Reading Poetry: Review Read Aloud Rhyme scheme Punctuation Pace Language Unfamiliar words Word choice Figurative language or imagery Subject matter Sound effects Structure Mood or Tone Meaning

Robert Frost Poetry

Poems To Be Covered: A Time to Talk The Tuft of Flowers Mending Wall Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening The Road Not Taken

Biography Robert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874. After his father died when he was 11, his family moved to New England, where his grandparents lived.

Biography Frost wished to remove the elitism from poetry. He disliked poetry where lines were only meaningful if you had read obscure books. This feeling most likely stems from the fact that, in spite of his intelligence, Frost was a college dropout who came from an unprivileged background. Frost had not settled into college life. He did not take to fraternity life and hated being apart from Elinor.

Biography Frost supported his family through work on various farms and through teaching. In 1912, Frost and his family moved to England, where, with the money he got from selling his farm, he was able to devote himself entirely to writing. His efforts to establish himself and his work were almost immediately successful. Favourable reviews on both sides of the Atlantic resulted in Frost’s reputation as a leading poet. Frost moved back to America in 1915 where, with the money he got from book sales enabled him to buy a farm in New Hampshire. In 1924 he received a Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Nominated for the Nobel Prize 31 times! The Nobel Prize in Literature (Swedish: Nobelpriset i litteratur) is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel, which are awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology or medicine.[1] As dictated by Nobel's will, the award is administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by a committee that consists of five members elected by the Swedish Academy.[2] 

Biography During the 1930’s, as he become ever more honoured as a poet, Frost endured a terrible series of family disasters. In 1934 his youngest and best loved child, Marjorie, died a slow death from a fever she contracted while having her first child. In 1938 his wife Elinor died suddenly of a heart attack. And just as he seemed to be pulling things together once more, his son Carol committed suicide in 1940. Another daughter, Irma, suffered from mental disorders and was finally institutionalised.

Biography In his work, Frost found the greatest meaning in the natural world. Shunning the modern world of the city, Frost relied upon the natural surroundings of his various farms to provide him with inspiration and symbols. But he always refused to be classified as a nature poet, insisting his poems contained so much more. However, the appeal of Robert Frost to so many people during his lifetime and afterwards, was the connection he allowed them to an almost forgotten world of nature in a modern world of cities and industry.

A Time to Talk Robert Frost When a friend calls to me from the road  And slows his horse to a meaning walk,  I don't stand still and look around  On all the hills I haven't hoed,  And shout from where I am, What is it?  No, not as there is a time to talk.  I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,  Blade-end up and five feet tall,  And plod: I go up to the stone wall  For a friendly visit.

A Time to Talk Robert Frost When a friend calls to me from the road  And slows his horse to a meaning walk,  I don't stand still and look around  On all the hills I haven't hoed,  And shout from where I am, What is it?  No, not as there is a time to talk.  I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,  Blade-end up and five feet tall,  And plod: I go up to the stone wall  For a friendly visit. Rhyme scheme? Punctuation? How do the irregular rhyme scheme and punctuation impact the pace? Vocabulary? Imagery and figurative language? Word Choice? What is the tone? What does the tone imply about the speaker? Does the tone match the subject?

A Time to Talk Robert Frost When a friend calls to me from the road  And slows his horse to a meaning walk,  I don't stand still and look around  On all the hills I haven't hoed,  And shout from where I am, What is it?  No, not as there is a time to talk.  I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,  Blade-end up and five feet tall,  And plod: I go up to the stone wall  For a friendly visit. Interpretation: what is the theme? What elements of the poem lead you to that interpretation? Can we express the theme as a statement that will be relevant today? “Bros before Hoes” -Robert Frost, 1961

The Tuft of Flowers

What do we remember about Robert Frost (in particular, his style)? REVIEW What should we look for and keep in mind when reading, analyzing and interpreting poetry? Punctuation Effect on pace (or tempo) Effect on mood or tone Used to emphasize key words, phrases and ideas Rhyme Scheme Effect on pace Effect on rhythm Language Use of figurative language Imagery/descriptive language Specific word choice Unfamiliar words Sound Devices Content/Subject Matter Impact on mood and meaning Poetic Form and Structure Patterns within lines Stanzas Effect on meter (rhythm) Meaning/Theme What do we remember about Robert Frost (in particular, his style)? Style: Accessible to all Easy to read and interpret Usually includes connection to the natural world, but always had a point or message that applied to anyone He could find BIG meaning in little moments or small things

The Tuft of Flowers I went to turn the grass once after one Who mowed it in the dew before the sun. The dew was gone that made his blade so keen Before I came to view the levelled scene. I looked for him behind an isle of trees; I listened for his whetstone on the breeze. But he had gone his way, the grass all mown, And I must be, as he had been,--alone, `As all must be,’ I said within my heart, `Whether they work together or apart.'

The Tuft of Flowers I went to turn the grass once after one Who mowed it in the dew before the sun. The dew was gone that made his blade so keen Before I came to view the levelled scene. I looked for him behind an isle of trees; I listened for his whetstone on the breeze. But he had gone his way, the grass all mown, And I must be, as he had been,--alone, `As all must be,’ I said within my heart, `Whether they work together or apart.' What do you notice about how is this poem organized? Form or structure? Rhyme scheme? Meter? Punctuation 1st and 2nd stanza? What effect does it have on pace and tone? 3rd stanza—what changes? What effect does it have? 4th stanza? What is unique about the punctuation at the end of this stanza? What does it create? What effect does it have on the last word? Analyze: How has the pace of the poem changed? How has the mood or tone of the speaker changed? How is this changed created by the mechanics of the poem? Interpret: What is the tone at the end of the 5th stanza? What is the message?

