Thinking Activity- Robert Frost's Poems

 This blog is written in response to the thinking activity on the Poems of Robert Frost given by Megha Ma’am at the Department of English, MKBU.

Robert Frost (1874–1963)

Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco. His father was  William Prescott Frost Jr. and his mother, Isabelle Moodie. He studied at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire in 1892 and, later, at Harvard University, though he never earned a formal degree.

Frost tried his hand in various jobs  after leaving school, working as a teacher, cobbler, and editor of the Lawrence Sentinel. His first published poem, “My Butterfly,” appeared on November 8, 1894 in the New York newspaper The Independent.

Robert Frost Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.

Robert Frost wrote more than 100 poems in his literary career and had mastered blank verse. The main theme of Robert Frost’s  poetry was Self-Knowledge Through Nature.The Natural figures prominently throughout Frost's poetry usually include a moment of interaction or encounter between a human speaker and a natural subject or phenomenon.

Various Achievements of Robert Frost:

• Pulitzer Prize for Poetry:(Four Pulitzer prize)- 
• 1924 for New Hampshire: A Poem With Notes and Grace Notes
• 1931 for Collected Poems
• 1937 for A Further Range
• 1943 for A Witness Tree
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Poetry- 1939
• Robert Frost Medal- 1941
• United States Poet Laureate- 1958
• Congressional Gold Medal- 1960(for his poetical works.)
• Bollingen Prize- 1963

Writing Style of Frost

• His poems were simple and with clarity.

• His poetry had Conversational tone. 

•     exp. The Death of the Hired Man.

• He used the poetic concept of Onomatopoeia.

• His  poetry was narrative and dramatic.

• He wrote mostly in Blank verse, and also he liked the rhyme  scheme of ABAB and ABAC.

Robert Frost's famous Poems :

• The Wood-Pile
• Tree at My Window
• Desert Places
• Mending Wall
• A Time to Talk
• To Earthward
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
• The Freedom of the Moon
• Birches
• The Road Not Taken
• The Death of the Hired Man
• Out, Out 
• The Runaway

(1)Out, out..

Out, Out— is a narrative poem written by Robert Frost, published in 1916. The poem describes a tragic event in which a young boy is killed in a freak accident while working with a buzz saw.

The poem begins with a description of the boy cutting wood with a buzz saw. The speaker notes that the boy is working late into the evening, and that he is tired and wants to rest. The speaker then describes the moment of the accident, in which the buzz saw cuts into the boy's hand and the boy "leaps" away from it. The speaker notes that the boy's sister cries out in terror, and the poem ends with the narrator's reflections on the tragedy of the boy's death.

The poem is written in a conversational tone, with the narrator speaking directly to the reader. This creates an intimate connection between the narrator and the reader, which helps to emphasize the tragedy of the boy's death. Frost uses vivid imagery to portray the horror of the accident. He also employs a metaphor to describe the buzz saw as a "devilish" force that ruthlessly causes the boy's death.

The poem is written in Blank Verse and is a type of narrative poem that tells a tragic story. The poem also makes use of symbolism, as the buzz saw is a symbol for the dangers of industrialization and the exploitation of children. The poem is also a commentary on the fragility of life, and the suddenness with which death can come. The tragedy of the poem is heightened by the fact that the boy's death is caused by a careless accident, making it seem even more senseless and wasteful.

The title of the poem is an allusion to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. The way the poem goes is like "Out, out, brief candle ..." in the Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow soliloquy. Macbeth is shocked to hear of his wife's death and comments on the brevity of life. It refers to how unpredictable and fragile life is.

It is in the next section of 'Out, Out—' that the climax of the poem takes shape. The sister comes to stand beside her brother and tell him that it's time to stop work and come in and have supper. As if reacting to the sister's words, the saw jumps and cuts the boy's handoff.

Imagery is used all over the poem “Out, Out.” Frost's use of symbolism in the poem is significant because of Frost's writing style. When the dead boy's friends, neighbors, and family “were not the one dead, turned to their affairs” (line 39) symbolizes that most people, once dead, are forgotten in time.

(2)The Death of the Hired Man

The Death of the Hired Man is a poem by Robert Frost that tells the story of a hired man, Silas, who returns to his home after a long absence. The poem begins with a description of the hired man's return, and it quickly becomes clear that the family is not happy about his return. The poem then moves into a discussion of the family's feelings and memories of Silas, and how they are conflicted between welcoming him back and wanting to send him away. The poem ends with a description of Silas' death and the family's realization that they are now responsible for his burial.

The poem is an exploration of the conflicting emotions of love, loyalty, and obligation that can exist within a family. Frost uses a tone of sadness and regret to explore these emotions and to suggest that sometimes the best thing to do is to accept the inevitable. The poem also suggests that death is a part of life, and that its permanence can cause us to reflect on our actions and relationships.

The poem employs a number of poetic devices to express its themes. These include imagery, symbolism, and alliteration. The imagery of the hired man's return is used to create a sense of sadness and helplessness, while the symbolism of the hired man's death is used to suggest the permanence of death and the need to accept it. Finally, the alliteration of "hired man," "home," and "heart" suggest a connection between the hired man and the family, and emphasize the importance of their relationship.

Ultimately, The Death of the Hired Man is a poem that uses a variety of poetic techniques to explore the themes of love, loyalty, and obligation. Through its imagery, symbolism, and alliteration, Frost is able to effectively express the conflicting emotions of the family, and to suggest that death is a part of life that must be accepted.