fall. However, he is unable to deny his obligation to his family and his community; he cannot remain
in the woods because of his "promises to keep," and so he continues on his way. Similarly, in "The Sound of
Tree," Frost describes a character who wants to follow the advice of the trees and make the "reckless" decision
to leave his community. At the end of the poem, the character does not choose to leave (yet) because his sense
of 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 poetry
are forced to choose between rationality and imagination; the two cannot exist simultaneously. The adults in
Frost's poetry generally maintain their rationality as a burden of duty, but there are certain cases when the hint
of imagination is almost too seductive to bear. For example, in "Birches," the narrator wishes that he could
climb a birch tree as he did in his childhood and leave the rational world behind, if only for a moment. This
ability 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 of
responsibility. As a result of this conflict, Frost makes the poem "Out, Out--" even more tragic, describing a
young boy who is forced to leave his childhood behind to work at a man's job and ultimately dies in the process.
Isolation of the Individual
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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 England
exposed him to a particular way of life that seemed less complicated and yet more meaningful than the life of a
city dweller. The farmers whom Frost describes in his poetry have a unique perspective on the world as well as
a certain sense of honor and duty in terms of their work and their community. Frost is not averse to examining
urban life in his poetry; in "Acquainted with the Night," the narrator is described as being someone who lives in
a large city. However, Frost has more opportunities to find metaphysical meaning in everyday tasks and explore
the relationship between mankind and nature through the glimpses of rural life and farming communities that he
expresses in his poetry. Urban life is "real," but it lacks the quality and clarity of life that is so fascinating to
Frost in his work.
Rural Life versus Urban Life
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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
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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
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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
diverged
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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
idle
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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
perish
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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
shroud
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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
taut
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wither
to shrivel up
zephyr
a light Spring breeze
wither
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Short Summary
This ClassicNote on Robert Frost focuses on seven collections of poetry: “A Boy’s Will” (1913), “North of
Boston” (1914), “Mountain Interval” (1916), “New Hampshire” (1923), “West-Running Brook” (1928), “A
Witness Tree” (1942), and “Come In and Other Poems” (1943). Twenty poems, some more well known than
others, have been selected from among these collections of poetry in an effort to provide a broad spectrum of
Frost’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 more
like short stories than poems, and others speak to his sharp sense of irony and literary brilliance. Throughout all
of these selections, however, there is a shared focus on the deeper meaning of everyday activities, the rural
setting 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,” which
reads: “‘A boy’s will’ is the wind’s will / And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.” The majority of
the poems in the collection have a pastoral quality and, though he is vague in terms of location, Frost clearly
demonstrates a growing attachment to New England. The poem “Mowing,” for example, which describes a
whispered conversation between a farmer and his hard-working scythe, is clearly colored by thoughts of a New
England harvest. As “Reluctance” reveals, Frost also begins to explore ideas of development and maturity—the
journey 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 vague
in terms of location, Frost suddenly positions New England as the overt inspiration for his poetry, even
incorporating it into the title. The poems “Mending Wall” and “Home Burial” have autobiographical elements
that suggest a certain amount of homesickness. “Mending Wall,” about two neighbors who meet every year to
repair the wall dividing their property, is taken from an annual activity that Frost performed with his
French-Canadian neighbor in New Hampshire. The poem “Home Burial” describes the destruction of a marriage
after 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 rural
environment.
After his return from England with his family, Frost published the collection “Mountain Interval,” which
cemented 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 “The
Sound 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 and
responsibility is also expressed in “The Sound of Trees,” in which the narrator sees the constant swaying of the
trees outside his house as a need to escape the “roots” of responsibility and considers taking the same action
himself.
In “A Patch of Old Snow” and “An Old Man’s Winter Night,” Frost discusses the darker topics of isolation and
oblivion, 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 old
newspaper. Following this trend of existential thinking, he uses “Bond and Free” as a discussion of larger
questions regarding the conflict between Love and Thought. Frost creates one of his most compelling scenes of
life and death in “Out, Out—,” in which an accident with a buzz saw leads to the tragic death of a young boy
and hints at the unthinkable horrors occurring in the battlefields of World War I. The final selection from this
group of poems is “The Road Not Taken,” a description of a man’s choice between two paths in a yellow wood
and arguably the most famous of Frost’s poems.
The 1923 collection “New Hampshire” contains the poems “Fire and Ice,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening,” and “The Lockless Door.” The piece “Fire and Ice” is a brilliant example of Frost’s skill with form
and line structure; in only nine lines, he outlines the central debate about the fate of the world and then
undercuts it with an ironic quip. The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” another of his most
famous works, combines an autobiographical experience with discussion of the conflict between desire and
responsibility in a classic New England setting. “The Lockless Door,” also based on an actual event, revisits the
theme 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 with
the Night,” both of which show a preoccupation with the themes of isolation and depression. “Once by the
Pacific,” about the destructive threat posed by the ocean, was inspired by a traumatic childhood experience in
which Frost was accidentally left alone on a California beach as a storm approached the shore. The incident
haunted Frost throughout his life, as did the fear of abandonment and complete isolation in the face of
unspeakable danger. The poem “Acquainted with the Night” takes a more passive perspective on isolation by
describing an individual’s struggle with depression.
The collection “A Witness Tree” was published after several unfortunate tragedies had occurred in Frost’s
personal life: his daughter Marjorie died of complications from childbirth in 1934, his beloved wife died of
heart failure in 1938, and his son Carol committed suicide in 1940. Despite these losses, Frost continued to work
on his poetry and eventually fell in love with his secretary Kay Morrison, who became the primary inspiration
of the love poems in “A Witness Tree.” This collection is the last of Frost’s books that demonstrates the
seamless lyric quality of his earlier poems. This collection contains “The Gift Outright,” which describes the
quest for an American identity through a connection to the land. This poem emphasizes the traditional New
England view of property and identity (also explored in “Mending Wall”), and was recited at the presidential
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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 some
works). This poem revisits Frost’s satirical side through its blended interpretation of science and religion and the
human 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 from
different times in his life provide a glimpse into his development as an artist. Each poem should be read with the
understanding that Frost instilled meaning into even the most basic aspects of a work, from the number of feet
in a line to the specific sound of a syllable. As a result, the poems have endless possibilities in terms of meaning
and interpretation and should be seen as an opportunity for the mind to revel in exploration.
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Quotes and Analysis
Two 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 three
stanzas of the poem, the narrator states that the two paths are fundamentally identical in every way. He chose
one path and contemplated returning one day to try the other path, but did not agonize over the decision. In the
fourth stanza, however, when the narrator is an old man, he changes the truth of what happened and describes
his path as the one "less traveled by." This shift in the truth allows the old man to justify many of his life
choices 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, hard
work. 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 human
imagination 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 he
knows: 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 the
adage three times over the course of the poem and, though the narrator is initially skeptical of his neighbor's
appreciation 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 necessary
in 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 in
their ownership of the land. Even on a more basic level, the act of mending the wall allows the neighbors to
develop 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 narrator
wishes to continue watching the snow fall in the woods, but he is not able to ignore his responsibilities. The
repeated "And miles to go before I sleep" can be read as a forced reminder that the narrator has obligations to
fulfill, almost as if he would not be able to force himself to leave the woods without repeating the mantra. The
final line could also be read as the narrator slowly falling asleep, aware of his responsibilities at home but
unable 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 strict
dichotomy between the elements while also revealing that this is not an expression of an individual opinion, but
rather a universal understanding. The world must end in one of these two contradictory ways - or at least that is
what the reader is expected to believe. In the next line, however, the narrator undercuts this conclusion by
introducing his own opinion and acknowledging that the world could easily end both ways; thus, fire and ice
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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 his
surroundings is able to pull him out of his depression: neither walking in bad weather nor walking in good
weather, neither walking around the city nor walking beyond its limits. No matter what he does, the narrator
remains a lonely, isolated "I." Significantly, even the narrator's relationship with the night is a detached one; the
night 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 ideas
about swinging on birches. The act of swinging on a birch conveys a certain childlike innocence, but also
allows 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 of
imagination 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"
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This quotation is spoken by Mary in reference to Silas, the hired man. Warren does not understand why Silas
would come back to their farm in order to die, and Mary expresses the extent of Silas' isolation. Even though he
cares for the people around him, he remains detached: he has no past but the humiliating memory of his broken
contracts, and no family to give him a sense of hope for the future. In the end, Silas feels comforted by Mary
and 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 inconsolable
in her grief at the death of her child and cannot understand that her husband chooses to manifest his grief in a
different way. This cynical passage demonstrates the extent of her resentment towards her husband, as well as
her 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--"
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This quotation appears at the end of "Out, Out--" after the young boy has died from loss of blood. With the
boy's death, the narrator suddenly becomes concise and straightforward in his writing style, simply
acknowledging that he has nothing else to say on the topic: "No more to build on there." This detachment does
not mean that the narrator or the other people in scene are apathetic about the boy's tragic death; they simply
realize that they can do nothing to bring the boy back. Horrific deaths were a common occurrence in rural New
England, just as they soon would be on the battlefields of World War I. All must internalize their grief and
attempt to move forward with their lives.
