Robert Frost, named one of the greatest poets in American literary history, was extensively renowned for his lyrical depiction of rural life and for his use of bright and endearing imagery. His fame extended far and wide, but who was the woman standing behind a man of such great accomplishments? Her name was Elinor White, Frost’s wife from 1895 to 1938.
The couple’s marriage came about rather unexpectedly for both. Elinor was engaged to a young banker named Edwin Ladd when Frost made his appearance. After just a few meetings, Elinor found herself strongly attracted to Frost and eventually deciding that he was the one she wanted to marry. Soon after, Elinor left Ladd and married Frost in December of 1895.
Throughout the forty-three years that they were married, Elinor supported Robert Frost in nearly all aspects of his life, both financially and creatively. She provided shelter and encouragement as he wrote some of his most famous works, such as “Mending Wall”, “The Road Not Taken”, and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Their marriage became something of a refuge for Frost during the tumultuousness of unsatisfying relationships and unbearable societal pressure.
When Robert was not writing poetry, the couple tended to their farmhouse in Derry, New Hampshire, where Frost was also able to take care of his young children. Tales of their peace and bliss at home together made it difficult for anyone to believe that the couple was experiencing unrest and disagreements. However, upon Elinor’s death in 1938, Frost wrote in his epitaph a line from Matthew 13:23: “What might have been the gain of it?”, hinting at the unresolved issues they may have had while they were married.
Regardless of the distressing matters of their marriage, Robert Frost and Elinor White made their own history. Although Frost’s notoriety as a poet provided him with much recognition, Elinor White stood as his equal, providing him with the resources he needed to become the influential poet he is known to be today.
The Struggles of the Marriage
When Elinor White married Robert Frost she was aware of the struggles that lay ahead. As Frost’s popularity increased, the couple began to experience a greater amount of tension. The public attention shifted more and more away from his wife and more towards his poetry, and Elinor felt a disdain for the attention Frost received. Eventually the couple started to have disagreements over Frost’s writing and what Frost deemed socially moral. This tension began to consume their marriage, as Elinor increasingly felt left out of Robert’s life.
The couple often fought about Frost’s input on his children’s upbringing. Elinor strongly believed in traditional, Victorian values and methods of raising children, while Frost’s ideas were often more lenient and unorthodox. This caused a great amount of tension between the couple and between Frost and his children.
The couple’s relationship become even more strained after Frost’s affair with Kay Morrison in London. Elinor felt a deep resentment toward her husband, and it seemed clear that the marriage was in jeopardy. Frost and Elinor were still married up until two years prior to Elinor’s death, but the marriage had become increasingly strained and distant.
While Frost was very inspiring and encouraging in many aspects, he was also continuing to stray away from his wife. The couple’s relationship seemed unlike any other, taking turns for the better and for the worse from the beginning. In spite of all the things that the couple had gone through and all of the hardships that had ensued, Elinor continued to always be by her husband’s side until the end.
The Impact of Elinor’s Influence on Frost’s Poetic Writing
It is without a doubt that Elinor White’s presence in Robert Frost’s life had a great impact on his writing. Elinor was a symbol of refuge for Robert Frost, an escape from the public’s view and an escape from the vividness of Frost’s imagination. Elinor was an influential figure in Robert Frost’s life, and it was her writing style that sparked Frost’s interest in poetry in the first place.
Elinor was the one who often critiqued Frost’s work and worked with him to ensure a perfect structure and message for all of his poems. Without her insight and feedback, much of Robert Frost’s writing may have gone nowhere. Elinor managed to motivate and encourage Frost in ways that only someone of her understanding could, and without this extra boost, Robert Frost’s writing may have not been as grand and successful.
In some of Robert Frost’s poems, one can make out a sense of longing and a search to reach and spend quality time with Elinor. The famous poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is thought to represent Frost’s internal struggle with his marital life, and the snowy woods could be an image of the chilliness of his relationship with Elinor. Nonetheless, Elinor inspired a wealth of emotion in Frost’s writing, from sorrow to love and from joy to relaxation.
Elinor White contributed to one of the most iconic and influential poets of the 20th century. Without her, Robert Frost would not have been able to produce the pieces that he did upon Elinor’s encouragement and support. Robert Frost’s marriage to Elinor White was the foundation for his writing and a safe haven for his success, and it will go down in history as one of the most important and successful literary relationships of all time.
