Robert Frost is one of the most famous American poets of the 20th century. His poetry is marked by its intricate verses that explore a wide spectrum of human emotions, experience, and sentiment. His most recognizable works are ‘The Road Not Taken’, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, ‘Mending Wall’, and ‘The Tuft of Flowers’. All of them exhibit the unique insight and perceptive powers of Frost’s captivating poems.
Born in San Francisco, California in 1874, Frost was the child of two teachers. He was highly influenced by the writings of the English Romantic poets, such as William Wordsworth and John Keats. When his writing began to take shape at the age of fifteen, he was living with his mother in Massachusetts. He wrote poetry that was closely aligned with nature and familiar New England settings, which made it relatable to most readers.
Frost’s poems are renowned for their descriptive writing, often featuring an alliterative format. Themes of mortality, the dangers of wandering, and the intricate paths that life can take often appear in his works. He often paired simplistic diction with complex subject matter and philosophy. This has earned him comparisons to other great poets like Shakespeare and Wordsworth, who also mixed seemingly-simple words with profundity.
The way Frost uses rhymes, meter, and a variety of devices like allusion and personification, makes his poetry often stand out from the rest. He demonstrated remarkable mastery of the English language, along with his exceptional ability to capture the human condition within his words. His attention to detail, narrative devices and sound devices allow him to craft extremely vivid imagery to his readers.
The most unique element of Frost’s work is the way he juxtaposes the two paths in life; a common thread in many of his works. The ‘road not taken’ he wrote of is usually a metaphor for life choices and the idea of making a risky choice against reasonable odds. Frost’s approach is sensitive and reflects the reality of life’s imperfections and nuances.
Frost’s exploration of various paths in life was continued in ‘Mending Wall’ where the poet discusses how people rely on boundaries – both physical and metaphysical – in order to feel secure in life. Frost’s work here examines how people build boundaries, and how that ultimately affects our lives and relationships. Alternatively, in ‘The Tuft of Flowers’ the poet cleverly portrays how individual and collective effort is needed to make things work.
Frost’s mastery of writing and use of poetry to grade human emotion make him one of the most influential and significant American poets of all time. To this day, his works and writing are often discussed among experts, and his influence has been felt worldwide.
The Complex Rhymes of Robert Frost
Frost’s poecy has a complexity about it, especially when it comes to the rhymes. His poems all containt intricate rhymes, which often creates unique aural images, that add to the complexity of the poem. He was a masterful rhymster who coined tirelessly to capture the essence of what he wanted to communicate through his rhymes.
Frost employed a combination of different rhymes called enjambment to build up the themes of his poem. The aural imagery this brings to fruition helps readers to better experience the poem’s meaning than they would by just reading it. Frost often placed several anaphras of rhyme throughout his poems and this creates an auditory effect as it helps to give form to the poem’s subject matter.
In ‘The Road Not Taken’ the use of repeated rhymes is used to give the poem swell and depth by creating aural soundscapes. The rhymes used in the poem are ‘bend’, ‘fend’, ‘tend’, ‘end’, ‘road’’, ‘load’, ‘road’, ‘trod’. These rhymes help to depict the metaphorical connotations of the poem and help readers to immerse in the poem and its meaning.
Frost also used end rhymes and half-rhymes in his poetry. End rhymes are those which occur at the end of the the lines, whereas half-rhymes occur within or near the middle of each line. This gives the poem more complexity and helps to maintain the rhythm and flow of the poem. End rhymes give poems a familiar feeling, while the half-rhymes add a bit of surprise or unexpectedness to the verse.
The way Frost employed rhymes to create aural and ethical impact further evidences his immense skill and contributes to the appreciation of his work. He was an innovative poet who used rhyme not merely for the pleasure of the eye and ear, but to add feeling and depth to his works.
Lush Imagery of Robert Frost
The poetic imagery found in Robert Frost’s works is truly remarkable. His descriptions and depictions of nature, people, and life are vividly drawn and colourful. Frost often uses metaphor and simile to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the scenes and messages in his works, as well as to paint vivid, arresting images.
In his poem ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening’, Frost paints a romantic, icy winter wonderland, describing the snow and darkness to be in their tranquil beauty, untouched and still. His use of simile helps to capture the stillness of the scene, calling the woods ‘lovely, dark and deep’ and the snow a ‘blanket’. These words invoke a sense of mystery and longing within the reader.
