When Was Robert Frost Died?
Robert Frost, the world-renowned American poet, died on January 29, 1963, at the age of 88. Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874, and spent a large portion of his adult life living in Massachusetts with his wife and children. He was a farmer, a teacher, and a lecturer who often travelled the world popularising his poetry. Frost’s most popular works, which centre on themes of nature, death, and sorrow, have made him one of the most often quoted authors in the English language.
Frost’s death came after he had become greatly weakened due to a recent series of heart attacks. He died peacefully in the bedroom of his home in Boston, in the arms of his daughter and his son-in-law. His daughter and her husband were two of the several hundred people who attended Frost’s funeral, which was held in the Church of the Advent in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The service was followed by a graveside burial in a small churchyard in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Also in attendance were several Pulitzer Prize-winners, including Frost’s close friends, Wallace Stevens and Carl Sandburg. During the funeral, Theodore Morrison, a professor of English at Harvard, read various poems written by Frost including ‘After Apple-Picking’, ‘The Road Not Taken’, and ‘The Oven Bird’.
Before his death, Frost wrote a poem entitled ‘A Debt of Time’, in which he reflected on his own mortality. As the poem goes:
“I do not see why Death. Should ever take me,
From the sun in the sky
To the ground where I die.
I had a debt of time to pay
And here I’m free to stay.”
These words resonate poignantly, and many people worldwide continue to derive inspiration from Robert Frost’s work. Even today, his death is still mourned by the many fans of Frost’s work, each of whom has found a special connection to his words.
The Legacy of Robert Frost
Robert Frost is remembered for more than just his prodigious output of literature. Throughout his life, Frost actively supported young poets and he was instrumental in paving the way for a generation of post-modern and experimental poets. He contributed to the creative energy of the century through his economic introductions to literary events and by supporting new talent.
When Robert Frost received his honorary degree from Cambridge, he famously quipped: ‘A Liberal Arts degree is a dressing room where one can change from the drab workday clothes into the bravery of the effort of a better life’.
It was this deep-seated belief that propelled Frost to support numerous students, even providing them with financial aid when necessary. During his lifetime, Frost enabled many up-and-coming creative minds to bring their creative works to life. Without Frost’s intercession, many of these would have been unable to achieve great feats.
Frost also influenced a great many political figures. He was quite familiar with the former President of the United States, John F. Kennedy and was even invited to his inauguration in 1961. Frost expressed his disappointment with Kennedy’s presidency in his later works.
Frost’s reflections on death, time, and nature found in his poetry still have an invigorating effect on people of all backgrounds, even now. His posthumous works, such as ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ and ‘The Acorn and the Pump’, remain some of the most read and quoted works of all time. It is quite evident that Frost’s demise has not diminished his legacy as he continues to inspire and enlighten many aspiring writers worldwide.
Robert Frost’s Impact on the History of Literature
Robert Frost is remembered as one of the most renowned writers in the twentieth century. His works, which showed the inner-turmoil and uncertainty of twentieth-century life, have greatly influenced the development of the literary canon. Frost’s works, which often studied the intersection between human and nature, have had a lasting impact on the writing styles of many authors.
Frost’s writing style, known as modernist prose, has had a lasting impact on contemporary writers. He believed in using language economically and his minimalistic approach revolutionised the use of literary devices in literature. This style of writing had a tremendous influence on great authors such as Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck, who pioneered the American writing landscape in the 1920s and 1930s.
Frost’s minimalistic approach to writing has kept his work contemporary and popular. By condensing language and expressing concepts in a few simple words, he has allowed more people to enjoy his writings for free. Furthermore, Frost’s works are now often studied in classrooms and are widely read in many countries around the world.
Frost’s works have succeeded in capturing the fragility of life and the transitory nature of existence. His poetic musings resonated profoundly with the public, as Frost showcased the mysterious beauty of nature and the complexity of the human experience. An avid admirer of nature and seclusion, Frost is perhaps best remembered for his accurate – if often plaintive – portrayal of life and death.
Prominence of Robert Frost’s Writing
It’s easy to see why Robert Frost garnered an overwhelming level of prominence among English-speaking readers and writers. His works have opened the door to both sorrow and hope, allowing poets and readers alike to draw solace from his profound depiction of everyday miseries and the associated reality of life and death.
Frost wrote with a great passion, expressing his innermost thoughts while creating an emotional connection with the reader. This enabled his works to transcend cultural boundaries, finding favor among readers across the globe. He was a masterful storyteller, able to traverse layers of identity, language, and location to deliver a personal account of his own life and to evoke the old-world tales of his beloved New England villages.
Frost’s works often featured traditional storytelling techniques and frequently used symbols of nature to provide a sense of scale and objectivity for his poetic musings. In his later works, Frost combined these elements of nature with messages about modern life. His works were a reflection of the social and cultural movements taking place during his lifetime.
Though Frost was well aware that his writings would never fully replace the likes of classic American authors such as Mark Twain or Walt Whitman, his works nonetheless captivated the hearts and minds of modern readers, truly embodying the poetic spirit of contemporary American life.
Overview of Robert Frost’s Career
Though Robert Frost achieved success later in life, he began writing poetry in high school. After his college years in Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of Michigan, Frost returned to Massachusetts and worked as a free-lance poet and teacher. Soon, he traveled to England, where he quickly gained recognition for his works.
In England, Frost published two collections of poems, which marked the beginning of his illustrious career. The first collection, ‘A Boy’s Will’, was well received, even garnering attention from writers such as T.S. Eliot. The second volume, ‘North of Boston’, was also immensely popular, with several of his poems still being read today.
In 1916, Frost returned to the United States, and went on to publish six more collections of poems. In the following years, Frost won accolades for his writing, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry four times. He also taught at various universities and earned honorary degrees from a number of schools, including Cambridge University in 1938.
Frost was a driving force in the literary world and was even appointed a Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a post he held from 1958 to 1959. Frost also delivered an inaugural address for John F. Kennedy in 1961. This was the last public speech that Frost gave, and he died two years later, in 1963.
Conclusion
Robert Frost began writing poetry in the early 1900s and quickly rose to international fame. His posthumous influence has continued to ripple through the literary canon and many authors have sought inspiration from his works. To this day, his poetry has remained inspirational and thought-provoking, as millions around the world continue to be moved and inspired by Frost’s words.