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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 sound
is simply his imagination or even the result of heatstroke. He eventually concludes that the scythe is expressing
its 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 labor
in the field, not from transient dreams or irrational hopes. As the poem ends, the narrator ceases his own
unimportant 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 include
the standard fourteen lines. Instead of using the strict Petrarchan rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDECDE) or the
Shakespearean rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG), Frost creates an amalgamation of both: ABC ABD
ECD FEG FG.
This poem is one of the first in which Frost utilizes his “sound of sense” technique. Within this technique, the
poet employs specific sounds and syllables in order to construct an aural feeling of the subject and narrative
intention. In this case, both the repeated use of the term “whisper” and the swaying motion of the meter in
certain lines (such as “Perhaps it was something…/ Something perhaps) provide a visceral sense of the scythe
moving 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 a
companion and working colleague for the narrator rather than an inanimate farming tool. With that in mind, the
scythe and its philosophical view on work could actually be seen as a reflection of the narrator’s own beliefs, or
rather a belief that the farmer hopes to have as he continues to work on his farm. The circular nature of the poem
supports this claim: by the end of the poem, the narrator has stopped attempting to analyze the scythe’s
whispering 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 (and
often criticized) for writing poetry about everyday life on the farms of New England - a topic that did not
always seem appropriate for the high art of poetry. Yet, as Frost points out in “Mowing,” truth and fact are far
more significant than imaginative fancies of gold and elves. In other words, his emphasis on reality — the lives
and struggles of real people — makes his poetry sweeter and more effective than any traditional sonnet that
narrates fairytale lands.
Summary and Analysis of "Mowing" (1913)
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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 path
back 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, and
despairingly considers leaving again. However, he refuses to accept the end of the season without fighting for it
and 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 and
return that is introduced in the first poem of the book, “Into My Own.” In this first poem, the narrator expresses
his determination to turn his back on his own and travel the world in a quest for self-discovery. The narrator
declares, “I do not see why I should e’er turn back, / Or those should not set forth upon my track / To overtake
me…”
In “Reluctance,” the narrator’s travels have finally led him back home, but he is dismayed to find nothing left
for him but the dead leaves of the winter season. Still, he is unwilling to accept such an ending to his adventures
and refuses to “yield” or “go with the drift of things” simply because the season proclaims it to be so. His
travels may be finished and the season may be ending, but that does not mean that he has to accept the turn of
events without anger or emotion.
This poem also has an additional meaning that stems directly from an autobiographical event in Frost’s life. He
wrote this poem while he was living with his mother and sister in Lawrence, Massachusetts, before he had
convinced his future wife, Elinor, to marry him. After he was firmly rejected by her during a visit to her school
in New York, Frost contemplated committing suicide and becoming a part of the “last lone aster” and “dead
leaves.” However, Frost eventually found courage and decided not to go “with the drift of things” and accept
Elinor’s rejection. Such an admittance of failure would have been “treason” to his heart and his love.
Summary and Analysis of "Reluctance" (1913)
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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 of
this tradition, unable to understand the need for a wall when there is no livestock to be contained on the
property, 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 is
crucial to maintaining their relationship, asserting, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Over the course of the
mending, the narrator attempts to convince his neighbor otherwise and accuses him of being old-fashioned for
maintaining 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 his
return from England in 1915. While living in England with his family, Frost was exceptionally homesick for the
farm in New Hampshire where he had lived with his wife from 1900 to 1909. Despite the eventual failure of the
farm, Frost associated his time in New Hampshire with a peaceful, rural sensibility that he instilled in the
majority of his subsequent poems. “Mending Wall” is autobiographical on an even more specific level: a
French-Canadian named Napoleon Guay had been Frost’s neighbor in New Hampshire, and the two had often
walked along their property line and repaired the wall that separated their land. Ironically, the most famous line
of the poem (“Good fences make good neighbors”) was not invented by Frost himself, but was rather a phrase
that Guay frequently declared to Frost during their walks. This particular adage was a popular colonial proverb
in the middle of the 17th century, but variations of it also appeared in Norway (“There must be a fence between
good neighbors”), Germany (“Between neighbor’s gardens a fence is good”), Japan (“Build a fence even
between 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-person
narrative. Frost does maintain iambic stresses, but he is flexible with the form in order to maintain the
conversational feel of the poem. He also shies away from any obvious rhyme patterns and instead relies upon
the 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 a
person a good neighbor. The narrator deplores his neighbor’s preoccupation with repairing the wall; he views it
as old-fashioned and even archaic. After all, he quips, his apples are not going to invade the property of his
neighbor’s pinecones. Moreover, within a land of such of such freedom and discovery, the narrator asks, are
such borders necessary to maintain relationships between people? Despite the narrator’s skeptical view of the
wall, the neighbor maintains his seemingly “old-fashioned” mentality, responding to each of the narrator’s
Summary and Analysis of "Mending Wall" (1914)
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disgruntled questions and rationalizations with nothing more than the adage: “Good fences make good
neighbors.”
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 the
gaps and replace the fallen boulders, only to have parts of the wall fall over again in the coming months. It
seems as if nature is attempting to destroy the barriers that man has created on the land, even as man continues
to 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 that
the narrator is actually more active than the neighbor. It is the narrator who selects the day for mending and
informs his neighbor across the property. Moreover, the narrator himself walks along the wall at other points
during 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 his
skeptical questions and quips can then be read as an attempt to justify his own behavior to himself. While he
chooses to present himself as a modern man, far beyond old-fashioned traditions, the narrator is really no
different from his neighbor: he too clings to the concept of property and division, of ownership and
individuality.
Ultimately, the presence of the wall between the properties does ensure a quality relationship between the two
neighbors. By maintaining the division between the properties, the narrator and his neighbor are able to
maintain 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 and
communicate with each other, an event that might not otherwise occur in an isolated rural environment. The act
of meeting to repair the wall allows the two men to develop their relationship and the overall community far
more than if each maintained their isolation on separate properties.
Summary and Analysis of "Mending Wall" (1914)
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Summary and Analysis of "The Death of the Hired
Man" (1914)
A farm wife, Mary pleads with her husband, Warren, to take back a former farmhand who has always
disappointed 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 when
Warren goes to get Silas, he is already dead.
Analysis
This poem contains many of the stereotypical characteristics of Frost’s poetry, particularly the rural
environment, the everyday struggle of the farm couple over their relationship to the farmhand, and the
colloquial dialogue. The blank verse form makes the text extremely clear, and Frost even breaks up the stanzas
by 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 fulfilled
his duty to the family and to the community. Silas’ return to the farm also signals the importance of the work
that he performed on the farm as a way to give his life meaning and satisfaction. Silas does not have any
children or close family to provide a sense of fulfillment in his last hours; only the sense of duty and the
satisfaction 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 he
views as family more than any others, he ultimately dies alone. Moreover, he dies without ever fulfilling his
contract to ditch the meadow and clear the upper pasture. For all his attempts to fulfill his duty, achieve
satisfaction through hard work, and find a sense of family, Silas’ efforts are unsuccessful. Even the way in
which 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 compassionate
willingness to help Silas and Warren’s feelings of resentment over the broken contract. Mary follows the model
of 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 him
huddled against the barn and instantly recognizes the extent of his illness. As a result, she is automatically more
willing to be compassionate toward him. Having not seen Silas in his current state, Warren takes the more
rational view of the situation. Had Warren found Silas first, his treatment of the former farmhand would no
Summary and Analysis of "The Death of the Hired Man" (1914)
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doubt have been more compassionate.
