Free Essays on Robert Frost

In the first poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost vividly describes a freedom that many of us take for granted. He tells how he has decided to take the time to stop what he is doing and admire the snow as it falls in the woods and on a frozen lake. The man who owns these woods lives in the town and is ignorant of the beauty that they contain. He has not taken the time to notice how beautiful they are as the snow comes down. The owner of the woods, we’ll call him Bob, lives in the town and is busy living his life in the town. Bob will not notice because he takes for granted the fact that he is able to go look at the woods much like the author. â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† The persona is saying that he knows who owns the woods, but he won’t see him looking at the woods because he lives in the town. The author knows that B ob will not visit because he only owns the woods, he lives in the town and does not appreciate the beauty they possess or he would be there visiting them himself. The author is appreciating life and the freedom that he has while observing his own winter or the last stanza of his life as he watches the woods as they fill will snow. It is clear that the author (the persona of the poem) has chosen a life different from that of Bob. Bob has chosen the city life of materialistic things while the author has decided to take in the beauty of the world. His life has reached its winter, it’s end, and he is stopping â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow,† perhaps for the last time. He understands that he may not have much time left and he want to get as much as he can out of his life. He wants to see all the beauty that exists, whether it is in the woods or elsewhere. The mere simplicity of this peaceful scene brings him joy. However, the man who lives in the village doe... Free Essays on Robert Frost Free Essays on Robert Frost In the first poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost vividly describes a freedom that many of us take for granted. He tells how he has decided to take the time to stop what he is doing and admire the snow as it falls in the woods and on a frozen lake. The man who owns these woods lives in the town and is ignorant of the beauty that they contain. He has not taken the time to notice how beautiful they are as the snow comes down. The owner of the woods, we’ll call him Bob, lives in the town and is busy living his life in the town. Bob will not notice because he takes for granted the fact that he is able to go look at the woods much like the author. â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† The persona is saying that he knows who owns the woods, but he won’t see him looking at the woods because he lives in the town. The author knows that B ob will not visit because he only owns the woods, he lives in the town and does not appreciate the beauty they possess or he would be there visiting them himself. The author is appreciating life and the freedom that he has while observing his own winter or the last stanza of his life as he watches the woods as they fill will snow. It is clear that the author (the persona of the poem) has chosen a life different from that of Bob. Bob has chosen the city life of materialistic things while the author has decided to take in the beauty of the world. His life has reached its winter, it’s end, and he is stopping â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow,† perhaps for the last time. He understands that he may not have much time left and he want to get as much as he can out of his life. He wants to see all the beauty that exists, whether it is in the woods or elsewhere. The mere simplicity of this peaceful scene brings him joy. However, the man who lives in the village doe... Free Essays on Robert Frost Robert Frost Overview Robert Frost is considered one of the â€Å"most popular American poets of his time.† He won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times. Congress also voted him a gold medal, in â€Å"recognition of his poetry, which has enriched the culture of the United States and the philosophy of the world† (Costello 543). The poem â€Å"Birches† was first published in 1915 (Thomason 18). In Robert Frost’s â€Å"Birches,† the theme of reality vs. imagination is discovered through images of bent birches, symbolism of a boy swinging the trees, and the tone of words used. The conflict of reality vs. imagination is explored through images of bent birches. Reality is depicted as birches bending and cracking after a freezing rain from the ice that was left behind. Frost let’s the reader know that this is reality in lines 3-4: â€Å"I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay.† He tells the reader the real reason of what bent the birches in line 5 when he states â€Å"Ice-storms do that.† In the next six lines, Erica Smith notes, â€Å"we are inclined to view the ice storm negatively because Frost has used it to refute his hoped-for explanation in line three† (Smith 20). A couple of lines later Frost gives us an insight into how reality is: They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves. The birches are dragged to the floor and they don’t break. The situation is that after they are kept down for a long time they can never be straight again. They are permanently stuck in this â€Å"bowed† position. We can compare these three lines to our lives because reality is that although we have problems we don’t â€Å"break† or fall apart every time a problem arises. There is a point in lines fifteen and sixteen because when we have a huge problem that makes a big impact ... Free Essays on Robert Frost â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† is an excellent example of one of his darker pieces of writing. However, it can be examined in a positive as well as negative light. One can interpret the poem not only by considering the meaning of the words Frost uses in a literal sense but also by considering them as symbols. Whether considering the literal meaning or even the symbolic significance, each stanza seems to be responsible for delivering vital information as the poem develops. In â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening†, Robert Frost’s wording interpreted literally is the positive breakdown of the poem whereas deciphering the verbiage