Robert Frost’s poem, ‘Out, Out—’ is a compelling tragedy about a young boy’s life being suddenly cut short by an accident. The poem centers around an unnamed, rural family who has the misfortune of their son getting his hand cut off due to a sawing accident. While he is initially more concerned with the momentary disruption that the accident will cause, his death, due to shock, quickly follows. While the poem may seem tragic, Frost makes it clear that the young boy’s life was, ultimately, insignificant.
The poem focuses on the imagery and phrases of death and loneliness. Using sharp irony and somber tones, Frost paints a vivid and heart-wrenching picture of the boy’s death. He alludes to age-old sayings, such as “…too sweet for a beef” to subtly comment on the fragility of life, and will use phrases like “snarling” or other sound references to capture a moment of sound that may have come from the saw slicing the boy’s hand. Frost also frequently makes use of the poem’s metre – switching from the iambic tetrameter to a focus on individual words to emphasize a point.
One of the most powerful aspects of the poem is its use of understatement – Frost never explicitly states the boy’s death, choosing instead to focus on the regular activities that would progress after the accident, as if his death had never happened. Frost places the reader in the boy’s shoes, allowing them to experience the heartbreak that his family would have gone through.
The poem ultimately shows us that life can be both fragile and fleeting. Frost cleverly conveys that the life of the boy should not necessarily be mourned greatly, as he was just another rural boy with a future of factory labor awaiting him.
The poem offers no hope of an afterlife, but instead serves as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of life, and of the futility of over analysis. It serves as a reminder that life is too short, and that those in power have the ability to make or break one’s life easily. ‘Out, Out—’ is a poem about life, about death, and about the tragedy of both.
Inner Thoughts
The poem offers an insight into the boy’s inner thoughts and emotions as he realizes the fragility of life. His thoughts are torn between the reality of his situation and the fantasy of what life could have been. He subconsciously realizes that he will never get to experience life to the full, feeling regret and helplessness as his life slips away.
The poem is filled with questions which express both the boy’s confusion in understanding the finality of death and the reader’s curiosity in wanting to know more about his life. By not explicitly stating the boy’s death, Frost is able to draw the reader’s attention to his inner thoughts and the raw emotion of realizing his life is ending. The poem begs the reader to contemplate the realities of life and to wonder if he was content with the life he was given.
This inner dialogue is further implied through the imagery of night and day. The poem initially opens on a day setting and closes on a night setting. This suggests the passing of time and twilight of the boy’s life. The contrast between the sun and moon acting as a visual cue to the boy’s inner struggles.
Frost’s use of suspense also adds to this inner conflict. It builds up tension that mirrors the boy’s rising panic. The tension carries on until the stark realization of his death, causing the reader to share in his grief and sorrow. By focusing on inner thoughts, Frost gives the poem a more personal connection than any direct explanation of the boy’s death could have provided.
The Title
The title of the poem, ‘Out, Out—’ is not only a reference to the accident that befalls the boy but also a call to death. This dual meaning brings an extra level of subdued horror to the poem that would be missed if the title was omitted.
Frost’s use of brackets after the second ‘Out’, alludes to the poem being unfinished, mimicking the abruptness of the boy’s death. The ellipsis’ also communicates the idea that life can be cut short unexpectedly and suddenly, just like the poem. The title’s shortness is contrasted with the long, ponderous lines of the poem, reinforcing the fleeting and inconclusive nature of life.
This idea is further evidenced by the fact that there is no resolution in the poem. There is no closure, with Frost either unable or unwilling to provide an explanation as to why the boy’s life had to end. The title reflects not only the boy’s death but also highlights Frost’s reluctance to come to terms with it.
The power of the title lies in its duality – acknowledging both the boy’s death and Frost’s grief. ‘Out, Out—’ encapsulates Frost’s grief, sorrow, and sorrow of loss, in a mere four words.
Structure
Frost’s use of structure allows him to explore the immediacy and significance of death. He starts the poem off with a slow introduction, focusing on the daily activities of the boy before the accident. This allows the reader to connect and become invested in the boy before tragedy strikes.
But Frost quickly switches to a more frantic pace as the accident is further detailed. By using shorter sentences and abrupt phrases, Frost is able to maintain an eerie atmosphere and draw out the suspense, creating a wave of tense emotions as the poem reaches its climax.
The poem’s structure is also mirrored in its metre – an iambic tetrameter, with the stress alternating between each syllable. This matches the passage of time and the rise and fall of the boy’s life, mirroring the time that he had been alive.
The poem flips from a regular, flowing metre to a focus on single words. This allows the reader to pause, making them reflect and anticipate the finale. Frost then concludes the poem with a single line, returning to an iambic tetrameter to give the subject an air of closure.
By altering the speed and metre of the poem, Frost effectively portrays the young boy in the poem and draws out his inner emotions. The structure of the poem enables Frost to explore the impact of the boy’s death and how it affected those around him.
Style
Frost’s writing style has a definite purpose in the poem. Through it, he conveys despair, sorrow, and anger, emotions which would be felt by any family who has lost a loved one in an accident.
Frost uses typical rural dialect to make the minute observations of boy’s life more natural. This helps to shows the reader that this is a real account, and makes them connect to the characters by imagining themselves in the same situations.
Frost also makes use of rhetorical questions to imply the hopelessness of life. By asking questions, he highlights the futility of asking for answers in life’s most tragic moments.
He also employs irony to add an extra layer of tragedy to the poem. For example, the double meaning of the phrase ‘to short-term gains’ implies that the boy’s life is measured in terms of work and income, which serves to diminish his life even more.
Frost’s strong poetic style has a lasting impression. His words echo within the reader’s memories, making them contemplate his advice that life’s sorrows should be met with acceptance and admiration.
Conclusion
Robert Frost’s ‘Out, Out—’ is a poem about life, death and the tragedy in both. The poem is brimming with emotion and imagery, which is well-conveyed through Frost’s strong poetic style. Frost’s deep understanding of human emotion, his masterful use of structure, imagery and rhetoric, and his short, but powerful title all make this poem a truly timeless classic which can be appreciated and analysed by every generation.
