A brook in the city, the renowned poem of Robert Frost, is a heavily symbolic representation of the way of life in a city. It highlights many of the struggles, both mental and physical, that come with living in an ever-growing urban environment. By highlighting the tragedy of this life, Frost produces a theme of despair that lingers throughout the poem.
The use of the brook as a metaphor for the city itself is very clever and effective. By drawing a comparison between the brook and a person’s own personal sense of conflict, Frost manages to paint a vivid picture of the dissonance between our wishes and what we really have to live with. The “everlooked” and “everdark” nature of the brook represent the looming darkness of a city, a situation which many of us can directly relate.
The pain that comes with that conflict is evident throughout the poem in the imagery of “swollen and sluggish” water, seemingly frozen in time, “suffocated” by the noise and pollution. The speaker in the poem expresses the same emotion in his own words: “What was it? I remember./I remember, when I can’t forget/The troubles of a day I want to forget”. The utter resignation and hopelessness of the speaker’s words demonstrate the consequences of an urban environment to anyone living in one.
The poem’s narrator goes on to pose the main question of the poem: “What freedom saw I ever in its borders?/What central ours made its way to me?” Here Frost seems to be asking what freedom can be found in a city, and why are we surrounded by so much darkness? He answers these questions in the subsequent lines, elucidating that despite the anguish of the urban environment, the “trusty brook” will always be a source of peace and naivety to those oppressed by the city.
The poem of A Brooks in the City has become a symbol of urban life, highlighting many of its ongoing struggles. Despite the darkness that Frost highlights in his poem, he does offer a shred of hope in the form of a trusty brook; a reminder that freedom can still exist amidst all of the darkness of an urban sprawl.
A Vivid Depiction of the City
Frost’s usage of highly descriptive language in ‘A Brook in the City’ serves to evoke a sound, visual and even emotional reaction from the reader. By drawing on a variety of senses, Frost manages to emphasise the feelings and plight of those within the city. Through the use of ‘everlooked’, ‘everdark’ and ‘forgotten countryside’, Frost suggests that the city has been neglected, leading to the idea of desolation, alienation and an inability to escape.
These connotations of desolation, however, are balanced with a strong air of hope. ‘ The trusty brook’ and ‘Rude eternity’ provide an unending source of solace and relaxation amidst the city pollution and noise. Symbolically, Frost is suggesting that despite the darkness of an urban atmosphere, there are still some sources of peace, even if they appear overlooked and forgotten.
In addition, Frost’s clever use of rhyme in ‘A Brook in the City’ serves to highlight the repetitive nature of urban life. By using words such as ‘stop’ and ‘hop’, Frost manages to capture the gruelling monotony of life in the city, and emphasise the character’s desire for a different, more alive way of living.
The poem ‘A Brook in the City’ manages to recreate the pain, but also the beauty of urban life. Through vivid language, imagery and rhyme, Frost creates a picture of despair, loneliness and struggle that many can identify with. However, Frost reveals a glimmer of hope in the form of a trusted brook, with the suggestion that even in darkness, peace and freedom can still exist.
The Overall Message
The key message of Frost’s ‘A Brook in the City’ is a warning of the perils of urban life, and the negative effects that living in a city can have upon the human psyche. The speaker in the poem expresses the deep despair of his own predicaments, seemingly surrounded by a wall of ‘everdark’ and ‘everlooked’. Frost manages to recreate this feeling in his listeners, and conveys a sense of sorrow and loss of hope felt by urbanites.
Another major theme of the poem is that of a city’s ability to rob its inhabitants of their freedom. Frost speaks of ‘suffocating’ urban noises and pollution as reminders of this. In addition, Frost describes a void in the person’s soul, manifested in the form of ‘centres’ and ‘ours’ that don’t make their way to him, thus highlighting his total lack of freedom.
The poem does, however, reveal a sense of hope for city dwellers. By showing a ‘trusty brook’ existing in even the grimmest of environments, Frost gives an air of optimism, suggesting that amongst all of the darkness, peace and relaxation can still be found.
All in all, the poem ‘A Brook in the City’ by Robert Frost is a bleak reminder of the struggles of urban life, whilst at the same time leaving a glimmer of hope for those in despair. Through vivid imagery and clever description, Frost presents a captivating and thought-provoking look at the reality of living in an urban environment.
The Role of the Narrator
The poem ‘A Brook in the City’ contains many different facets that contribute to its overall message, with the narrator playing a key role. The narrator’s lack of identity serves as a representation of Frost’s idea that city life blocks people off from their former selves, and leads to a sense of internalised loneliness and desolation. The “I” of the poem lacks any further description, suggesting a sense of anonymity, a common occurrence in urban areas.
The narrator’s use of language also serves as a stark reminder of his withheld freedom. His inability to answer the central question of the poem, “What freedom saw I ever in its borders?” demonstrates this; he has not yet encountered any true sense of freedom, even after days of searching. This reinforces the idea of hopelessness, common amongst city dwellers.
At the same time, the narrator gains some respite in the form of the ‘trusty brook’. Here, the narrator finds a source of peace and relaxation in even the harshest of environments. The narrator’s visit to the brook serves as a metaphor for rediscovering one’s identity and freedom, a concept that Frost wishes to portray in his poem.
The narrator, thus, plays a huge role in Frost’s ‘A Brook in the City’. He serves as a representation of the struggles of urban life, and is an embodiment of the pain and despair experienced by city dwellers. At the same time, however, the narrator is a source of hope, reminding us that genuine freedom and peace can still be found in the darkest of places.
The Significance of A Brooklyn in the City
Robert Frost’s ‘A Brook in the City’ carries an immense significance, even to this day. By taking a clear stance on the value of urban life and the freedom available to city-dwellers, Frost has crafted a timeless piece of literature, capable of eliciting a strong emotional response from its readers. It stands alongside works such as ‘The Road Not Taken’ and serves to demonstrate Frost’s talent for accentuating the ups and downs of life.
The poem also demonstrates the need for balance between optimism and realism in life. Whilst Frost highlights the darkness and desperation of city life, he also reveals that hope can still exist even in the most desolate of environments. This serves as a reminder to all of us that, amidst all of the pain and struggles, genuine freedom can still be found. It is a powerful message that Frost puts forward, one which can still be heard in the modern dayUrban areas, where indifference has the potential to drown out hope.
The poem also speaks to our own individual struggles, allowing each of us to relate with the narrator’s story in our own unique way. Frost’s use of vivid language and imagery conjures up our own sources of despair, enabling us to connect on an even deeper level with his words. Through ‘A Brook in the City’, Frost manages to equip us with the courage to confront our own internal struggles, and take a step towards our own personal freedom.
Ultimately, Frost’s ‘A Brook in the City’ is a timeless classic that speaks to modern-day struggles. The poem manages to highlight the despair and alienation of urban life, whilst at the same time revealing the possibility of hope. Through its vivid descriptions and thoughtful theme, ‘A Brook in the City’ is quickly becoming one of Frost’s most popular works, and one that continues to capture the imagination of its readers.
