Robert Frost is one of the greatest American poets, who wrote the iconic poem “A Servant to Servants” in 1919. The poem is a reflective look on Frost’s personal experience working as a farmer in New England. The poem details a poor farmer’s struggle to “earn his meal” as a servant to everyone and everything else. Frost creates a vivid image of a hardworking farmhand, working tirelessly “through all the night and day” for a pittance in wages. The farmhand’s hardships convince the speaker to “leave the farm a weeping bride” and seek a better life in the city. The poem ultimately paints a bleak picture of rural life in the early twentieth century: economic hardship and oppressive labor keep farm workers struggling each day to make ends meet.
The poem is written in four-line stanzas, each with a consistent rhyme scheme of ABCB. This form creates a somber tone to the poem, with each stanza illustrating the hardships that are faced daily by the farm worker. In each stanza Frost creates an extended metaphor of the laborer as a “servant to servants.” This metaphor allows for a powerful illustration of the worker’s plight as one who performs endless endless tasks yet yields little pay, epitomizing the cycle of poverty faced by many rural folk in this era.
Frost also makes use of considerable imagery in the poem. For instance, in the opening stanza he paints a vivid picture of the worker’s labor, saying “His hands had worn a laborer’s way” and “The fields lay still without a sound.” Frost also uses figurative language as a way to solidify the image of the farmer as a “servant to servants.” He states that “he served with no complaint or reason” and “served for nothing but a meal” to demonstrate the extent of the worker’s servitude.
The poem’s message is clear: a poor farmhand’s life is challenging and relentless. Despite this, the poem ultimately conveys a sense of hope and possibility for a better future for the farm laborer. Frost speaks of the laborer’s escape from the farm as a “weeping bride” suggesting that, despite the hardships, a new life of opportunity and freedom awaits the farmer in the city. This sentiment resonates even today, providing a strong reminder of those who have persevered in the face of adversity. As such, the poem “A Servant to Servants” is an enduring literary classic and an important reminder of the struggles of those who seek to make a better life for themselves.
Interpretation of the Poem
“A Servant to Servants” is a somber poem that explores the drudgery and poverty faced by many rural workers of Frost’s era. Through his vivid imagery, somber tone and extended metaphor, Frost creates a powerful portrait of a laborer who performs countless tasks yet yields little pay. Yet, despite this bleak description of the farmhand’s plight, the poem conveys a sense of hope for the future. The ending stanza of “A Servant to Servants” poignantly conveys this sentiment, illustrating the worker’s escape from the farm “a weeping bride”, suggesting that a better life awaits despite the hardships. By conveying this message “A Servant to Servants” remains an enduring classic of American literature, a reminder of the courage of those who have strived in the face of adversity.
Critical Analysis of the Poem
Robert Frost employs a range of literary devices in his poem “A Servant to Servants” to illustrate the harsh realities of rural labor during the early twentieth century. Through the consistent use of rhyme scheme and the extended metaphor of the “servant to servants” Frost provides a powerful image of the laborer’s plight. Additionally, Frost’s imagery serves to convey a strong visual account of the farmhand’s struggles. The consistent use of dramatic figurative language throughout the poem notably solidifies the sense of despair and economic hardship felt by the farm labourer.
The use of an extended metaphor also provides a powerful image of the laborer’s position in Frost’s poem. This metaphor is used to illustrate the laborer’s extreme servitude: he serves without complaint and “for nothing but a meal.” This symbolizes the cycle of poverty felt by farmers during this period, yet is also part of the poem’s overall hope-filled message. By depicting the laborer’s escape as a “weeping bride” Frost implies that despite the harsh realities of rural life there is room for an individual to journey to a better, brighter future.
Historical Context of the Poem
“A Servant to Servants” was written by Robert Frost in 1919, during a time of great transition and rapid change in America. In the early 20th century, many rural stretches of America had yet to feel the effects of modernity. The agricultural industry was still the driving force in many rural communities and so the laboring poor were largely exploited and hard-pressed to make ends meet. It was in this context that “A Servant to Servants” was written. The poem speaks of the plight of laborers in New England: their hard labor, poverty and economic hardship, while also providing a message of hope and solace to all those who struggle in difficult circumstances.
Comparison with Other Poems by Frost
“A Servant to Servants” by Robert Frost serves as a powerful example of Frost’s poetic talent and ability to evoke emotion and transport his readers to another time and place. The poem’s themes of poverty, servitude and hope resonate with other works by Frost. Notably, “Acquainted with the Night,” contains similar themes, as it tells of a man walking through the city at night, feeling “lonely as a cloud.” Despite the difference in setting from “A Servant to Servants” both poems communicate a strong sense of loneliness and isolation. Further, both poems provide a sense of hope for the future. “Acquainted with the Night” speaks of a man “Searching for something,” suggesting a hope of redemption, while “A Servant to Servants” offers hope in the form of escape to a better life in the city.
Themes in the Poem
“A Servant to Servants” by Robert Frost employs a range of intense themes. Poverty and economic hardship are recurring motifs throughout the poem, as Frost paints a vivid image of a laborer who works “through all the night and day” yet only earns a meager wage. Additionally, the poem speaks to the theme of servitude and labor, illustrating the powerlessness felt by many in Frost’s era as they toil endlessly for little reward. Ultimately, the poem demonstrates an enduring message of hope for a brighter future, as Frost speaks of “leaving the farm a weeping bride.”