Summary and Analysis of "The Death of the Hired Man" (1914)
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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 has
recently died. As the poem opens, the wife is standing at the top of a staircase looking at her child’s grave
through the window. Her husband, at the bottom of the stairs, does not understand what she is looking at or why
she has suddenly become so distressed. The wife resents her husband’s obliviousness and attempts to leave the
house. The husband begs her to stay and talk to him about her grief; he does not understand why she is angry
with him for manifesting his grief in a different way. Inconsolable, the wife lashes out at him, convinced of his
apathy toward their dead child. The husband mildly accepts her anger, but the rift between them remains. She
leaves 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 strict
rhythmic schemes. Frost generally uses five stressed syllables in each line and divides stanzas in terms of lines
of speech.
The poem describes two tragedies: first, the death of a young child, and second, the death of a marriage. As
such, the title “Home Burial,” can be read as a tragic double entendre. Although the death of the child is the
catalyst of the couple’s problems, the larger conflict that destroys the marriage is the couple’s inability to
communicate with one another. Both characters feel grief at the loss of the child, but neither is able to
understand 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 up
the relationship between the characters. The wife stands at the top of the stairs, directly in front of the window
overlooking the graveyard, while the husband stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. While the
couple shares the tragedy of their child’s death, they are in conflicting positions in terms of dealing with their
grief.
With her position closest to the window, the wife is clearly still struggling with her grief over the loss of her
baby. Incapable of moving on at this point in her life, the wife defines her identity in terms of the loss and
would rather grieve for the rest of her life than grieve as a sort of pretense. The husband has dealt with his
sorrow more successfully, as evidenced by his position at the bottom of the staircase, close to the door and the
outside world. As a farmer, the husband is more accepting of the natural cycle of life and death in general, but
also chooses to grieve in a more physical manner: by digging the grave for his child. Ironically, the husband’s
expression of his grief is completely misunderstood by the wife; she views his behavior as a sign of his callous
apathy.
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Ultimately, each character is isolated from the other at opposite ends of the staircase. In order for the marriage
to succeed, each character must travel an equal distance up or down the staircase in order to meet the other. The
husband attempts to empathize with his wife, moving up the staircase toward her and essentially moving
backward in his own journey towards acceptance of his child’s death. Even so, the wife is unable to empathize
with 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 by
ensuring that her husband cannot move between her and the door and stop her from leaving. Without the
physical capacity to keep her from leaving, the husband must attempt to convince her to stay through
communication - something that, as the poem demonstrates, has been largely unsuccessful throughout their
marriage.
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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 and
even trance-like since the early morning, when he looked at the apple trees through a thin sheet of ice that he
lifted from the drinking trough. He feels himself beginning to dream but cannot escape the thought of his apples
even in sleep: he sees visions of apples growing from blossoms, falling off trees, and piling up in the cellar. As
he gives himself over to sleep, he wonders if it is the normal sleep of a tired man or the deep winter sleep of
death.
Analysis
In terms of form, this poem is bizarre because it weaves in and out of traditional structure. Approximately
twenty-five of the forty-two lines are written in standard iambic pentameter, and there are twenty end-rhymes
throughout the poem. This wandering structure allows Frost to emphasize the sense of moving between a
waking and dream-like state, just as the narrator does. The repetition of the term “sleep,” even after its paired
rhyme (“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 farmer
completely fatigued but is still unable to escape the mental act of picking apples: he still sees the apples in front
of him, still feels the ache in his foot as if he is standing on a ladder, still bemoans the fate of the flawless apples
that 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 metaphorical
discussion of seasonal changes and death. Although the narrator does not say when the poem takes place, it is
clear that winter is nearly upon him: the grass is “hoary,” the surface of the water in the trough is frozen enough
to be used as a pane of glass, and there is an overall sense of the “essence” of winter. Death is coming, but the
narrator does not know if the death will be renewed by spring in a few months or if everything will stay buried
under 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 is
automatically 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 upon
my 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 fevered
hallucinations of a man about to leave the world of the living. With that in mind, the narrator’s declaration that
he 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)
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of his obligations to the season and to himself. Significantly, even as he falls into a complete sleep, the narrator
is unable to discern if he is dying or merely sleeping; the two are merged completely in the essence of the
oncoming winter, and Frost refuses to tell the reader what actually happens.
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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 he
is in the house or even his identity, but he maintains his presence against the grueling winter outside. At one
point, he becomes frightened by the cellar beneath his feet and the dark night outside, and he stomps his feet
loudly to frighten away the unknown. Eventually the old man dozes in front of the fire and, after being disturbed
by 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 a
crackling fire. Frost denies this comforting expectation and instead creates a haunting narrative — one of the
darkest works in his 1916 “Mountain Interval” – that describes an old man slowly dying alone during a harsh
New England winter.
The poem never clarifies the reason why the old man is alone, only reiterating that he is completely isolated and
beyond the comfort of companionship. The most terrifying element of this poem is the old man’s loss of
memory; he has no recollection of his purpose or identity and simply finds himself standing “with barrels round
him – at a loss.” Not only is the old man isolated in body, he is isolated in mind: even the memories of past
happiness cannot comfort him.
Even in this state of abject isolation, the old man still has the stubbornness and courage to fight for his existence
and scare off the fears that creep in around him. Although the old man does not remember exactly what he is
afraid of in the cellar or in the outer night, he clings to the act of “clomping” as a familiar and yet unfamiliar
comfort. The overwhelming sense of loneliness and fear is accentuated by the noises all around the old man: the
cracking 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 trusting
his voice.
By rendering the old man mute, Frost strives to instill the readers with the same sense of isolation that the old
man himself experiences. If the poem included glimpses of the old man’s inner thoughts, the readers would feel
a sense of kinship with him, even a degree of companionship. As it is, however, the reader is forced to remain a
silent observer who cannot connect to the inner workings of the old man’s mind.
Summary and Analysis of "An Old Man's Winter Night" (1916)
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Yet the poem does not end on a completely hopeless note. Although the man is frightened of what he does not
know, he still succeeds in “scaring” off the unknown and falling into a comforting sleep. Frost suggests that
even a person in the depths of isolation and loneliness is still capable of maintaining a presence and “keeping” a
house. Though Frost focuses solely on the old man, this idea can also be read as a discussion of the human
condition as a whole. The old man’s behavior in the house is not ideal or necessarily human, and he is still
doomed to face death and perpetual loneliness, and yet his house is still his own because of his tenacious grasp
on it and his refusal to abandon himself entirely.
Summary and Analysis of "An Old Man's Winter Night" (1916)
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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 are
the result of a boy “swinging” on them. He realizes that the bends are actually caused by ice storms - the weight
of the ice on the branches forces them to bend toward the ground - but he prefers his idea of the boy swinging
on the branches, climbing up the tree trunks and swinging from side to side, from earth up to heaven. The
narrator 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, when
Frost describes the cracking of the ice on the branches, his selections of syllables create a visceral sense of the
action taking place: “Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells / Shattering and avalanching on the
snow 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 of
the 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 children
were avid “birch swingers,” as demonstrated by a selection from his daughter Lesley’s journal: “On the way
home, 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 the
adult world, if only for a moment. As the boy climbs up the tree, he is climbing toward “heaven” and a place
where his imagination can be free. The narrator explains that climbing a birch is an opportunity to “get away
from earth awhile / And then come back to it and begin over.” A swinger is still grounded in the earth through
the roots of the tree as he climbs, but he is able to reach beyond his normal life on the earth and reach for a
higher 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 can
start fresh on the earth. In fact, the narrator is not even able to enjoy the imagined view of a boy swinging in the
birches. In the fourth line of the poem, he is forced to acknowledge the “Truth” of the birches: the bends are
caused 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 a
boy climbing toward heaven, but he also wants to return to the earth: both “going and coming back.” The
freedom of imagination is appealing and wondrous, but the narrator still cannot avoid returning to “Truth” and
his responsibilities on the ground; the escape is only a temporary one.
Summary and Analysis of "Birches" (1916)
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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 that
makes it a denial of freedom and imagination. Thought, on the other hand, has cast aside the shackles of the
tangible world and travels throughout the universe with a pair of wings. Yet, for all the freedom that Thought
seems 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 Thought
is tied to heaven, and the narrator asks which state of mind is more liberating to mankind. At first, the narrator is
firmly in favor of Thought. Thought is not bound to the earth in any way and has the ability to travel through the
realm of all possibilities, from star to star. Love, however, denies this freedom and actively chooses to stay
grounded on the earth, actually “clinging” to it to make sure that nothing can separate the two. Thought, the
narrator 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 must
travel across the universe to find beauty and freedom, Love is able to find the same beauty and freedom on
earth, simply by staying: “Love by being thrall / And simply staying possesses all / In several beauty that
Thought fares far / To find fused in another star.” Thought’s constant need to travel to all points of the universe
in search of freedom becomes its own type of shackle, tying Thought to this quest. Through its safety and
comfort 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 a
late 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), while
men were associated with masculine rationality and thought.
