Robert Frost, one of America’s most celebrated poets, was born on March 26th, 1874, in San Francisco, California. His parents, William Prescott Frost, Jr., and Isabelle Moody, had emigrated from England to the United States in 1873. His father’s position as a newspaper editor for the San Francisco Evening Bulletin allowed the family a comfortable lifestyle.
In 1885, Frost’s father died suddenly of tuberculosis, leaving the family without an income source. Frost and his mother moved from California to Massachusetts, where Frost attended Lawrence High School and continued to pursue his education. After high school, Frost attended Dartmouth College, however he only stayed for a short period of time, finding the coursework not to his liking.
At this point, Frost moved back to Massachusetts to become a farmer, and he married his high school classmate, Elinor White, in December 1895. Despite this attempt to make a living, Frost soon turned away from farming and focused on the craft of writing, poetry in particular.
Frost moved to England in 1912, hoping his work would be better received there. This proved to be true; two of his poems, “A Boy’s Will” and “North of Boston,” were both published shortly after his arrival and gained significant recognition from the British literary establishment. Following his success in England, Frost returned to the United States and published further notable works such as “Mountain Interval” and “New Hampshire.”
During this period, Frost became widely recognized in America and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry four times between 1923 and 1943. He continued to write until the 1960s and passed away on January 29th, 1963, in Boston, Massachusetts. To this day, he remains an iconic and influential literary figure in America.
Influence on America
Considering the time in which he lived, Frost’s work had a profound influence on the state of American literature in the 20th century. Many of his works focused on themes including rural life, nature, loss, and the search for meaning in life. These topics were quite different from other authors of the time, and their easy-to-understand form and simple language captivated readers all over the country.
Also, Frost was a significant influence on the style of literature known as modernism, which focused on the disconnect between language and experience. His works sought to make sense of the chaos of the modern world and, for that, he was revered by contemporary poets.
Moreover, Frost’s exposure of rural life to the public eye showed another side of the world, one that was unaffected by the changes of the industrial revolution. This resonated with a lot of people and allowed them to discover the joy and appreciation of nature, which had been somewhat neglected in the midst of widespread modernization.
To sum up, Robert Frost’s works changed the landscape of American literature and provided awareness of a rural life that many people had not been exposed to. This legacy is undoubtedly part of the reason why, nearly 60 years after his death, Frost remains one of the most iconic and influential figures in the literary world.
Frost’s Poetic Style
Frost’s writing was often direct, personal and at times paradoxical, which helped make his works so accessible to readers. His verses sometime deviated from traditional poetic lines, often featuring slant rhyme to emphasize his word choice. Slant rhyme, or half rhyme, is a form of poetry where words within a line share the same general consonant sound.
Frost also favoured the technique of free-verse poetry, in which the poet’s tone and metre are unconstrained by traditional rules and forms. This technique sought to get closer to the true essence of language, as Frost stated “I use words for what they are, not for what they can be made to mean.”
Frost’s writing style helped create a bridge between traditional and modernist poetry and is part of the reason for his immense popularity. His meticulous piece structure and heartfelt human observation are certainly part of what continues to draw readers to Frost.
Themes
Robert Frost was an American writer who was concerned with moments of crisis or epiphany, or sudden revelations within the realm of ordinary life. His works focus on the enigmas of ordinary life and the meaning of individual existence. He is also known as a poet of nature, as many of his poems focus on the beauty of nature, as well as its darker side.
Many of his works explore feelings such as loneliness, alienation, disillusionment and surprise. He also looked at themes such as awareness of freedom and the virtue of self-reliance. Other themes he explored in his works include the rewards of patience, youthfulness, loyalty, strength and courage, in spite of the odds faced.
Frost repeatedly wrote about the power of nature and the fragility of nature. He explored the calamities of life that can be brought by the power of nature, but he also celebrated the beauty, mystery and peace of natural places as well.
Frost’s Literary Awards
In recognition of his intense literary influence, Frost was given various awards throughout his career. He received the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry four times within 20 years (1924, 1931, 1937 and 1943). He also received the Congressional Gold Medal, the National Medal for Literature, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Frost was awarded honorary degrees from several universities, including Oxford University, Dartmouth College, Amherst College and Harvard University. To mark these accomplishments, in 1960 Frost was honored with a U.S. stamp featuring his portrait.
Frost was also the first non-United Kingdom author to receive the Order of Merit, the highest civilian honor given by the British government. This award came five years before his death, and is an impressive recognition of his lifetime accomplishments as a poet.
Frost’s Later Life
Frost spent his later years teaching at various universities, including Michigan, Harvard and Princeton. At Michigan he served as a poetry consultant for three years. He also wrote nationally syndicated newspaper and magazine articles discussing literature and the art of writing poetry. Frost’s works continued to receive acclaim and recognition, and he was even played by the British actor Burton Morris in the television biopic ‘Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World’, which aired in 1963.
Despite receiving widespread recognition, Frost had a tough time dealing with his celebrity, especially in later life. He often declined offers of awards or ceremonies, instead choosing to remain outside of the public spotlight. He once remarked in a poem ‘Poetry is what is lost in translation. It is also what is lost in interpretation.’ In this vein, Frost was content to be the one doing the interpreting.
Final Moments
Frost had dealt with health issues for much of his later life, and he eventually passed away on January 29th 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts. His funeral was attended by a large crowd, composed primarily of friends and colleagues from the worlds of academia and poetry. He is buried in the Old Bennington Cemetery in Vermont, near many of his relatives.
Frost’s legacy lives on in the hearts of his readers, who still discover and gain fascination and insight from his works every single day. His simple style and mastery of metaphors have and continue to resonate with readers of all backgrounds, proving Frost’s timeless place in American literature.
