When And Where Was Robert Frost Born

Robert Frost, an acclaimed American poet, was born in San Francisco, California, on March 26, 1874. His mother, Isabelle Moodie, was of Scottish descent, and his father, William Prescott Frost Jr., was an educator and journalist whose ancestry was English. Frost’s father died in 1885, leaving the family in a financial crisis, so Frost was forced to make a living as a hard laborer. Frost attended Dartmouth College and Harvard University, but failed to graduate. In 1894, he married Elinor White, and shortly afterwards, the couple relocated to England, where Frost was able to become established as a major poet in the country’s literary circle.

Early Life and Education

Born in San Francisco in 1874, Robert Frost spent his childhood in Lawrence, Massachusetts, after his family moved there. Frost’s mother Isabelle was of Scottish descent; his father William, an educator and journalist, was of English descent. While a student in Lawrence High School, Frost published his first poem in a local magazine. In 1892, Frost graduated from the respected high school, after which he enrolled in Dartmouth College where he pursued a degree in philosophy and languages.

Frost only attended Dartmouth for one term, after which he moved to Harvard to become a student of English literature and philosophy. In 1895, while at Harvard, Frost had his first poems printed in Wake-Robin, a respected literary magazine.

However, Frost could not complete his studies and had to leave Harvard without graduating, due to his father’s death and the family’s financial constraints.

Marriage and Relocation

In 1894, Robert Frost married Elinor White, a student he had met in his high school, and soon after, the couple moved to England in search of financial stability and literary success.

In England, Frost’s poems were published in literary magazines and he grew popular as a poet. Frost and his family lived in England for around nine years, where he wrote many of the poems which later became anthologies. His fame spread slowly, but brought recognition from established writers like Edward Thomas, a highly respected British poet.

Frost had difficulty making ends meet while still living in England, and only started getting paid for his writing after he was back in the United States. He and his family had to survive strictly on their resources, considering the financial situations. Frost often wrote letters to friends and relatives back in America asking for financial help.

Return to the US

His family returned to the US in 1912, settling down in New England. A year later, Frost was able to publish his first book, A Boy’s Will. After this, he published several more collections of poems, which were well received and so helped to build his literary reputation.

In 1915, Frost won four major literary prizes – the Frothingham, the Boylston, the Lamson and the Shelley Memorial. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on four occasions, for his books New Hampshire,  collected Poems, A Witness Tree and A Further Range.

Frost received a number of honorary degrees, including the Doctorate of Letters from the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College, and was appointed as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1958. His poetry remains a source of inspiration to many internationally.

Teaching and Lecturing

Frost published books of poetry consistently until his death, and also taught at various universities across the United States. He held posts at the University of Michigan, Amherst College, Dartmouth College and Harvard University. He served as the Poet Laureate of Vermont from 1961 to 1963, and taught English at the Amherst College summer school.

Frost also engaged in a great deal of public speaking, lecturing at Harvard University and other prominent institutions. He was invited to speak in a number of forums, ranging from high school gatherings to the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

After suffering from health problems for a few years, Frost passed away on January 29, 1963, at the age of 88. He is regarded as one of America’s most popular, respected and beloved poets, and his works remain timeless in our literature.

Legacy

Frost’s works are not only appreciated and admired in the US but also around the world. His writing has been translated into more than 50 languages. Even over half a century after his passing, his influence reverberates in the areas of American literature.

In addition, Frost has been immortalized in the country’s culture through the several monuments and memorials built in his honor. His inimitable expressions and unique perspectives, however, remain his most profound legacy.

Frost received a number of awards and honors during his lifetime, as well as posthumously. He was inducted into the American Poetry Hall of Fame in 2004 and his poetry remains an integral part of the school curriculum around the US.

Influence

Frost’s work has been infused in the works of other poets, authors and artists, who have been profoundly influenced by his writing. His works have been celebrated by several generations of poets who often draw inspiration from his distinctive style. His works have also been featured in multiple films and television shows, such as Friends and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Frost’s poetry has been inculcated by academicians, teachers, singers and theaters. Musicians have written scores after his works and so have radio personnel. He left a tremendous impact not only on American literature, but on how people from all walks of life express love and grief.

Literary Style

Frost’s writing style is instantly recognizable. He was famous for poems that were simple on the surface but had powerful and often melancholic emotional undertones. His writing was heavily drawn from personal experiences, and themes of nature, death and love can frequently be found in his poetry. He also expanded the traditional forms of language and rhetoric to depict a taciturn, rural and rustic charm.

Frost used a diverse range of literary styles in his writing, often using different idioms and figures of speech. He was unafraid of utilizing traditional forms such as sonnets and villanelles. As a result, he managed to captivate his readers without patronizing them, making difficult concepts accessible to a wide range of readers.

Frost wrote with seemingly effortless ease, despite the technical difficulty of his pieces. He was capable of writing in a direct, lucid manner while also using numerous complex and arcane concepts. As a result, Frost’s works appeal to both the scholar and the casual reader.

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.

Leave a Comment