By suggesting that Love is triumphant in the debate over liberation, Frost is not necessarily arguing that women
will be victorious in the battle of the sexes. Instead, he is emphasizing the importance of emotion and softness in
combination with the rationality of thought. Just as Thought is shackled without Love, poetry will be confined
to form if it does not make use of true emotion.
Summary and Analysis of "Bond and Free" (1916)
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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 sister
announces that it is time for dinner and, out of excitement, the boy accidentally cuts his hand with the saw. He
begs his sister not to allow the doctor to amputate the hand but inwardly realizes that he has already lost too
much 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 an
inanimate object, is described as a cognizant being, aggressively snarling and rattling as it does its work. When
the sister makes the dinner announcement, the saw demonstrates that it has a mind of its own by “leaping” out
of the boy’s hand in its excitement. Frost refuses to lay blame for the injury on the boy, who is still a “child at
heart.”
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 would
have avoided cutting off his hand and would have been saved from death. Moreover, a mere half-hour break
from 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 context
of the time period. After moving to England with his family, Frost was forced to return to America because of
the onset of World War I in 1915, an event that would destroy the lives of many innocent young boys. With that
in mind, this poem can be read as a critique of the world events that forced boys to leave their childhoods
behind 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 to
survive. He attempts to “keep the life from spilling” from his hand, but even that is only an attempt, since
nothing can be done. Above all, though, the boy hopes to maintain his physical dignity in his death, rather than
die 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. While
the first twenty-six lines contain elegant metaphors and descriptions of the scene, the final eight lines are
detached and unemotional. The narrator’s “So” and “No more to build on there” reveal that even the narrator is
unable 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 the
only 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)
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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 and
concludes that each one is equally well-traveled and appealing. After choosing one of the roads, the narrator
tells himself that he will come back to this fork one day in order to try the other road. However, he realizes that
it is unlikely that he will ever have the opportunity to come back to this specific point in time because his choice
of 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 is
frequently studied in high school literature classes. Since its publication, many readers have analyzed the poem
as a nostalgic commentary on life choices. The narrator decided to seize the day and express himself as an
individual by choosing the road that was “less traveled by.” As a result of this decision, the narrator claims, his
life 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, the
narrator’s decision to choose the “less traveled” path demonstrates his courage. Rather than taking the safe path
that 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 largely
inaccurate. The narrator only distinguishes the paths from one another after he has already selected one and
traveled many years through life. When he first comes upon the fork in the road, the paths are described as
being 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 this
particular decision in his life. During the first three stanzas, the narrator shows no sense of remorse for his
decision nor any acknowledgement that such a decision might be important to his life. Yet, as an old man, the
narrator attempts to give a sense of order to his past and perhaps explain why certain things happened to him. Of
course, the excuse that he took the road “less traveled by” is false, but the narrator still clings to this decision as
a defining moment of his life, not only because of the path that he chose but because he had to make a choice in
the first place.
Summary and Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" (1916)
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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 their
lives. Trees make constant noise about going away but always end up staying, forced to remain because of their
deep roots. Their perpetual discussion about leaving is imprinted on the people around them; even the narrator
begins to take on tree-like qualities as he considers the possibility of going away. Yet, unlike the trees that talk
loudly 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 to
sway from side to side and rustles their leaves to create the “sound of the trees.” Frost takes this usual
occurrence and, using the method of personification, transforms it into a metaphysical discussion of the trees
loudly voicing their plans to leave. The wind is not moving the trees, Frost clarifies, but the trees are moving of
their 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 as
their branches reach toward heaven. Yet, as the narrator points out grumpily, they continue with their endless
discussion, 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 the
same desire to leave. As he listens to the noise of the trees, the narrator emulates their movement, swaying back
and forth and pulling on his “roots” on the ground. However, the narrator does not have any roots to force him
to stay. He only has the knowledge of his duty and responsibility to his community, and this knowledge is
hardly 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 was
a primary factor in every action; the call of imagination and personal indulgence was always overshadowed by
the realistic needs of the community and family. In “The Sound of Trees,” however, this recognition of duty is
obscured by the endless noise and influence of the trees. Even more importantly, if this idea of duty and
responsibility is forgotten, the narrator worries, there will be nothing to make people stay and build their
community.
The poem does not end with the narrator choosing his imagination over his duty to his community, despite his
clear desire to do so. He does, however, outline his plan to leave in the future. Unlike the trees, the narrator
promises that his departure would only take place in a way that would not influence other people to make the
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same selfish choice. Not only will he not speak of his desire to leave, but he will also not stay to remind other
people of the possibility.
Summary and Analysis of "The Sound of the Trees" (1916)
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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 blown
into the corner and been flattened by the rain. The flecks of dirt in the snow are similar to the fine print of a
newspaper, which supports the narrator’s initial conclusion. The narrator points out that he never remembers the
news 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 as
an 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 verbose
style. 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 is
something else. The snow was once a beautiful symbol of the winter season, but now, after a few weeks on the
ground, 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 initial
conclusion about the snow. The dirt on the snow looks exactly like the fine print of the newspaper, so he cannot
be held responsible for his mistake; the beauty of winter is only present in flawless white snow, not in old snow
that 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 by
admitting that he rarely reads newspapers. Not only is the patch of snow forgotten as a sign of winter, but it is
also forgotten in terms of its accidental identity as an old newspaper. The beauty of winter and yesterday's news
are equally ignored and abandoned.
Summary and Analysis of "A Patch of Old Snow" (1916)
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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 be
destroyed by fire or ice. People are on both sides of the debate, and Frost introduces the narrator to provide his
personal take on the question of the end of the world. The narrator first concludes that the world must end in fire
after considering his personal experience with desire and passion, the emotions of fire. Yet, after considering his
experience 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 poem
varies between two meter lengths (either eight syllables or four syllables) and uses three sets of interwoven
rhymes, 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 of
people that believe in each element. By using the term “some” instead of “I” or “an individual,” Frost asserts
that the distinction between the two elements is a universal truth, not just an idea promoted by an individual. In
addition to the unavoidable contradiction between fire and ice, these first lines also outline the claim that the
world will end as a direct result of one of these elements. It is unclear which element will destroy the world, but
it is significant to note that fire and ice are the only options. The poem does not allow for any other possibilities
in terms of the world’s fate, just as there are not any other opinions allowed in the black-and-white debate
between fire and ice.
Interestingly, the two possibilities for the world’s destruction correspond directly to a common scientific debate
during the time Frost wrote the poem. Some scientists believed that the world would be incinerated from its
fiery core, while others were convinced that a coming ice age would destroy all living things on the earth’s
surface. Instead of maintaining a strictly scientific perspective on this debate, Frost introduces a more emotional
side, associating passionate desire with fire and hatred with ice. Within this metaphorical view of the two
elements, the “world” can be recognized as a metaphor for a relationship. Too much fire and passion can
quickly 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, the
narrator 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 fire
and ice are not mutually exclusive, as the first two lines of the poem insist. In fact, though the narrator first
concludes that the world will end in fire, he ultimately admits that the world could just as easily end in ice; fire
and ice, it seems, are strikingly similar.
Summary and Analysis of "Fire and Ice" (1923)
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Summary and Analysis of "Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening" (1923)
On a dark winter evening, the narrator stops his sleigh to watch the snow falling in the woods. At first he
worries that the owner of the property will be upset by his presence, but then he remembers that the owner lives
in town, and he is free to enjoy the beauty of the falling snow. The sleigh horse is confused by his master’s
behavior — stopping far away from any farmhouse — and shakes his harness bells in impatience. After a few
more 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 and
only sixteen two-syllable words. In terms of rhythmic scheme and form, however, the poem is surprisingly
complex. The poem is made up of four stanzas, each with four stressed syllables in iambic meter. Within an
individual stanza, the first, second, and fourth lines rhyme (for example, “know,” “though,” and “snow” of the
first stanza), while the third line rhymes with the first, second, and fourth lines of the following stanza (for
example, “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 poem
is 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 it
should 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 home
after an unsuccessful trip at the market. Realizing that he did not have enough to buy Christmas presents for his
children, 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 watch
the snow falling in the woods, even with his horse’s impatience, but he has “promises to keep,” obligations that
he cannot ignore even if he wants to. It is unclear what these specific obligations are, but Frost does suggest that
the narrator is particularly attracted to the woods because there is “not a farmhouse near.” He is able to enjoy
complete isolation.
