Robert Frost

Life Summary 4 Pulitzer Prizes Read poetry at Kennedy inauguration Received honorary degrees from 44 colleges One of the most celebrated American modernist poets

Biographical Introduction Born San Francisco 1874 Moved to New England at eleven Dartmouth College –Left to work at odd jobs and to write poetry 1897 special student Harvard –Withdrew after two years because of dislike for academic convention Next twelve years, made minimal living by teaching and farming while writing poetry

1912 moved to England, found publisher for first book of verse: A Boy’s Will (1913) Returned to the US and settled on a farm in his native land Eventually won American recognition Mature Adulthood

Frost on Poetry Importance of reading poetry out loud: —the ear does it. The ear is the only true writer and the only true reader

On Free Verse Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down. —Robert Frost

Frost’s Subject and Theme Nature a storehouse of analogy and symbol reflecting deep moral uncertainties Bleak and chaotic landscapes of indifferent universe Central theme: Quest of solitary person to make sense of the world Pastoral imagery a setting for solitary philosophical themes

Frost’s Style Rejected revolutionary poetic principles of contemporaries using traditional forms: –Blank verse –plain language of rural New Englanders –graceful style Tone of wry humor Symbols from everyday country life Simple on surface; complex underneath

Themes and Style Frost never comes out and gives the reader the topic and the theme –Makes the reader think and allows the reader to discover the meaning for his\her self Self discovery important Frost Used freedom in rhyme and meter, breaking them into English speech patterns

Reception: Pound Mr. Frost is an honest writer, writing from himself, from his own knowledge and emotion; not simply picking up the manner which magazines are accepting at the moment, and applying it to topics in vogue. He is quite consciously and effortlessly putting New England rural life into verse. He is not using themes that anybody could have cribbed out of Ovid. —Ezra Pound, 1914

Randall Jarrell, 1953 So far from being obvious, optimistic, orthodox, many of these poems are extraordinarily subtle and strange.

Lionel Trilling, 1959 I have to say that my Frost is not the Frost I seem to perceive existing in the minds of so many of his admirers. He is not the Frost who confounds the characteristically modern practice of poetry by his notable democratic simplicity of utterance: on the contrary. He is not the Frost who reassures us by his affirmation of old virtues, simplicities, pieties, and ways of feeling: anything but.

“The Road Not Taken” About the poem, Frost asserted, “You have to be careful of that one; it’s a tricky poem– very tricky.” Superficially, an inspirational poem, encouraging self- reliance, not following where others have led Close reading proves not so

The Framework of the Poem Stanza One--Describes Situations Stanza Two--Decides to Take Less-traveled Road Stanza Three--Continues Description of Road Stanza Four--Recalls the Road Taken and Not Taken

Reflective Questions What does the speaker do when facing two diverged roads? What is the speaker’s initial response? Describe the similarities and differences of these two roads. Why does he choose the other road?

How do you understand the word “sigh”? Is it a kind of nostalgic relief or regret? What might the two roads stand for in the speaker’s mind? (the symbolic meanings) Why does Frost himself claim that this is a tricky poem? What does he want to convey in this poem? More Reflective Questions

“Sigh” “Sigh” a tricky word –nostalgic relief –regret Relief sigh –speaker feels glad with the road taken Regret sigh Sigh ambiguous Open ending

Two Roads Real roads Two different ways of life Two attitudes towards poetry –Doesn’t follow suit but employs the traditional pattern in spite of the influence of modernist innovation

Tricky Poem Time frame Word “sigh” Word “difference”

An Inspirational Poem? Seems to encourage people to be self-reliant and not follow where others have led Does not moralize about choice –Simply says that choice is inevitable –You never know what your choice will mean until you have lived it