as symbols of his dark feelings is the negative analysis. Initially, the poem may convey more transcendental ideals and thus appearing to be understood on a literal level the positive side. In the first stanza, Frost is setting the scene and the mood by expressing the isolated local during a break in the travelers arduous journey; it is key to understand that this man does not want to be disturbed since he contentedly states, â€Å"He will not see me stopping here† (line 3). He stopped there to simply take a break and â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow† (line 4). The process of snow filling a wooded area is a time consuming event, therefore one is left to assume that the traveler is an avid admirer of this natural occurrence and would be content viewing the event in it’s entirety. It is also possible to consider the usage of words â€Å"fill up† as sending a positive feeling; possibly to be filled up in the sense that there is an abundance of love, joy or happiness in his life. Nevertheless, from the first verse, one may deduce that Frost’s message in the poem is going to be a positive one about the awe and beauty of nature. In the following verses, through the horse by his side, there is a humorous yet const... Free Essays on Robert Frost In the first poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost vividly describes a freedom that many of us take for granted. He tells how he has decided to take the time to stop what he is doing and admire the snow as it falls in the woods and on a frozen lake. The man who owns these woods lives in the town and is ignorant of the beauty that they contain. He has not taken the time to notice how beautiful they are as the snow comes down. The owner of the woods, we’ll call him Bob, lives in the town and is busy living his life in the town. Bob will not notice because he takes for granted the fact that he is able to go look at the woods much like the author. â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† The persona is saying that he knows who owns the woods, but he won’t see him looking at the woods because he lives in the town. The author knows that B ob will not visit because he only owns the woods, he lives in the town and does not appreciate the beauty they possess or he would be there visiting them himself. The author is appreciating life and the freedom that he has while observing his own winter or the last stanza of his life as he watches the woods as they fill will snow. It is clear that the author (the persona of the poem) has chosen a life different from that of Bob. Bob has chosen the city life of materialistic things while the author has decided to take in the beauty of the world. His life has reached its winter, it’s end, and he is stopping â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow,† perhaps for the last time. He understands that he may not have much time left and he want to get as much as he can out of his life. He wants to see all the beauty that exists, whether it is in the woods or elsewhere. The mere simplicity of this peaceful scene brings him joy. However, the man who lives in the village doe... Free Essays on Robert Frost A comparison of Robert Frost’s â€Å"Fire and Ice† and William Butler Yeats’s â€Å"The Second Coming† The purpose of this paper is to give equal illumination to two poems that contain a similar theme. That theme is the end of the world. They both depict the end of the world, but in very different ways. Frost depicts the end of the world as either being of fire or of ice. On the other hand Yeats depicts the end of the world as utter chaos and destruction. Therefore the two poems are similar in the end of the world theme but differ in the way the world ends. In Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Fire and Ice†, Frost describes the end of the world as either being fire or ice. He says that he does not care which way the world ends because he has seen both in his life. As he puts it â€Å"from what I have tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire†(3-4). What he is saying is that he does not fear dying in fire because fire is equated with desire. He feels that dying in desire is not too bad of a way to die. As most people now when something is done with desire there is always a â€Å"fire† that is burning inside. Also in â€Å"Fire and Ice† Frost says that â€Å"but if I had to die twice I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice† (5-9). What Frost is saying with this part of the poem is that if he could die twice he then choose the ice because he knows the hate that ice is equated with. When someone feels hate there is a general feeling of coldness or â€Å"Ice†. Frost is saying that he could stand dying through the coldness of hate. On the other end is William Butler Yeats’s poem â€Å"The Second Coming†. In this poem Yeats portrays the end of the world as a time of chaos and anarchy. The line â€Å"things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world†(4-5), sums up that his vision is that the world is going to begin to crumble and nothing will be left but ... Free Essays on Robert Frost A comparison of Robert Frost’s â€Å"Fire and Ice† and William Butler Yeats’s â€Å"The Second Coming† The purpose of this paper is to give equal illumination to two poems that contain a similar theme. That theme is the end of the world. They both depict the end of the world, but in very different ways. Frost depicts the end of the world as either being of fire or of ice. On the other hand Yeats depicts the end of the world as utter chaos and destruction. Therefore the two poems are similar in the end of the world theme but differ in the way the world ends. In Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Fire and Ice†, Frost describes the end of the world as either being fire or ice. He says that he does not care which way the world ends because he has seen both in his life. As he puts it â€Å"from what I have tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire†(3-4). What he is saying is that he does not fear dying in fire because fire is equated with desire. He feels that dying in desire is not too bad of a way to die. As most people now when something is done with desire there is always a â€Å"fire† that is burning inside. Also in â€Å"Fire and Ice† Frost says that â€Å"but if I had to die twice