Frost’s decision to repeat the final line could be read in several ways. On one hand, it reiterates the idea that the
narrator has responsibilities that he is reluctant to fulfill. The repetition serves as a reminder, even a mantra, to
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the narrator, as if he would ultimately decide to stay in the woods unless he forces himself to remember his
responsibilities. 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 from
staying 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 in
New England. In a time and a place where hard work is valued above all things, the act of watching snow fall in
the woods may be viewed as a particularly trivial indulgence. Even the narrator is aware that his behavior is not
appropriate: he projects his insecurities onto his horse by admitting that even a work animal would “think it
queer.”
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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 immediately
blows out his candle in terror and tiptoes to the door, silently praying that no one will come in. Upon hearing
another knock on the door, the narrator hastily jumps out the window to safety and shouts “Come in!” to
whoever (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 his
high school years. In 1895, Frost was staying alone in a cottage on Ossipee Mountain when he heard a knock on
the old, lockless door. Frost was too terrified to answer the door but jumped through a window in the back and
then called “Come in!” from the outside. The next morning, Frost returned to the cottage and found one of his
neighbors 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 uses
the term “whatever” instead of “whoever” in order to express the knock’s unknown and potentially threatening
origin, as well as the abstract nature of the narrator’s own fear. Frost also highlights the narrator’s terror by
using 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 is
enough to make the narrator completely leave his home for the “safety” of the New England winter. Frost also
suggests that the narrator is losing an opportunity to save himself from isolation: this is the first knock on the
door for “many years” and possibly the first chance that the narrator has had to meet another person for an
equally long amount of time. Rather than communicating with another person in his “cage,” however, the
narrator chooses to abandon it completely.
Significantly, the narrator still invites the person outside to “come in,” but only after he has established a
detached position outside the house. He is willing to offer hospitality, but cannot bring himself to offer the
hospitality on a personal level: even if the person does enter the house, the narrator will not be there to welcome
him. Yet, in his effort to escape the person at his door, the narrator inadvertently escapes his own enforced
isolation. Since he cannot reenter his house (not knowing who is in there), the narrator is suddenly forced to
interact with the rest of the world and finally “alter with age,” adapting to others than only himself.
Summary and Analysis of "The Lockless Door" (1923)
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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 city
limits and along every city lane, but has never found anything to comfort him in his depression. Even when he
makes contact with another person (such as the watchman), the narrator is unwilling to express his feelings
because he knows that no one will understand him. At one point he hears a cry from a nearby street, but realizes
that it is not meant for him; no one is waiting for him. He looks up at the moon in the sky and acknowledges that
time 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 of
rhyme scheme, Frost uses the “terza rima” ("third rhyme") pattern of ABA CDC DAD AA, which is
exceptionally difficult to write in English.
This poem is commonly understood to be a description of the narrator’s experiences with depression. The most
crucial 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, he
does not play a mental or emotional role: the narrator, the sole “I,” remains solitary. Similarly, when the narrator
hears the “interrupted cry” from another street, he clarifies that the cry is not meant for him, because there is no
one waiting for him at home.
The narrator’s inability to make eye contact with the people that he meets suggests that his depression has made
him 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 with
those 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 “one
luminary clock” in the sky.
Ironically, since night is the only time that he emerges from his solitude, the narrator has even less opportunity
to meet someone who can pull him from his depression. His acquaintance with the night constructs a cycle of
depression that he cannot escape.
Frost adds to the uncertainty inherent in the poem by incorporating the present perfect tense, which is used to
describe something from the recent past, as well as something from the past that is still ongoing in the present. It
seems 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
Summary and Analysis of "Acquainted with the Night" (1928)
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mind, it is unclear whether the narrator will truly be able to come back to society or if his depression will
resurface and force him to be, once again, acquainted with the night.
Summary and Analysis of "Acquainted with the Night" (1928)
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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 land
and its people. The shore, cliff, and continent are allied together against the threat of the oncoming storm, but
the narrator doubts that they will be successful at quelling the destructive force of the ocean. Moreover, this
destruction will not last a single night, but rather for an “age” - perhaps even at the direct order of a higher
power.
Analysis
This poem is in the traditional sonnet form of fourteen lines and corresponds to the Shakespearean rhyme
scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF GG.
The poem is based on a traumatic experience from Frost’s childhood in San Francisco. During a walk along a
popular ocean beach, Frost’s parents accidentally left him behind, and Frost found himself alone, facing an
ominous storm suddenly coming toward land. This upsetting event was exacerbated by numerous other trips to
the ocean when Frost’s father would leave him on the beach while he took long-distance swims. Frost would be
convinced that his father was abandoning him and would wait in a state of heightened anxiety until his father
would reappear in the waves.
Frost clearly incorporates his childhood terror of the ocean into the poem, but expands the threat by describing
the destructive rage of the ocean against all of mankind. The ocean waves have a palpable consciousness that is
concerned only with the destruction of anything they can touch: “Great waves…thought of doing something to
the shore / That water never did to land before.” In this clash between the rising titans of water and land, it is
easy to imagine a terrified little boy trapped between the two, unable to escape and doomed to destruction by
one of the two forces.
The threat of the ocean is particularly palpable because of the waves’ malevolent personification. These waves
are not the unconscious results of changing weather systems, but rather evil, sentient beings that intend to use all
of their might to destroy anything they can touch. The “thought” of the ocean waves makes them the most
terrifying because their war against humanity seems to be premeditated. Moreover, the vast ocean is an
unconquerable foe; even the shore and cliffs need to be supported by the entire continent in order to face the
malignant waters.
Above all, Frost makes it clear that the ocean waves are not a threat to be faced by an individual, let alone a
child. 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)
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Frost ends the poem with a question about the source of the ocean’s destructive rage. Is it possible that the same
God who ordered, “Let there be light!” could be provoking the ocean in order to destroy all of mankind? Frost
leaves it to the reader to ask whether God has completely abandoned humanity and allied Himself with the
angry forces of nature to destroy the unappreciative human species.
Summary and Analysis of "Once by the Pacific" (1928)
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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 the
colonists 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 the
land, were able to establish an American identity. In order to accept this gift of identity, the people had to
commit 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 iambic
pentameter and free verse.
This poem was written as early as 1936, but Frost did not publish it until 1941, a few months after the United
States entered World War II. Although it had already achieved a level of familiarity and fame among the
American public, “The Gift Outright” received special attention when Frost recited it at the inauguration of
President 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 “The
Gift Outright.”
From one perspective, this poem may seem to be nothing more than a triumphantly patriotic work; Frost himself
once compared it to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The colonists in America initially struggled to become one
with the land because of their ties to England. As years passed, however, they were able to build a commitment
to the land and establish their identities as Americans because of their efforts to build a land that was not based
on the traditions of Europe. In this way, the poem can be read as Frost’s personal celebration of manifest
destiny.
The broad enthusiasm for America that characterizes the poem takes an unexpected turn in the grave thirteenth
line: “(The dead of gift was many deeds of war.)” Suddenly, the poem is not only about a commitment to the
land, but also a discussion of the Revolutionary War and remorse that the battle over the land caused so many
deaths. The use of parentheses in this particular line ensures that the specifics of the war are not mentioned, but
does 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 white
settlers from Europe, rather than the original “owners” of the land: the Native Americans. Frost chooses to
ignore the conflict between the colonists and the Native Americans and instead focuses on the clash between the
Old 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)
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freedom and destiny. As a result, the type of American identity that Frost expresses is very different from the
contemporary understanding of the American identity as an amalgamation of different cultures and ethnicities.
