Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California. He was the son of Isabelle Moodie and William Prescott Frost, Jr., a journalist and educator. Frost’s father was sent to the San Francisco Bay Area in April 1873 by Harvard University to teach English composition at the California School of Design, and took a job teaching elementary school before the couple settled in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Frost attended Lawrence High School and was part of a small group of students who called themselves the “Ring and Buckel Club,” whose members discussed religion, philosophy and literature.
In 1892, Frost enrolled in Harvard College, but he found the atmosphere oppressive and left without graduating. He returned to Lawrence, where he taught and studied privately. He published a book of poems, A Boy’s Will, in 1913, and the collection was well-received by critics. This book established Frost as a modern poet of considerable stature and changed the course of his artistic career.
Frost won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for his second collection of poems, New Hampshire. His work gained him widespread acclaim and popularity, and he was recognized as one of America’s greatest twentieth-century poets. Frost received honorary degrees from a number of colleges and universities, including Harvard, Dartmouth, and Yale. In addition, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his lifetime of service to American letters.
In 1956, Frost became Poet Laureate of the United States, and although he was very ill at the time, he accepted the prestigious post. Frost traveled extensively throughout his career, giving readings in England, Scotland, France, Canada, and the United States. In 1938, he was the first American poet to read at the Library of Congress, and he was invited to read four times afterwards—in 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1962. He also wrote more than 20 books of poetry, as well as plays and essays.
Frost passed away at the age of 88 on January 29, 1963, in Boston, Massachusetts. His funeral was attended by President John F. Kennedy, who gave the eulogy. Frost is buried in the Old Bennington Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont. He is remembered as one of America’s greatest poets, and his work has continued to be widely read and celebrated.
Early Years
Frost’s early years were spent in Lawrence and Amherst, Massachusetts. There, he was inspired by a natural and rural environment, attending school for periods of time before being withdrawn for poor attendance. During his schooling, Frost was exposed to the works of Emerson, Thoreau, Longfellow, and the poetry of William Wordsworth and Robert Burns, all of whom had a lasting influence on his writing. Frost also spent time in the library, exploring and reading from books, finding solace from his tumultuous home life in the poem composition and verse of the time
At age 18, Frost married Elinor White, with whom he had six children. All of the couple’s children graduated from college, and Frost built a farmhouse in Franconia, New Hampshire, where he and his family lived in-between periods of time traveling and visiting relatives throughout the country. Frost traveled extensively, lecturing and participating in public readings, and was often accompanied by his wife.
In 1912, Frost published his first book of poetry, A Boy’s Will, which many regard as one of his greatest works. The book explored nature, love, and a sense of moral code for living that Frost held closely. The poems display a lyrical simplicity as he often utilized nature-based imagery, such as trees, sky, and flowers, to illustrate his philosophical points. Frost’s writing was also known for its curious mixture of cynicism and optimism.
From his early work and throughout his career, Frost frequently returned to the theme of the fragility of life. His works examine the balance between harmony and the chaos of life. In his poems, he posed the struggles of everyday humanity, often revolving around the accidents and events of his own life.
Frost’s style bridged the distinct dialect of rural New England and the language of the literary world. His lyricism and pensive exploration of life’s most intrinsic questions drew praise from many, including his fellow members of the modernist movement.
Creating Works
Frost was a prolific writer during his lifetime. His writing merits many different themes and concepts, seeing him often experiment with different poetic forms, such as the sonnet, villanelle, and blank verse.
In addition to exploring themes about mortality and the human condition, Frost wrote about a variety of love stories, including his own courtship with Elinor White, as well as his observations on the relationships of others. His observations of the natural world and its relationship to humans resulted in works that examined the spiritual and emotional presence of nature.
Frost wrote of the changing nature of society, often seen through his perspective of rural New England life. Frost particularly focused on the human mind in his writings, and how both emotional turmoil and the desire for understanding can be found in nature. Frost was a master of blending the universal world of nature with the personal, often writing of the particular concerns of being an individual in the modern world.
Furthermore, Frost explored the use of language, drawing on the power of metaphor and similes to create vivid scenes and imagery, resulting in meaningful poetry filled with insight.
Frost’s writing was filled with a particular appreciation for the English language while also capturing the nuances of common speech and dialogue, often acting as a bridge between literary and conversational styles.
Fame and Awards
Frost gained widespread acclaim in the 1920s, as his work caught the attention of high society and mainstream audiences alike. His poems highlighted the universality of common human experience and emotions, drawing people to his writings both for their story and for their style.
Frost won the Pulitzer prize four times for his collections New Hampshire (1923), Collected Poems (1931), A Further Range (1937), and A Witness Tree (1943). He was also honored with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 1960, followed by the appointment of Poet Laureate of the United States in 1961.
Frost toured the United States extensively and was lauded by audiences in both the United States and other countries. He also lectured at universities and appeared at literary festivals, furthering his reputation as one of the most esteemed poets of his time.
Frost was recognized for both his writing and his public speaking, often giving presentations in schools and universities such as Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, and Yale. His charisma, speech, and poetry frequently captivated his audience, many of whom would proclaim him as among the top poetic practitioners in the United States.
Moreover, Frost was a major influence on some of his contemporaries, including Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, and William Carlos Williams, receiving praise and recognition even beyond his death in 1963.
Legacy and Influence
Frost continues to be recognized as a major figure in American literature and thought. His analysis of life, particular in terms of the ebb and flow between nature and the human soul, continue to be inspiring to new readers who approach his work with a fresh perspective.
Frost’s ability to bridge the gap between common language and the power of the written word had a tremendous impact on those who encountered his work, as his examination of death still resonates today with his philosophical musings about love and mortality. Frost’s works have been celebrated for their authenticity, wit, and ability to make his readers ponder the greater meaning of life.
Frost’s work has been kept alive in the popular imagination through adaptations of his poetry in film and on television. He is honored through statues, memorials, and sculptures in New England, such as the Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site in Derry, New Hampshire. He is also commemorated through numerous awards and fellowships in his name.
Robert Frost remains one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, and his writings continue to captivate readers with its timelessness and powerful reflections on the nature of life.
