Robert Frost, in his poem “A Patch of Old Snow”, utilizes a variety of techniques to compare nature, innocence and age. By using metaphors, allusions, symbols and personification, Frost paints a vivid picture of the conflicting emotions evoked by looking at a weathered patch of last season’s snow. The mysterious understanding of a wordless conversation between what’s past and what’s to be conveys a feeling of dread and disappointment.
The poem “A Patch of Old Snow” is written in first-person narration. In the first stanza, Frost describes a scene of a weathered, “yellow-dead” patch of snow in a contrasting vibrant and vivid natural landscape. The metaphor of “rat’s tail tufts” in the second stanza illustrates how this out-of-place patch of snow has been forgotten, “its grays and yellows gone”. Despite its decrepit nature, Frost hints to the viewer how this old patch of snow is still alive.
The third and fourth stanza compares the patch of snow to human life and death. The hush of dead-voices murmuring, in the third stanza, is an allusion to Frost’s understanding that everything has a life cycle and age. The fourth stanza personifies the snow, playing upon its “thought that I might think again”. In this particular stanza, Frost reveals a sadness but also a feeling of contentment when he suggests that life will go on, “no matter when”.
In the last two stanzas, Frost provides a reflection on the solitude of the patch of snow. Time and again, the snow has been neglected and overlooked; in a way, it has become used to its predicament and has made peace with its existence. This is the message that Frost wishes to convey; that beauty and grandeur still exist in the most lonesome and forgotten places.
Natural Imagery
The poem “A Patch of Old Snow” is rife with natural imagery, which serves to establish the atmosphere and tone of the poem.In the first stanza, Frost describes the patch of old snow in detailed terms, such as “ravined with pages spread”, suggesting that the patch of snow is analogous to a book. By comparing the page of a book to nature, Frost emphasizes the interconnectedness between man and nature. He also introduces the themes of time and mortality with the metaphor of a “yellow-dead” patch of snow.
In the second stanza, Frost’s use of diction has a dual purpose. He crafts a vivid and visual description of the snow in terms of “rat’s tail tufts”. The contrast between “rat’s tail tufts” and the “mild light” forces the reader to focus on the beauty of nature, even in the most decrepit and forgotten things, like a patch of old snow. Frost further conveys the peaceful contrast between decay and life with the metaphor of a “bag of brilliant stuff”, illustrating how the patch of old snow still contains beauty and life.
In the third stanza, Frost introduces a contrast between the vibrant and vivid natural landscape and the patch of snow, which profoundly conveys the theme of time and mortality. The contrast between the “green pool” and the “patch of old snow” serves as a metaphor for life and death. By introducing this comparison, Frost presents how even in death there is still life and beauty, as represented by the patch of old snow.
The fourth stanza furthers Frost’s comparison between nature and man. He uses personification to describe the snow as having a thought, a “therefore that I am”. Through this comparison, Frost not only is emphasizing the life-cycle of nature, but also suggests that nature is inherently resilient.
Mortality
Throughout “A Patch of Old Snow”, Frost uses a variety of techniques to explore the idea of mortality and the cycle of life and death. By utilizing simple metaphors and allusions, Frost is able to draw a vivid picture of the feelings associated with mortality and the mysteries that come with it.
The comparison between a patch of snow and a book in the first stanza serves to highlight the connection between man and nature. The imagery of “rat’s tail tufts” conjures up a sense of nostalgia and sorrow, emphasizing the idea that everything has a life-cycle and will end eventually, no matter how small the thing is. By mentioning how everything goes through a cycle of life, Frost invites the reader to accept and make peace with mortality.
The third stanza furthers this thought by introducing the contrast between the “green pool” and the patch of old snow. The juxtaposition between these two scenes serves as a metaphor for life and death. By presenting this comparison, Frost is inviting the reader to accept death and embrace the beauty that exists with it. In addition to this, the use of allusions to “dead voices” in this stanza implies the idea that death is still a part of life, even if it is not always visible.