Summary and Analysis of "The Gift Outright" (1941)
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Summary and Analysis of "Choose Something Like a
Star" (1943)
The narrator speaks to a star in the sky and urges it to give him something to believe in. Although he
acknowledges that stars are naturally quiet, the narrator still begs the star to say something to him. The star
simply replies, “I burn.” The narrator is not satisfied with the star’s response and urges it to be even more
specific. He explains that a few words from the star would be enough to help humanity strive for greater heights
and, 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 uses
rhymes 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 a
way to reassure themselves, while others emphasize science as a comfort. Frost plays with these genres of
thought 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 normally
precede “God” or “Lord”). Later, when the star declares, “I burn,” Frost introduces the scientific genre of
thought and describes the narrator’s need for specific, scientific information about the star. Knowledge of the
star’s existence is not enough; the narrator wants scientific evidence of the star’s temperature and elemental
makeup.
In addition to creating this combination of religion and science, Frost expands the irony of the narrator’s plea
through the use of the term “something.” The narrator needs the star to say “something” to him so badly that it
does not even matter what the “something” is. When the star speaks, its words have nothing to do with the
narrator’s experience on earth. Instead, the pithy “I burn” relates only to the star itself and, even more
importantly, does not provide clear evidence that the star possesses any intelligent thought. The star has no
comprehension 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 the
words 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 only
choose “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 the
narrator’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)
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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)
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Related Links
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192
Robert Frost on Poets.org This link includes a brief biography of Robert Frost and several short essays about
related 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.html
Collection 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-intro
Robert Frost and The Atlantic Monthly This online article describes the events surrounding The Atlantic
Monthly'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 Hampshire
in which Frost and his family lived from 1900-1911. In addition to providing historical details about the
property, the site includes a detailed description of Frost's time at the farm.
http://www.frostfriends.org
The Friends of Robert Frost This link includes a detailed chronology of Frost's works, as well as a thorough
biography, photographs of his family, and information about architectural landmarks from his life, including his
home in Vermont from 1938-1963.
Related Links
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Suggested Essay Questions
What 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 of
a 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 concerned
with 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 the
meaning of the poem solely through visual means, a reader is able to feel and even hear the meaning of the
poem on a deeper level.
Why does Frost choose to write about everyday life in a rural environment? What is the effect of this choice on
his poetry?
Frost is a major advocate of "reality" in terms of his poetry as a means of discovering greater metaphysical
truths. By writing about everyday life instead of imaginary worlds, he is able to layer the basic meaning of his
poems 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 and
the traditional expectations of duty. In this way, his poems may seem to be simplistic on a cursory level, but
they are actually multi-faceted in terms of their meaning and appeal. As a result of this choice, Frost allows his
readers to become individual explorers in each of his poems. Although the basic meaning of the poem may be
spelled out in a clear manner, the reader is left with unending possibilities of analysis and ultimately possesses a
greater 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 work
with. Instead, he carefully chooses the form that will most clearly express the idea and meaning of his poem. In
that way, Frost uses form in the same way that he uses the "sound of sense"; nothing is his poems is coincidental
and everything is meant to evoke a certain idea, whether it is the sound of a syllable or the motion of a rhyme
scheme. For example, in "After Apple-Picking," Frost creates a specific amalgamation of traditional rhyme
schemes 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. The
fact 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 two
of his most famous poems, "Mending Wall" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," are based on
specific events in his life. In many cases, Frost was able to draw inspiration from his own life for his poems and
then incorporate more metaphysical themes to give each event a deeper meaning. In addition to using life events
as 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 of
himself 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 are
well-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 been
studied in so many high schools and colleges that, in some ways, it may seem as if further analysis is
impossible. However, this level of familiarity can also be beneficial because it forces the reader to go beyond
the basic analysis that has already been established. Since so many people have read these poems, new readers
must force themselves to think deeply about Frost's intentions and challenge themselves to reveal yet another
layer 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 "Home
Burial," for example, Frost introduces two characters whose inability to communicate eventually destroys their
marriage. Each character expresses their own view about the death of their child, but only the reader is able to
understand 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 different
languages, and that the rift in their marriage can never be healed. If their child had not died, the couple might
have been able to save their relationship, but the unfortunate tragedy required a level of communication that was
not possible. In Frost's poems with an isolated central character, there is a similar emphasis on communication
as a saving force that is denied. For example, the old man in "An Old Man's Winter Night" and the depressed
narrator in "Acquainted with the Night" are both unable to communicate with those around them and save
themselves from their loneliness: the old man cannot make verbal noises, while the depressed narrator is
unwilling to make eye contact with the watchman. In each of these cases, communication plays a far more
important role than anything else; communication with other human beings would be enough to save any of
these 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 Frost
incorporates numerous American ideals and traditions into his poems. One of these primary ideals is the
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importance of hard work above all else. For the farmers in "Mowing" and "After Apple-Picking," hard work is
necessary for survival, but it also creates a unique satisfaction that cannot be felt from the trivialities of
imagination. 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 work
can occasionally cause (such as the death of the young boy in "Out, Out--"). Another traditional American ideal
that Frost emphasizes in his poems is the concept of duty. In "Stopping by Woods on the Snowy Evening," the
narrator wishes that he could stay in the woods to watch the snow fall, but he remembers his responsibilities to
those around him. Rather than indulging in his own desires, the narrator fulfills his duties to his family and to
his 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 seems
to have a more transcendental approach toward the issue of faith, specifically in terms of mankind's relationship
to nature. There are times when Frost does suggest the presence of a higher power (such as in "Birches"), but
even those references are largely metaphorical and hint at a personal relationship between the individual and the
freedom of nature. In "Choose Something Like a Star," Frost takes a rather ironic position on the existence of
God and quips about humanity's need to find comfort in a higher power. However, there is not an overwhelming
sense that Frost has atheistic beliefs. Instead, he seems to promote a more everyday religion, one that highlights
traditional 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 are
particularly dramatic and powerful. One such poem is "Fire and Ice," which is far more compelling than one
would imagine, given the length of the piece. The poem does not have a single extraneous syllable, yet Frost is
still able to take the age-old question of the world's fate and instantly transform it into a metaphor about the
emotional destruction of a relationship from either desire or hate. The equally concise poem "A Patch of Old
Snow" follows a similar pattern, with Frost creating a comparison between snow and an old newspaper as a way
to broach the larger topic of the loss of the past. Frost's ability to inspire a vast range of emotions and metaphors
in 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 hard
to 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, so
much so that it is sometimes impossible to view the poems with fresh eyes. At the time of its publication, Frost's
poetry - inspired by everyday life and using a variety of poetic techniques - was unique and completely
American. He created a literary canon in which the struggles and triumphs of real people were elevated to the
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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 in
today's society: the sense of American "reality" that he revealed in his poetry has become such a fundamental
part of the American sensibilty that Frost's poetry seems almost simplistic. Although people find flaws in Frost's
style and choice of topic, he is still worthy of praise as America's unofficial poet laureate for having created a
new approach to poetry in America.
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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 wholly
American 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 an
entirely new genre of pastoral poetry. In addition to his literary achievements, Frost also received a prominent
honor from the musical world when American composer Randall Thompson set seven of his poems to music in
1959.
Born in 1899, Randall Thompson was similar to Frost in that he spent much of his childhood and adult life in
New England. After attending Harvard University in 1916, Thompson developed an avid interest in choral
composition and worked at numerous music-related jobs. In 1927, Thompson was appointed assistant professor
of music and choir director at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and, after gaining standing in the music
world, began to teach and conduct at Harvard, Princeton, Juilliard, Curtis, the University of Virginia, and
Berkeley. After receiving a commission from the League of Composers in 1935, Thompson wrote “The
Peaceable Kingdom,” which would become one of his most famous choral works and establish his reputation as
a choral composer. Thompson eventually met Frost, and the two became good friends; in addition to their
common 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 their
two-hundredth anniversary. Because of Amherst’s close association with Frost (as well as Thompson’s
friendship with the poet), the town decided that Thompson should set one of Frost’s poems to music for the
event. They initially selected “The Gift Outright,” Frost’s well-known patriotic piece, but Thompson disagreed
with 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 of
Frost’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 its
premiere at the Amherst Regional High School in Amherst on October 18, 1959. Thompson conducted the
premiere and used the Bicentennial Chorus, made up of local singers, and piano accompaniment (Thompson did
not orchestrate the suite until after Frost’s death in 1965). According to some reports, Frost was so delighted by
the performance that, at the conclusion of the piece, he stood up and shouted, “Sing that again!” In fact, he was
so 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 of
everyday 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"
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appealing, colloquial elements found in Frost’s poetry but with the additional layer of musical language. For
example, “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 the
piece, “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 the
poem. By placing the held soprano line high above the other voices, Thompson creates a musical image of the
distant star that reassures mankind.
