Robert Frost was an American poet born in San Francisco, California on March 26th, 1874. He is famous for his nature-inspired poetry, which often features themes of vivid imagery and rural New England life. Frost lived in many places throughout his life, with a strong focus on the U.S. east coast. In December of 1894, at the age of 20, he moved to Massachusetts and went on to live the greater part of his life in the rural and small-town New England area.
Frost first settled in Lawrence, MA, in 1895, where he began to embrace his writing style. Before long, he released his first book of poetry, A Boy’s Will, in 1913 – a collection which included his famed “Mending Wall” poem. By this time, Frost had also married Elinor White and the couple moved to Franconia, NH, which was to remain their home for the next several years.
In 1915, Frost received an honorary degree from the University of Michigan, leading the couple to relocate to Beaconsfield, Massachusetts, near Amherst College, where Elinor worked as a librarian. Three years later, in 1918, Frost’s work was published in the iconic Atlantic Monthly, cementing his place in literature and setting him up for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923.
He and Elinor moved to Plymouth, NH in 1920, where they lived in a small cottage while Frost taught at Plymouth Teachers College. The couple moved back to Massachusetts shortly thereafter, taking up residence the same year in Cambridge. They stayed in the area for nearly a decade, which included the publication of Frost’s New Hampshire: A Poem with Drawings in 1924.
In 1928, Frost moved to London, following the death of Elinor and the publication of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, West-Running Brook. During his stay in London, he released a second series of books, New Hampshire: A Poem with Drawings. He returned to the U.S. in 1938, where he was appointed the Consultant of Poetry to the Library of Congress – a post he held for two years.
Frost eventually returned to Franconia, NH, where he wrote some of his most famous poetry and continued to gain national attention. In 1947, he received the Bollingen Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress. He was given an honorary degree from Harvard in 1941, and received the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest civilian honor in the U.S. – in 1960, only six months before his death.
Robert Frost and the New England Lifestyle
Robert Frost celebrated life in small-town and rural New England with his poetry, and in particular his book, New Hampshire: A Poem with Drawings. In the book, Frost celebrates the lifestyle he has adopted since his arrival in the East Coast region in 1894, celebrating the people, the culture and the scenery. This book was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1924, and humbly accepted by Frost as “the poet’s highest reward” – a representation of his immense talent.
Frost was able to draw inspiring details from his surroundings and express them in his poetry. He often wrote about the interaction between the human world and the natural one, as well as individual responses to those experiences. His travels through New England allowed him to explore the area, learning from its people and taking in the beauty of nature – while also documenting it in his art. His depictions of the region are both humorous and emotional, often mirroring the ways in which life was changing as the area began to rapidly urbanize.
Aside from his poetry, Frost also wrote several essays and articles exploring the regional culture in depth. His lyrical style – full of rhetorical devices, imagery, and allusions – captured the essence of the New England lifestyle for many years. Readers of his poetry were able to generate a mental image of this rural way of life, exploring vast tracts of land and experiencing the untamed wilderness around every corner.
For many lovers of poetry, Frost’s work is a reminder of the human connection to nature and the power of creativity. His words live on in New England today, and the themes of his work still resonate with readers around the world.
New England Influences on Robert Frost
In addition to his influential body of work, Robert Frost also earned a reputation as an articulate speaker on American culture and values. As Frost helped to shape the rural culture in New England, so too did the region contribute to his own life and writing. The people of New England deeply influenced his words, his character, and his sense of purpose. From stories of the local history to tales of travelers, Frost found endless inspiration in the culture of the region.
Frost was deeply immersed in nature, often taking long walks alone in the woods, and he credited the landscape with giving him peace of mind and clarity of thought. Life in rural New England provided a sense of freedom, allowing Frost to truly explore and appreciate the beauty of the surrounding nature. His work was often directly inspired by the land, as Frost detailed the various features of the countryside in all four seasons. This close-up view of the landscape further inspired Frost to draw analogies between the physical world and the spiritual and metaphysical worlds.
Moreover, Frost’s reflections of the changing nature of rural New England, particularly with the transition from small farmsteads to urban and industrialized areas, revealed an understanding and appreciation of the area’s unique culture. He was a keen observer of the people he encountered, and his writing often served as a form of social commentary, highlighting the struggles of the new, post-industrial world. Frost’s poetic depiction of the resilience of New England culture has been an ongoing source of inspiration for many writers and readers.
Robert Frost and His Impact on the New England Literary Landscape
Robert Frost’s effect on the literary landscape of New England is undeniable. His career began in the early 20th century, when he submitted pieces of his writing to The Independent and the Atlantic Monthly. The publications gave him an opportunity to share his work with a larger audience, and eventually, he became an established poet in the New England area.
Frost was capable of capturing the spirit of the region in his work, and his work has served as an homage to the culture of New England for the past century. His style and themes of rural life, nature and human connection remain as poignant and relevant today as they were when he first wrote them. For many people, his poems are an expression of comfort, encapsulating the traits of the region they’ve grown up in, or a place they’ve once called home.
Frost’s influence is seen and felt in the work of many poets today. He was a master of capturing emotion in his words, and his literature often speaks to themes of loss, struggle or joy. His imagery and narratives have provided a foundation for much of today’s works, helping to shape the voices of those who may have otherwise been overlooked.
The legacy of Robert Frost lives on in New England today, helping to keep alive the spirit of the region. His work captures the essence of the rural lifestyle and serves as a reminder of New England’s impact on our cultural and literary landscape