Frost’s poem ‘Mending Wall’ is also iconic for its imagery. Using metaphor and imagery to detail the rebuilding of a wall between two neighbours, the poem wonderfully exhibits the power of Frost’s imagery. He expertly conveys the sound of the stones being overturned and shifted to repair the wall, and creates settings of brightness to reveal the beauty of the natural world outside of its boundaries.
Another example of Frost’s imagery can be seen in his poem ‘The Tuft of Flowers’ in which he paints a vivid picture of a meadow filled with tall grass. Using juxtapositions such as ‘yellows’ and ‘blues’ as well as evoking a sense of primordial blessing and familial love, Frost brings the readers into his imagined world.
Through his use of imagery, Robert Frost was able to vividly illustrate the rich detail of everyday life. His visuals manage to pull the reader into the scenes and make them feel as if they were standing on the same tuft of flowers, feeling the same summer breeze and walking down the same road.
The Wisdom of Robert Frost
The wisdom found in Robert Frost’s poetry is often overlooked, and yet was one of the reasons he was revered by his contemporaries as a true poetic genius. He had a deep understanding of life, and a lot of his poetry explored the dichotomies and ambiguities at the heart of the human experience.
Frost often writes about how life is filled with contradictions and dualities. He writes about how decisions often have to be made even when their outcomes cannot be predicted or certain. In ‘The Road Not Taken’ frost presents his readers with two different paths and the decisions which can be made in life. Without his poetic insight, the poem would simply be a simple story, but through his wisdom and the inclusion of his own personal experiences, the poem becomes so much more.
Frost’s poem ‘Mending Wall’ similarly explores the theme of duality in life as well as its ideas about the consequences of decisions. By writing about the rebuilding of a wall, he also explores the idea of the need for stability and security, which can only be found if the wall is complete and the boundaries are respected. Despite this, he also alludes to the idea that walls and boundaries can be restrictive, implying the difficulty in choosing between what is necessary and what isn’t.
Frost often espouses a view that life and choices should be embraced, even if they are uncertain. In ‘The Tuft of Flowers’, he captures the idea that although life can be unpredictable, it is still worth living, and we should take the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the world. This poem speaks of the importance of collectivism; in that, even if one works alone, they are still contributing to the collective effort and thus, this poem speaks volumes to the importance Frost placed on human solidarity.
Frost’s poetry speaks volumes about his wisdom. His ability to encapsulate and encapsulate the complexities of life is why he continues to be a beloved and respected poet. By exploring life’s uncertainties and ambiguities, he brings to life a truer, richer appreciation of the human experience and all its facets.
The Use of Metaphor in Robert Frost’s Work
Metaphors are a valuable tool for enhancing the meaning and depth of a poem and Robert Frost was a master of their use. Frost often made use of metaphor to help readers relate to his poems and to paint vivid images of the scenes and themes he was writing about. Often times, Frost’s metaphor is used on a literal level as in his poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
The poem tells the story of a traveller encountered with two paths and only deciding on one of them. The image of the roads being taken is a metaphor for the choices we make in life, and Frost was able to capture this through his use of metaphor. He equates a decision to two roads that diverge in a yellow wood, and encapsulates the idea of a choice resulting in two paths that cannot be reversed.
In ‘Mending Wall’, Frost speaks of a physical and metaphorical wall separated by two neighbours. While the stone wall represents a physical barrier, it is also a metaphor for the psychological barriers that can divide us from one another and form in relationships. He uses metaphor to depict the differences between human beings and cultures, as well as the necessity for respect for our differences.
Frost’s poem ‘The Tuft of Flowers’ also employs metaphor to effectively communicate its theme of human kindness and unity. In the poem, Frost speaks of the importance of companionship and unity, speaking of the need for collaboration and working together as a society rather than in isolation.
Robert Frost’s ability to use metaphors to effectively communicate his messages and paint beautiful scenes has made them an integral element of his work. By using metaphors as a means to evoke specific feelings and draw readers in to his work, Frost was able to articulate the beauty and complexity of human experiences in a unique way.
Conclusion
Robert Frost was one of the most accomplished poets of the 20th century. His intricate rhyming, lush imagery and wisdom concerning life’s ambiguities have earned him a place within the great pantheon of poets. His use of metaphor to create vivid scenes and explore ideas has become an integral part of his works. His work serves to remind us of the need to embrace life and its choices, despite their uncertainties.
