Robert Frost

by Roberta Sell

Robert Frost’s poetry has made a remarkable impact upon the literary world, connecting with readers for over ninety years.

The poet’s lengthy and eventful life began in San Francisco, California, in 1874. His parents had a less-than-perfect marriage. His father was an alcoholic, and died when Robert was only eleven. The family moved to New England, where Robert grew up and graduated high school as co-valedictorian with the woman who would later become his wife. Though he enrolled in two different colleges, Frost never graduated. His first poem was published in 1894, in a New York journal. He married the following year, and the couple had their first child in 1896. Robert Frost’s life was riddled with devastating events. His first child died at the age of four, his sixth child (fourth daughter) died as an infant. One daughter died after having a child, and his son committed suicide in 1940. Two of his daughters endured messy divorces, his own marriage was sometimes rocky, and his sister was institutionalized. Frost himself died at age ninety-nine. Thankfully on the literary level, he was able to enjoy some happiness and astounding success, including receiving four Pulitzer Prizes.

Frost’s first book of poetry A Boy’s Will (1913) is "for the most part heavily reminiscent of the Romantic poets, especially Keats and Shelley" (Literature Online). He went on to compose three more books of poetry, all which became popular. His books contain poetry with varying themes and concepts. The language he uses is aesthetically pleasing, but not too lofty. Many of his poems are intellectual yet are able to connect to the reader, because they deal with realistic issues people can relate to. His poem "Canis Major" provides such an example; its last stanza reads, "I’m a poor underdog, / But tonight I will bark / With the great Overdog / That romps through the dark." The speaker compares himself to a constellation. Frost creates a clear connection between man and the universe.

Many of Frost’s speakers interact with nature. His poem "Dust of Snow" depicts a speaker who admits that the simple act of a bird loosening snow from a tree so that it lands on him is enough to make his day. "Has given my heart A change of mood / And save some part / Of a day I had rued." These poems are pleasant to read and rather light-hearted, but some of Frost’s poetry creates a more serious mood.

The poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" carries a somewhat somber tone. On the surface, the beauty of the poem is enhanced by many of the literary devices common in Frost’s work. Each stanza exists in a rhyming format which makes the lines flow more smoothly, and the lines use a great deal of alliteration (the ‘w’s in the first line, ‘h’s in the second, ‘s’s in the third, ect.). When examining the poem on a deeper, more critical level, is becomes apparent that there is a strongly suggested meaning. The last stanza suggests that the speaker is tempted stay in the wintry woods and die, but recalls his obligations in life and decides to continue on. "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep" (Barnet 462). The word sleep in the poem could very well be intended to symbolize death.

Robert Frost made an essential contribution to the canon of American poetry. The beauty and quality of his work makes it easy to see why he should be valued and studied. The way that his words can speak to a universal audience and generations of appreciative readers proves that he is a legendary poet.

Works Cited

Frost, Robert. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Literature for Composition, 5^th ed. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, et al. New York: Longman, 2000.

Literature Online. "Robert Frost Biography." www.occawonline.org.  Online. 5 Dec. 2003.