Elinor’s Life After Marriage with Robert Frost
After Elinor White’s marriage with Robert Frost was officially severed two years prior to her death, Elinor continued to live a meaningful life. Although spending only seven years without Robert by her side, Elinor was determined to make her presence still be felt. She worked to connect with her old friends, many of whom shared her literature and poetry interests. With the help of her support system, Elinor led a relatively happy life in her later years.
During the years of World War II, Elinor showed a tremendous amount of strength as she faced this bleak period step by step. Elinor kept notes of her thoughts during this time, illustrating her growing understanding of the world around her. It is apparent that her contemplative attitude brought much needed courage and comfort to her in difficult times. The notes also managed to capture colorfully vivid details, which gives an interesting insight into her life following her marriage with Robert Frost.
Although Elinor’s relationship with Robert Frost was often characterized by grief, Elinor was able to move on from their marriage and lead a life on her own. She kept writing and during her lifetime published a few of her own works Mad Girl’s Lament and Fire and Ice, where she drew on her own experiences as a married woman. In her later years, Elinor tried to find some sense of peace and cohesion in her life, and strived to bring her life full circle. Her ability to restore her life and continuing her beautiful works of literature even after her turbulent marriage with Robert Frost shows Elinor’s truly admirable strength.
The Legacy of the Marriage
Robert Frost and Elinor White’s marriage, both during their marriage and after, has left an ever-abiding mark in literary history. Robert’s unconventional and sometimes difficult to comprehend poems have influenced many. Similarly, Elinor’s works provide comfort to many married women and have become symbols of inspiration and perseverance.
The couple and their works have often times been referred to as a representation of the what it means to be a married couple. From their journey in finding one another, to dealing with the public pressure, to the sometimes captivating and sometimes sorrowful moments of their marriage, Robert and Elinor have managed to touch the hearts of many.
Although the couple was never able to restore their marriage, the legacy that they left has forever entangled itself with literature, providing an interesting and enlightening look into the intricacies of love, loss, and all that marriage can bring. Robert and Elinor Frost have had a stimulating influence on the world and will continue to create inspiring art that cannot be replicated.
Frost and Elinor’s Raising of their Children
Robert Frost and Elinor White, although having a somewhat tumultuous marriage, managed to raise a respectable and successful family. Elinor had a great influence on the way their four children were raised, and their upbringing had a significant impact on their children’s successes later in life.
Elinor instilled in her children a strong confident work ethic. She taught them the importance of education while also pushing them to explore many fields in order to find what they were best suited for. Elinor had a strong moral compass, and she made sure to influence the moral and ethical values of her children as well. She was determined that each of her four children had access to good education and that they would become successful in both their academic and professional lives.
Based on the legacy of the four children and the numerous successes their upbringings incited, it can be seen that the values of the Frost and White family were the foundation from which their children grew. Elinor was the perfect role model for each of her four children, and her stability and nurturing allowed them to flourish.
Through Elinor and Robert’s raising endeavors, their children became some of the most renowned and respected figures in society. Robert’s eldest son, Elliot, was an English teacher and a professor of English at Dartmouth College. Irma, their oldest daughter, was a teacher of deaf children. They also had two other children, Lesley and Elinor Bettina, both of which showed success in their fields of interest. As a testament to their parents’ hard work in raising them, each of the Frost children lived a successful and well-fulfilled life.
The Unexplored Depths of the Marriage
Although much speculation has been put out there as to what characterizes the marriage between Robert and Elinor Frost, there is still so much left unknown. It can be hard to grasp what was going through the couple’s minds and what their relationship truly looked like from the inside. Elinor and Robert’s marriage was a deep and complex story that one can only begin to imagine.
Many of their struggles and disagreements may appear melodramatic and typical of a marriage. But one cannot diminish what great hardships the couple had to face in order to make their relationship work. From the long-distance separations to the inspirations from nature, from the constant changes in their children’s lives to changes in lifestyles and society, Robert and Elinor experienced a depth of issues that have yet to be explored.
It is not until one digs deeper into the meanings of the couple’s poems and anecdotes that one can appreciate the vastness of the marriage’s complexity and beauty. Robert and Elinor may have not shared a storybook ending, but the journey that they took together was one of love, success, and respect.