The Tuft of Flowers Paraphrase: The speaker comes to a field to turn the grass another man has cut. Before beginning his work, the speaker looks for the mower but he is already gone. The speaker resigns himself to the fact that he must get on with his work alone, just as the mower had to do. He is left feeling dejected and comes to the conclusion that we are all ultimately alone. However, just as he thinks this a butterfly goes by and distracts him.

On Your Own Read and paraphrase the remainder of the poem, stanza by stanza Interpret: What is the purpose of this poem—what is the speaker’s message? What evidence is your interpretation based upon?

But as I said it, swift there passed me by On noiseless wing a 'wildered butterfly, Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night Some resting flower of yesterday's delight. And once I marked his flight go round and round, As where some flower lay withering on the ground. And then he flew as far as eye could see, And then on tremulous wing came back to me. I thought of questions that have no reply, And would have turned to toss the grass to dry; But he turned first, and led my eye to look At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook,

But as I said it, swift there passed me by On noiseless wing a 'wildered butterfly, Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night Some resting flower of yesterday's delight. And once I marked his flight go round and round, As where some flower lay withering on the ground. And then he flew as far as eye could see, And then on tremulous wing came back to me. I thought of questions that have no reply, And would have turned to toss the grass to dry; But he turned first, and led my eye to look At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook, Paraphrase each couplet What is the butterfly searching for? How does the speaker personify the butterfly? In what way are the speaker and butterfly alike? What is happening in stanza 10? What are “questions that have no reply?” What happens in stanza 11? What word is repeated in stanzas 10-11?

A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared. I left my place to know them by their name, Finding them butterfly weed when I came. The mower in the dew had loved them thus, By leaving them to flourish, not for us, Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him, But from sheer gladness at the brim. The butterfly and I had lit upon, Nevertheless, a message from the dawn.

That made me hear the wakening birds around, And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground, And feel a spirit kindred to my own; So that henceforth I worked no more alone; But glad with him, I worked as with his aid, And weary, sought at noon with him the shade; And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach. `Men work together,' I told him from the heart, `Whether they work together or apart.'

The Tuft of Flowers Paraphrase: The speaker watches the butterfly and it brings a tuft of flowers to his attention. He realises that the mower did not cut them down because he thought they were beautiful and that must have given him joy. The flowers inspire the speaker and he begins to think differently about his circumstances. The fact that the mower spared the flowers makes him a kindred spirit. He has made a connection with this man even though he has never met him and this changes his opinion on man’s condition. Now he believes people ae always connected/together, whether together or apart.

Questions Describe the speaker’s view of life as expressed in lines 8 – 10. What effect does the appearance of the butterfly have upon the speaker? “I thought of questions that have no reply”. What sort of questions “have no reply”? What sort of mood is the speaker in? Though he is still the only person in the field, why does the speaker say at the end that he “worked no more alone”?

LANGUAGE Mood: The poem begins with a melancholic mood or atmosphere as the poet struggles to come to terms with his loneliness and dwells on deep questions that “have no reply”. (stanzas 1-5) This depressed mood is emphasized by the extended pause created by the double punctuation in line 8 The melancholic mood is reinforced by image of the butterfly searching for the flower that has been cut down (stanzas 6-9) (“tremulous wing”) However, there is a change of mood which is signalled by the repetition of the word “turned”. With the appearance of the tuft of flowers the mood/atmosphere changes dramatically. The poet seems renewed and the mood becomes hopeful rather than despairing. The imagery also reinforces this turn in mood as the field seems to come alive with the dramatic colour of the flowers and the sound of the birds singing in the trees.

Thematic Element: Nature THEMES Thematic Element: Nature This poem celebrates the beauty and power of nature. The speaker is inspired and delighted by the beauty of the flowers. In a vivid image he describes the flower’s dramatic colours in terms of flames leaping from the ground: “A leaping tongue of bloom”. The mower too had appreciated the beauty of the natural world. He decided to spare the tuft of flowers because the sight of them made him feel good.

THEMES Nature The natural world comforts the speaker, allowing him to get over his gloomy mood. Before spotting the flowers he had been preoccupied with his own thoughts, thinking about “questions that have no reply”. However, once he sees them he suddenly engages with the world around him and his eyes are opened to all the beauty in nature.

THEMES Nature The natural world also acts a guide for the speaker. The butterfly draws the speaker’s attention to the flowers and is ultimately responsible for the speaker overcoming his sad mood. The tuft of flowers acts as a “message from the dawn”, or a signal that others share his appreciation of beauty. The flowers allow the speaker to overcome his loneliness. They teach him the lesson that nobody is truly alone in this world.

THEMES Isolation and Community The speaker’s initial loneliness and isolation leads to a rather depressing conclusion that all must be alone. As such, he denies the concept of community, of people working together to enrich each other’s lives and suggests we are solitary beings, concerned with only our own lives. However, the discovery of the flowers—left intact by the mower—changes his mind.

THEMES Isolation and Community The mower clearly appreciated the beauty of the flowers, as does the speaker. They share a connection. These flowers give the speaker a sense of community and shows him how the actions of others have a bearing on our lives. The mower’s decision to spare the flowers has enriched the speaker’s day and allowed him to overcome his loneliness. In the end, he must acknowledge that we cannot operate independently from others and that all “men work together … Whether they work together or apart”.

LANGUAGE Vivid Imagery: This poem features vivid and beautiful nature imagery. Nature not only acts as a guide for the speaker, but its beauty also lifts his spirits and allows him to appreciate the beauty of the world: “A leaping tongue of bloom”. Can you think of another example?

Questions Describe the theme of this poem and explain your personal response to it. Use quotes to provide evidence. How did Frost’s use of language (poetic techniques, style etc.) help bring the poem to life for you?