Thompson’s compositional decisions in the piece clearly follow Frost’s example in terms of metaphorical
meanings. 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 “The
Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” yet when Thompson added the genre of
music to Frost’s poetry by composing “Frostiana,” he allowed for additional layers of meaning in the text: the
musical metaphors of choral harmony, melodic text painting, and folk references in addition to the literary
metaphors of the “sound of sense,” meter, and rhythm.
Setting Frost to Music: Randall Thompson and "Frostiana"
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Setting Frost to Music: Randall Thompson and "Frostiana"
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Author of ClassicNote and Sources
Caitlin 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 and
Company, 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 American
Literature, 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" in
Folklore, 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 New
England Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 4 (December 1981): pp. 467-480.
Author of ClassicNote and Sources
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Essay: Nature Imagery in the Works of Robert Frost
by Ellie Roan
December 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, "A
Servant to Servants" is a contrast to the typical Frostian nature poem. The poem's speaker, the wife of a
hard-working farmer, no longer takes pleasure in her beautiful surroundings. She feels trapped in a life that, to
her, seems meaningless, under appreciated by her husband and the hired hands she cooks for. She explains her
monotonous daily routine and subtly reveals her desperation. The speaker knows she is falling victim to the
insanity that runs in her family, but although she perceives what is happening, she is unable to change her
situation.
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 the
poem sound more conversational, rather than following a rigid meter. He includes colloquialisms in the
woman's speech so that the reader hears a realistic farm woman. There is no apparent rhyme scheme, also
adding to the conversational flavor of the dramatic monologue. A rhyme in a serious poem like "A Servant to
Servants" 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 but
create 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 to
get down some day / And see the way you livedŠ / With a houseful of hungry men to feed / I guess you'd findŠ"
(3-6) Although she wanted to see how her guest was living, she is trapped by the routine of her endless cooking
duties. She didn't take the initiative to visit him, which reveals that she does not see the possibility of change in
her 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, foreshadowing
the inevitability of her fate. "I can't express my feelings any more," she says. "It's got so I don't even know for
sure / Whether I am glad, sorry, or anything." (7, 11-12) She goes on to describe the lake outside her window as
an example. It's evidently a beautiful thing to look at, but she no longer enjoys it. Perhaps the lake represents the
freedom that exists in nature‹a freedom the speaker cannot have in her role as an under-appreciated wife and
cook. She has to "make [her]self repeat out loud / The advantages it has." (18-19) This refers back to her
statement that because she doesn't feel emotion, she has to tell herself "how I ought to feel." (14) She wants to
conform to her role, but although she knows what she "should" think and what she "should" feel, she cannot
think or feel these things. The lake, just like her life, has lost its beauty.
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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 the
woman's monologue with insignificant words of an outsider. "A Servant to Servants" focuses entirely on the
speaker's rambling speech to the camper, who merely provides the audience she needs. Interrupting her stream
of consciousness would only disrupt the poem's flow. However, the woman repeats the man's answer, making it
known that he heard of her land in a fern book. "In a book about ferns? Listen to that! / You let things more like
feathers 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 the
simplicity 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 his
work, believing that their land will be worth something with time, and that his wife will "be all right / With
doctoring." (46-7) However, just as no one appreciates the land, the speaker is likewise unappreciated. She
knows that living such a mundane, meaningless life is slowly driving her insane, yet she accepts this. She needs
a break "From cooking meals for hungry hired men / And washing dishes after them‹from doing / Things over
and 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 and
their medicine, but Len is so caught up with his work, "from sun to sun," that he doesn't notice his wife's
deteriorating situation.
She tells the camper about the indolent hired hands that take advantage of her absorbed husband. The woman
resents 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 her
husband, 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 one
point in her life, but feels that the state institution is better than being kept at home. It was the common belief
that 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 other
people's lives‹ / Worse than no good to them." (98-100) Perhaps this is foreshadowing her own situation‹she
already feels unnoticed in her work. Also, the speaker comments that "You can't know / Affection or the want of
it in that state," referring back to her remark that she no longer feels emotion. (101-2) She seems unable to avoid
her progressing insanity.
The woman's uncle had been mentally ill, kept in a cage of hickory poles built by his family. Because he would
tear up any furniture they tried to give him, "they made the place comfortable with straw, / Like a beast's stall, to
ease their consciences." (120-1) This physical cage may be symbolic of the speaker's own cage‹her unsatisfying
life and unbreakable routine. Though the family meant well by caring for the speaker's uncle, they reduced him
to the state of an animal. This experience is probably why the woman is in favor of the State Asylum. "I've
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heard too much of the old-fashioned way," she admits. Her uncle would yell at night, keeping her mother
awake. "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, allowing
the 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 of
madness. The woman would joke, "It's time I took my turn upstairs in jail," again foreshadowing her own
insanity. When she finally moved away with Len, she thought the change would make her happy. However, she
had merely escaped from one unfavorable set of circumstances to the next. She had her attractive natural
surroundings, but "the change wore out like a prescription," she states ironically. (161) The beauties of nature
couldn'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 the
notion, which he won't, / And I won't ask himŠ / 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 she
could 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 kitchen
walls constrains her, she is drawn towards it. There is no escaping the inevitable. She sees herself too weak to
live as the camper does. "I haven't courage for a risk like that," she explains. She knows the only way out of her
seemingly meaningless existence is to break the routine that imprisons her, but she is unable to do it. She knows
that she is destined to insanity, yet accepts this without a battle. She even jokes about it when speaking of the
hired 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 go
unless you must." (185) She wants to see an example of someone living freely‹someone who can travel from
place to place, based on locations he reads about in fern books. The camper is a foil to the speaker. While he is
capricious, taking what nature gives him, the woman is trapped by routine and looming insanity, unable to
change her fate. Because she has no hope for herself, she enjoys thinking about and watching this man taking
pleasure 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 a
cage‹the endless job of cooking for her husband's hired men. This task will never bring her satisfaction, and yet
she has no other options. She is the wife of a farmer, with limited finances and limited opportunity. Although
she appreciates the idea of living in freedom like the camper, she knows that for her, this is impossible. Nature
has lost its beauty because she knows she will never be the recipient of the freedom it represents. The outdoors
used to take "[her] mind off doughnuts and soda biscuit / To step outdoors and take the water dazzle / A sunny
morning," but it no longer has this effect. She has accepted her fate as the wife of a man too absorbed in his
work to notice her, and as an unappreciated cook for hired men, a servant to servants.
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Quiz 1
1. Fill in the blanks: "The buzz saw _____ and _____ in the yard."
A. Leered; destroyed
B. Growled; bounced
C. Snarled; rattled
D. Buzzed; hummed
2. 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..."
3. 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
4. In "An Old Man's Winter Night," why is the man unable to remember what brought him to the
room?
A. Age
B. The dark
C. The lamp
D. The snow
5. In "A Patch of Old Snow," what do the speckles look like?
A. Small print
B. Seeds
C. Insects
D. Dirt
6. How does Frost describe the trees in "The Sound of the Trees"?
A. Talkative
B. Angry
C. Resentful
D. Melancholy
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7. What is the overwhelming emotion in the poem "An Old Man's Winter Night"?
A. Anger
B. Fear
C. Regret
D. Loneliness
8. 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"
9. Which of the following is NOT a series of alliterations that Frost uses in "An Old Man's Winter
Night"?
A. Brilliant, ball
B. Doors, darkly
C. Separate, stars
D. Beating, box
10. What does the narrator decide to do at the end of "The Sound of Trees"?
A. Die
B. Leave
C. Love
D. Stay
11. 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
12. 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
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13. Fill in the blanks: "Whose ______ these are I think I ______."
A. Trees; know
B. Woods; know
C. Fields; desire
D. Birds; ken
14. 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
15. 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
16. When did Frost write: "Poetry is more often of the country than the city"?
A. 1894
B. 1930
C. 1942
D. 1955
17. 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
18. How many times does the term "sleep" appear in the poem "After Apple-Picking"?
A. One
B. Three
C. Seven
D. Six
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19. Fill in the blanks: "Thine emulous ______ flowers are ______, too."
