With his poem, “A Boy’s Will,” Robert Frost brilliantly captures both the innocence and joy of youth as well as the inevitability of growing up. Frost wrote the poem at a time in his life when he was coming to terms with the loss of his father, and the feelings of detachment that this brought. The poem follows a boy going through life, experiencing different emotions and encountering a variety of situations, until he is forced to accept the changes of growing up and take responsibility for his life.
The poem’s opening lines introduce the idea that the “Boy” will find courage and strength through his own will: “The bedroom windows are three. In me / There lives an awareness of the crowd / That never stops its widening now,” begins the poem. This poetic enlightenment is Frost’s attempt to capture the fragility and subjective experience of growing up. He creates a voice of solace, in acknowledgement of the difficulties that the boy may experience. By facilitating the boy’s connection with an inner source of strength and understanding, Frost emphasizes the strength of the individual and the importance of self-discovery.
The poem’s second section introduces a more melancholic mood as the boy’s youthful energy and energy of youth is lost. The author conveys his own sadness, suggesting that the boy feels “Lonely in his crowd, like rain at night.” Frost articulates the boy’s finding of strength in a sense of detachment from the crowd and his newfound resilience in face of such loneliness. Here, Frost’s use of the metaphor of rain imbues the detachment with a sense of natural beauty and solace.
The third section of the poem introduces a sense of uncertainty and fear as the boy begins to consider the present and future. “It’s bad to know when something ends,” suggests Frost, creating an image of an adolescent approaching the brink of adulthood, fearful of the unknown. Through Frost’s emotive language, he captures the harsh realities of maturity that one must face at some point in life.
The fourth section of the poem reflects the boy’s growth and his realization that the world is a place of dichotomies. Frost describes the dual emotions that surround the boy’s journey, summing up the poem’s theme of acceptation and closure. “There comes a time to mourn and smile,” suggests Frost, hinting at the bittersweetness of life and the need to embrace both struggles and joy.
The Boy’s Role in Society
Frost emphasizes the boy’s relationship to society, specifically the role of the individual within social structures. In the fifth section, Frost examines the boy’s perception of the world and his relationship to it. He illustrates how, although the boy may feel isolated and invisible, he still has a role to play in the world, perhaps even a greater role that he may not understand yet. By suggesting that society may lack the appreciation of the boy’s efforts, Frost conveys the importance of individual resilience.
The sixth section hints at the difficult decisions young people must make in terms of the challenges they may face in life. Frost illustrates how difficult this process can be, writing that, “there comes a time to choose your side / And stand’s yours and abide.” The idea of choosing one’s own side suggests that in life, there will always be a clash of social forces but that in order to reach maturity, individuals must be able to make decisions for themselves.
The final section of the poem captures Frost’s overall message, that of understanding and acceptance. “Be brave and take the meadow-fly at night,” suggests Frost, as if offering his final advice to the boy. Frost’s emphasis on courage hints at the boy’s transformation, how he must accept life’s complexities and attempt to tackle them with confidence and strength. This is ultimately an optimistic message, one that asserts the vitality and importance of individual strength.
The Poem’s Relevance to Society
The universality and relevance of Frost’s work regarding A Boy’s Will is unmistakable. The poem links to one of the most profound human experiences in life – growing up. Through Frost’s work, legions of readers have experienced the same inner struggles as the boy in “A Boy’s Will.” As Frost speaks to the general human experience, his poem has taken on a timeless retelling of society and the individual, ultimately inspiring generations of readers to find their own inner strength and courage.
Frost particularly captures the feelings of isolation, uncertainty, and fear in his poem and still resonates with these feelings among today’s youth. With his poem, Frost conveys an inspiring aura of hope, urging readers to confront fear and uncertainty with confidence and strength. By using poetic language that speaks to the universality of the human experience, Frost engages adult and adolescent readers alike.
The poem’s translation into popular culture also plays a role in its relevance. For example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s famous requiem includes a direct reference to “A Boy’s Will.” His work brings an exceptional power and resonance to the poem, ensuring that even more generations will connect with this universal human experience.
The Poem’s Reception
The reception for “A Boy’s Will” has been largely positive. One of the primary reasons for its popularity is that Frost’s poem speaks to a deeply resonant human experience. As a result, generations of readers have found comfort and solace in Frost’s work. Additionally, Frost’s admiration for the beauty that can be found in a world of uncertainty and change has been celebrated by many.
In addition to the poem’s personal impact on his readership, its reception in the literary context has been acclaimed. According to the American Literature academic journal, Frost’s poem exemplifies “a use of compressed language to examine psychological states”. Furthermore, the critic notes that, “in his dissection of the human experience, Frost probes deeply into the complexities of love, life, and death.” The critic goes onto say that the poem is a “transcendent work” that reaches to the core of the human experience.
The Poem’s Literary Techniques
The literary techniques Frost employs in “A Boy’s Will” are renowned. His use of metaphors and repetition as a form of poetic emphasis speaks to Frost’s poetic genius. For example, the repetition of “time” in the poem creates a sense of urgency and impending change that befits the poem’s melancholic mood. Furthermore, Frost’s use of sonic devices, such as rhyme and assonance, works to illustrate Frost’s unique form of poetic lyricism.
Frost’s skillful use of imagery also plays an integral role in the poem’s power. This is done by way of the poem’s structure and Frost’s poetic approach. By skilfully alternating between concrete images of the natural world and psychological musings, Frost creates vivid mental images for the reader. As one follows the poem’s narrative, vivid mental images of the natural world emerge to tell the boy’s story.
On a higher level, Frost’s poem also serves as a form of fractured storytelling. By breaking his narrative into three distinct sections, Frost speaks to the fragmented nature of life and how it is constantly in flux. Through this narrative, Frost also speaks to the cyclical nature of life, how it is always in motion and always changing. In this way, Frost creates a unique form of storytelling that speaks to the never-ending nature of life.
Conclusion
Robert Frost’s poem, “A Boy’s Will” is a timeless work that speaks to the universality of the human experience with great clarity and beauty. Frost conveys an inspiring aura of hope and challenges his readers to embrace both the struggles and joys of life. By using literary techniques such as sonic devices, repetition and imagery, Frost captures the complexity of the human experience and its cyclical nature. As a result, Frost’s work has stood the test of time and continues to speak to generations of readers who find solace through its shared wisdom.