I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice† (5-9). What Frost is saying with this part of the poem is that if he could die twice he then choose the ice because he knows the hate that ice is equated with. When someone feels hate there is a general feeling of coldness or â€Å"Ice†. Frost is saying that he could stand dying through the coldness of hate. On the other end is William Butler Yeats’s poem â€Å"The Second Coming†. In this poem Yeats portrays the end of the world as a time of chaos and anarchy. The line â€Å"things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world†(4-5), sums up that his vision is that the world is going to begin to crumble and nothing will be left but ... Free Essays on Robert Frost In the first poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost vividly describes a freedom that many of us take for granted. He tells how he has decided to take the time to stop what he is doing and admire the snow as it falls in the woods and on a frozen lake. The man who owns these woods lives in the town and is ignorant of the beauty that they contain. He has not taken the time to notice how beautiful they are as the snow comes down. The owner of the woods, we’ll call him Bob, lives in the town and is busy living his life in the town. Bob will not notice because he takes for granted the fact that he is able to go look at the woods much like the author. â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† The persona is saying that he knows who owns the woods, but he won’t see him looking at the woods because he lives in the town. The author knows that B ob will not visit because he only owns the woods, he lives in the town and does not appreciate the beauty they possess or he would be there visiting them himself. The author is appreciating life and the freedom that he has while observing his own winter or the last stanza of his life as he watches the woods as they fill will snow. It is clear that the author (the persona of the poem) has chosen a life different from that of Bob. Bob has chosen the city life of materialistic things while the author has decided to take in the beauty of the world. His life has reached its winter, it’s end, and he is stopping â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow,† perhaps for the last time. He understands that he may not have much time left and he want to get as much as he can out of his life. He wants to see all the beauty that exists, whether it is in the woods or elsewhere. The mere simplicity of this peaceful scene brings him joy. However, the man who lives in the village doe... Free Essays on Robert Frost In the first poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost vividly describes a freedom that many of us take for granted. He tells how he has decided to take the time to stop what he is doing and admire the snow as it falls in the woods and on a frozen lake. The man who owns these woods lives in the town and is ignorant of the beauty that they contain. He has not taken the time to notice how beautiful they are as the snow comes down. The owner of the woods, we’ll call him Bob, lives in the town and is busy living his life in the town. Bob will not notice because he takes for granted the fact that he is able to go look at the woods much like the author. â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† The persona is saying that he knows who owns the woods, but he won’t see him looking at the woods because he lives in the town. The author knows that B ob will not visit because he only owns the woods, he lives in the town and does not appreciate the beauty they possess or he would be there visiting them himself. The author is appreciating life and the freedom that he has while observing his own winter or the last stanza of his life as he watches the woods as they fill will snow. It is clear that the author (the persona of the poem) has chosen a life different from that of Bob. Bob has chosen the city life of materialistic things while the author has decided to take in the beauty of the world. His life has reached its winter, it’s end, and he is stopping â€Å"To watch the woods fill up with snow,† perhaps for the last time. He understands that he may not have much time left and he want to get as much as he can out of his life. He wants to see all the beauty that exists, whether it is in the woods or elsewhere. The mere simplicity of this peaceful scene brings him joy. However, the man who lives in the village doe... Free Essays on Robert Frost â€Å"Home Burial† describes a man and his wife dealing with a death in the family. Specifically, the death is that of a small child. The man proposes getting over the death quickly and not dwelling on it, while his wife continues to mourn and question. The man just can’t seem to understand that his wife can’t simply move on after the child’s death. His wife refuses to talk to her husband about what she is feeling and he resents that fact and wants her to talk with him. â€Å"’Don’t- don’t go. Don’t carry it to someone else this time. Tell me about it if it’s something human. Let me into your grief’† (Home Burial, 29). Frost shows a man afraid to let his wife go. He is afraid that she will leave and find someone else to talk to about this while he wants to be the person she turns to. He has so much trouble saying this, though, that his wife almost walks out the door. He has to let his old self di e and be vulnerable to his new self which wants to show his wife how much he loves her and cares for her. â€Å"’I do think, though, you overdo it a little. What was it brought you up to think it the thing to take your mother-loss of a first child so inconsolably- in the face of love. You’ think his memory might be satisfied- ‘† (Home Burial, 29). As much as the man wants to change and as much as he wants his wife to know that he cares for her he still can’t let his old self die off completely. His son has died and he can’t stop telling his wife to quit mourning. He doesn’t see any purpose in it and therefore doesn’t want his wife to do it either. â€Å"’You could sit there with the stains on your shoes of the fresh earth from your own baby’s grave and talk about your everyday concerns’ . . . ‘Three foggy mornings and one rainy day will rot the best birch fence a man can build’† (H ome Burial, 30). This man’s son has died and he has just finished burying him in the back yard. He come...