A. Delicate; wilting
B. Blue; dying
C. Beautiful; living
D. Fond; dead
20. Where is Frost buried?
A. Franconia, New Hampshire
B. Bennington, Vermont
C. Boston, Massachusetts
D. San Francisco, California
21. 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
22. Fill in the blanks: "The _____ water made a _____ din."
A. Shattered; misty
B. Ominous; transient
C. Broken; foggy
D. Dark; raucous
23. In the poem "Bond and Free," what does Thought possess?
A. Friends
B. Joy
C. Wings
D. Love
24. 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
Quiz 1
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25. When did Frost die?
A. 1940
B. 1958
C. 1963
D. 1976
Quiz 1
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Quiz 1 Answer Key
1. (C) Snarled; rattled
2. (C) "The land was ours before we were tha land's."
3. (C) A blow-away paper
4. (A) Age
5. (A) Small print
6. (A) Talkative
7. (D) Loneliness
8. (C) "Come in"
9. (A) Brilliant, ball
10. (B) Leave
11. (C) He prays
12. (C) Two or three
13. (B) Woods; know
14. (D) England's
15. (D) His feet tug at the floor and his head sways to his shoulders
16. (B) 1930
17. (A) My Butterfly
18. (D) Six
19. (D) Fond; dead
20. (B) Bennington, Vermont
21. (B) Leaves of Grass
22. (A) Shattered; misty
23. (C) Wings
24. (C) Keats' Eremite
25. (C) 1963
Quiz 1 Answer Key
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Quiz 2
1. Where did Frost spend most of his teenage years?
A. Franconia, New Hampshire
B. Lawrence, Massachusetts
C. Boston, Massachusetts
D. San Francisco, California
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. In what year did Frost sell his first professional poem to the New York Independent?
A. 1892
B. 1894
C. 1901
D. 1920
6. What was the name of Frost's wife?
A. Miriam White
B. Elinor White
C. Irma Frost
D. Isabelle Moodie
Quiz 2
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7. 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"
8. In what year did Frost and his family move to England?
A. 1892
B. 1910
C. 1912
D. 1915
9. In "Mending Wall," what is there that does not love a wall?
A. A neighbor
B. God
C. Something
D. Nature
10. What term does Frost use to personify the scythe in "Mowing"?
A. Singing
B. Working
C. Standing
D. Whispering
11. Fill in the blanks: "It went many _____, but at last came a _____."
A. Hours; joy
B. Moments; leaf
C. Days; friend
D. Years; knock
12. 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
Quiz 2
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13. 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
14. 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
15. How many of Frost's children died before him?
A. Three
B. Six
C. Two
D. Four
16. 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
17. Who was the inspiration for "A Witness Tree"?
A. Elinor White
B. Ezra Pound
C. Kay Morrison
D. Isabelle Moodie
18. 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
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19. 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
20. How many of Frost's children suffered from mental breakdowns?
A. Three
B. Six
C. Two
D. Four
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. 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
Quiz 2
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25. 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
Quiz 2
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Quiz 2 Answer Key
1. (B) Lawrence, Massachusetts
2. (C) My Butterfly: An Elegy
3. (C) He did not receive a diploma
4. (B) Teaching Italian
5. (B) 1894
6. (B) Elinor White
7. (D) "vigorous verse"
8. (C) 1912
9. (C) Something
10. (D) Whispering
11. (D) Years; knock
12. (D) Ezra Pound, Robert Graves, and Rubert Brooke
13. (C) The outbreak of World War I
14. (A) Bread Loaf School and Conference of English
15. (D) Four
16. (D) Frost's wife died of heart failure
17. (C) Kay Morrison
18. (B) Amherst College
19. (A) The Nobel Prize in Literature
20. (A) Three
21. (A) A boy swinging on them
22. (D) He recited his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy
23. (B) I Felt a Funeral in my Brain
24. (A) The conflict between imagination and practical hard work
25. (D) Pine; apple orchard; apple trees
Quiz 2 Answer Key
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Quiz 3
1. Which of Frost's children committed suicide in 1940?
A. Carol
B. Marjorie
C. Irma
D. Robert
2. 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
3. Who has been buried in "Home Burial"?
A. The wife
B. The mother
C. The child
D. The husband
4. 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
5. 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
6. What is the color of the wood in "The Road Not Taken"?
A. Black
B. Green
C. Blue
D. Yellow
Quiz 3
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7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. What feeling pervades the poem "The Road Not Taken"?
A. Happiness
B. Remorse
C. Humor
D. Joy
11. 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"
12. 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
Quiz 3
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13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. What style does Frost use to write "Birches"?
A. Classical rhyme scheme
B. Formal paragraphs
C. Blank verse
D. Strict rhythm
18. When he uses the verb "to whisper" in reference to the scythe in "Mowing," what literary
method is Frost employing?
A. Personification
B. Onomatopoeia
C. Allegory
D. Pathetic fallacy
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19. What element does the narrator associate with hatred in "Fire and Ice"?
A. Ice
B. Water
C. Fire
D. Wind
20. 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
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. Which of the following is NOT a term that Frost uses to describe the woods in "Stopping by
Woods on a Snowy Evening"?
A. Deep
B. Cold
C. Dark
D. Lovely
Quiz 3
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25. 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
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Quiz 3 Answer Key
1. (A) Carol
2. (B) He is old-fashioned
3. (C) The child
4. (B) Because his apple trees will not eat his neighbor's pine trees
5. (D) Because he does not recognize the cause of her distress
6. (D) Yellow
7. (A) The wife opens the door to leave
8. (B) Share her grief with him
9. (C) Both were about the same
10. (B) Remorse
11. (B) "Birch swinging"
12. (B) Because of the heat of desire
13. (C) Joy and sadness
14. (C) His hand is cut off by a saw
15. (D) The truth
16. (A) Because he has personal obligations and is still a long way from home
17. (C) Blank verse
18. (A) Personification
19. (A) Ice
20. (D) He shakes the harness bells
21. (A) The prospect of eating supper
22. (A) The darkest night of the year
23. (D) That the time is neither wrong nor right
24. (B) Cold
25. (B) He falls asleep and never wakes up
Quiz 3 Answer Key
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Quiz 4
1. What 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
2. What is the meter of "Acquainted with the Night"?
A. Blank verse
B. Dactylic meter
C. Trochaic tetrameter
D. Iambic pentameter
3. What is the name of the hired man in "Death of the Hired Man"?
A. Silas
B. Robert
C. Warren
D. John
4. 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
5. How many Pulitzer Prizes did Frost win over the course of his career?
A. Two
B. None
C. Four
D. Three
6. 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
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7. In "Reluctance," what do the feet question?
A. Who?
B. Why?
C. What?
D. Whither?
8. 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
9. How much did Frost receive for his first published poem?
A. $10
B. $15
C. $25
D. $100
10. In "Reluctance," what does Frost associate with the transient seasons?
A. Hatred
B. Love
C. Happiness
D. Sadness
11. How old was Frost when his father died?
A. 5
B. 11
C. 15
D. 22
12. What must people prepare for in "Once by the Pacific"?
A. A giant wave
B. Unhappiness
C. The ocean's
D. God's anger
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13. 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"
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. To what does Love cling in "Bond and Free"?
A. The ocean
B. The earth
C. The sky
D. The wind
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19. In "After Apple-Picking," the narrator compares the oncoming winter to what?
A. Loneliness
B. Loss
C. Happiness
D. Mortality
20. What subject is Frost most famous for writing about?
A. Sex
B. The natural world
C. Love
D. Urban life
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. Which of the following poems was NOT inspired by his time in the rural environment of New
England
A. Mending Wall
B. Mowing
C. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
D. Choose Something Like a Star
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25. 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
Quiz 4
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Quiz 4 Answer Key
1. (A) Even though the narrator lives in a city, he is still completely alone
2. (D) Iambic pentameter
3. (A) Silas
4. (B) Be kind
5. (C) Four
6. (B) Because it is home
7. (D) Whither?
8. (C) A dead bird
9. (B) $15
10. (B) Love
11. (B) 11
12. (C) The ocean's
13. (A) "A Boy's Will" and "North of Boston"
14. (D) New England
15. (D) Othello
16. (A) Something that has never been done to land before
17. (A) Desire; fire
18. (B) The earth
19. (D) Mortality
20. (B) The natural world
21. (A) A copy of Lanier's "Science of English Verse"
22. (A) Fahrenheit and Centigrade
23. (A) The sound of sense
24. (D) Choose Something Like a Star
25. (C) Because it is the fairest one in sight
Quiz 4 Answer Key
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