A Time To Talk By Robert Frost Summary

Robert Frost’s “A Time To Talk” is a reflection on the nature of communication and human interaction, depicting a speaker’s desire to communicate with a friend but being deterred by the occupying world around them. The poem begins with the speaker taking a pause from their work to tell their friend that they want to discuss something with them. The speaker realizes that the reality of the world is such that moments of communicative connection are rare, stating that the friend should “stop with me a minute, here among the fields / We scarcely will be wiser than we were”.

The sentiment in this opening stanza is one of longing, as the speaker yearns to share their thoughts with a good friend. Despite this, they understand that the nature of their busy lives will not allow for a meaningful conversation. The second stanza continues the speaker’s dejection, as Frost states, “We have had the mock of Time, and now have his frown”. Here, the speaker demonstrates their realization that time is fleeting and the opportunities for meaningful communication are rare.

The third and fourth stanzas of “A Time To Talk” convey a sense of hollowness in regards to interaction. The speaker outlines their thoughts, “For I have been acquainted with the night / I have walked out in rain — and back in rain”. The imagery of walking in rain suggests a sense of dysphoria, that although the speaker is trying to communicate with someone, the outside world interferes and blocks meaningful conversations.

The fifth stanza of “A Time To Talk” is significantly laced with imagery as the speaker attempts to articulate the feelings of emptiness associated with the passing of time. By comparing the world to a field of gold, Frost conveys a sense of vastness and loss, as the speaker’s opportunities for communicative connection are fleeting. Similarly, the speaker’s state of dejection is further articulated in the sixth stanza as Frost writes, “Ah, when to the heart of man was it ever less than a treason / To go with the drift of things, to yield with a grace”.

The seventh and final stanza of “A Time To Talk” concludes the poem in a resigned manner. The speaker understands that the opportunities to share meaningful conversation with someone are mostly lost due to the occupying world, but they undeterredly strive to find moments to reaffirm their desires to talk, stating, “If it were not treason, what disaster would it be, / To give your heart in oath to toil, and mine to talk”. This final stanza conveys the speaker’s understanding that talking is essential for meaningful relationships, despite the obstacles that face them.

A Motif of Isolation

One of the primary motifs presented in Robert Frost’s “A Time to Talk” is the sense of isolation that stands in the way of meaningful communication and human interaction. Frost conveys the idea that our culture is so focused on busy-ness and productivity that moments for meaningful conversations are rare and difficult to access. This isolation is reinforced through the poem’s imagery, as the speaker expresses their feeling of emptiness as they traverse “the fields”, as well as the comparison of “seizing Time” with a thief. Frost also employs a motif of transience, as the speaker repeatedly expresses their understanding that time is fleeting and opportunities for meaningful conversation are hard to come by.

The Importance of Communication

Throughout “A Time to Talk”, Robert Frost conveys the idea that meaningful communication is an essential element of human relationships. The speaker outwardly expresses their longing to discuss something with their friend, and the fact that the speaker repeatedly expresses their desire to talk reaffirms the idea that meaningful conversations are necessary for healthy human relationships. This idea is further articulated by the poem’s ending, where the speaker states, “If it were not treason, what disaster would it be / To give your heart in oath to toil, and mine to talk”. This final stanza not only conveys the speaker’s understanding that talking is essential for meaningful relationships, but it also elevates talking to the level of a “sacred oath”, further stressing the importance of communication.

The Poem’s Emotion Materialized

Robert Frost’s “A Time to Talk” is emotionally charged throughout. The entire poem is saturated with a sense of dejection caused by the transience of time and the difficulties of communication. While expressing these emotions, Frost juxtaposes the speaker’s desire to communicate with the enforcing world that stands in the way. Despite the emptiness of the world and competing obligations, the speaker is determined to converse with their friend, longing for meaningful conversations and ultimately affirming the importance of talking. The poem’s heavy imagery of the outside world serves to convey the emotion of the speaker’s longing, while the phrase “to yield with a grace” portrays the speaker’s resilience in the face of a desolate world.

The Poem as a Succinct Reflection of Life

The brevity of Frost’s “A Time To Talk” serves to succinctly portray the speaker’s longing for meaningful communication and the difficulties of the outside world. In just seven stanzas, the poem conveys an existential sentiment of our culture where conversations have become fleeting, and the speaker’s struggle to remain connected and communicative in a world that stands in their way. By frequently using distancing imagery such as “the fields” or “seizing Time” with a thief, Frost conveys this disconnect and longing to communicate on a deeper level. The poem’s broad use of imagery further serves to concisely portray the speaker’s longing, while the poem’s subtle punctuation and delivery allows Frost to convey a heavy emotional sentiment with a few simple words.

A Symbolic Interpretation of the Poem’s Meaning

By using a variety of poetic devices such as imagery, metaphor, and symbolism, Robert Frost is able to convey a meaningful message about the importance of communication in “A Time to Talk”. Symbolically, the poem’s setting of a desolate and uninviting field can be seen to represent the speaker’s struggles with communication in a world that stands in their way. Additionally, the poem’s imagery of “seizing Time” with a thief lays stark contrast to the speaker’s longing for conversation and connection, suggesting that moments of meaningful conversation are fleeting. Furthermore, the phrase “to yield with a grace” can be interpreted as a call to take life in stride, stressing the importance of taking any moment to talk. Through symbolism, Frost is able to convey a strong sentiment of the speaker’s longing to communicate with someone in a world that stands in the way.

The Poem as an Analogy for a Social Problem

Robert Frost’s “A Time To Talk” can be seen as an analogy for the idea of a society disconnected from meaningful communication. Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on the difficulty of connecting with people, regretting the fleeting opportunities for meaningful conversations due to the outside world. This sentiment is particularly relevant in contemporary society, where busy lives and technology have resulted in a disconnect from meaningful human interactions. By utilizing a symbolic field as a metaphor for society, Frost is able to convey a sense of disconnect while simultaneously stressing the importance of communicative connection in this environment.

Dannah Hannah is an established poet and author who loves to write about the beauty and power of poetry. She has published several collections of her own works, as well as articles and reviews on poets she admires. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a specialization in poetics, from the University of Toronto. Hannah was also a panelist for the 2017 Futurepoem book Poetry + Social Justice, which aimed to bring attention to activism through poetry. She lives in Toronto, Canada, where she continues to write and explore the depths of poetry and its influence on our lives.

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