The personification of the patch of snow in the fourth stanza serves to further explore the concept of mortality. Frost suggests that even the snow, which is a symbol of ages past, is still conscious and vibrant. By doing this, he is demonstrating how everything in nature is alive, even in death. Through this comparison, Frost is urging the reader to look at death as a part of life, rather than something to be feared.
Solitude
The poem “A Patch of Old Snow” is also rife with imagery of solitude and loneliness. Frost implies that the patch of snow exists in solitude, with no one to properly recognize its beauty. This theme of loneliness and isolation is further explored in the fifth stanza, when Frost compares the patch of snow to the loneliest man. This comparison serves to underline the idea that even in death, beauty and grandeur exist in the most forgotten places.
Frost further emphasizes the feeling of solitude and isolation with his use of allusions in the sixth stanza. He alludes to an understanding between the snow and Frost himself that “no one saw”. This serves to illustrate how life is not always as it appears and that beauty is sometimes only visible when viewed privately, in a moment of serenity. This adds to the idea of loneliness and solitude in the poem.
The last stanza furthers Frost’s imagery of loneliness and sorrow. He conveys how the patch of snow has become familiar with its predicament, hinting at the idea that everything comes with a cost. By juxtaposing the “bubbles that wrestle in it” with the “muted noises”, Frost presents how helpless the patch of snow is to its surroundings, thus emphasizing the idea of loneliness and sorrow.
The use of imagery and symbols in “A Patch of Old Snow” furthers Frost’s exploration of mortality, natural imagery and solitude. Frost creates a vivid painting of sorrow and longing, but also of resilience and beauty. By using a variety of techniques, he succeeds in conveying the idea that beauty and grandeur still remain in the loneliest and forgotten places.
Metaphors
Frost utilizes a variety of metaphors in his poem “A Patch of Old Snow” to explore the themes of nature, mortality and solitude. The first metaphor used in the poem is the comparison of the patch of old snow to a book. Through this comparison, Frost is emphasizing the interconnectedness between man and nature, as the patch of snow is analogous to a “page of life”.
Frost further uses the metaphor of the “rat’s tail tufts” to convey the themes of time and mortality. The comparison of the rat’s tail tufts to the snow suggests that even the most insignificant things have a life cycle and will end eventually. In addition to this, the metaphor of a “bag of brilliant stuff” serves to illustrate how the patch of old snow still contains beauty and life.
The metaphor of the “green pool” furthers Frost’s exploration of mortality and time. The contrast between the green pool and the patch of old snow serves as a metaphor for eternity and death. By introducing this comparison, Frost presents how even in death there is still life and beauty, as represented by the patch of old snow.
The personification of the patch of snow as having a thought, a “therefore that I am” is another metaphor used by Frost. This personification serves to emphasize the life-cycle of nature and it suggests that nature is inherently resilient. Overall, the metaphors and symbols used in “A Patch of Old Snow” strongly convey the themes of mortality and nature.
Symbols
The poem “A Patch of Old Snow” is a testament to Frost’s skill in using symbols to convey a variety of themes. The first symbol used in the poem is the patch of old snow itself. Frost uses the image of the patch of old snow to represent mortality and the cycle of life and death. He invites the reader to accept and make peace with mortality by highlighting the beauty of the patch of old snow.
The second symbol used in the poem is the “green pool”. Frost juxtaposes the vibrant and vivid nature of the green pool with the decrepit patch of old snow to emphasize the idea that death is still a part of life. By juxtaposing life and death, Frost is reminding the reader to appreciate the beauty of life while we still can.
Another symbol used in the poem is the metaphor of the “bag of brilliant stuff”. The metaphor of the bag of brilliant stuff serves to illustrate how the patch of old snow is still alive and vibrant, despite its age. Frost draws attention to how the patch of old snow still contains beauty and life, emphasizing that even in death, there is still beauty to be found.
Overall, the symbols used in “A Patch of Old Snow” highlight Frost’s exploration of mortality and nature. By utilizing these symbols, Frost is able to create a vivid picture of the conflicting emotions associated with mortality and the mysteries that come with it.
