The picture on the Left is Robert Frost when he was a professor. The picture on the Right is Robert Frost's High School Senior picture.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Robert Frost Summary
Robert Frost was born
in California in March 1874. When he was eleven year old his father died of
tuberculosis, so with his mother and sister moved to New England to live
with their grandparents. After graduating high school with his future wife and
co-valedictorian Elinor White, Frost attended Dartmouth College. He left school
after without finishing, published a few poems, and tried a variety of jobs.
After the second proposal Elinor White finally said yes. Frost did decide to go
back to school, but this time to Harvard to study liberal arts History repeated
itself and Frost had to leave because of health conditions and Elinor was
pregnant with their second child.
“In 1900,
Frost moved with his wife and children to a farm in New Hampshire—property that
Frost's grandfather had purchased for them—and they attempted to make a life on
it for the next 12 years. Though it was a fruitful time for Frost's writing, it
was a difficult period in his personal life.” (Biography.com
para. 4)
Many deaths followed Frost’s life. Out of the seven
children Elinor gave birth, one lived to be thirty-eight, Carol, before
committing suicide and only two lived out lived Carol. It was a hard time for both Elinor and Frost. Frost used
poetry as a way to escape from his grieving and a way to reflect on life.
In
1912, the Frosts started a new life my selling the poultry farm and moving to
England. In England Frost found a publisher that printed his book Boy’s Will. Thankfully, Ezra Pound and
Edward Thomas realized Frost’s talent and wrote splendid reviews. When World War
I broke out Frost and Elinor had to come back to America where they moved to
New Hampshire. This is where “Frost began a long career as a teacher at
several colleges, reciting poetry to eager crowds and writing all the while”
(Biography.com para. 10). Frost taught at many colleges: Dartmouth, University
of Michigan, Middlebury College, Amherst College. In 1938, Frost took it hard
when Elinor, his major inspiration for poetry, died from a battle with cancer
(Poets.org para.3). He left his teaching position and continued to write
poetry. He lived and breathed poetry till his death on January 29th,
1963. Even on his gravestone it says, “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.”
"Robert
Frost." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 08 Feb.
2016.
"Robert Lee
Frost." Encyclopedia of World
Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Feb. 2016 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
Biography.com Editors. "Robert Frost Biography." Biography.com.
A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091>.
Overall Evaluation
Robert Frost is
worthy of studying because of his attention to detail that make poems come to
life. People can see real life examples of Frost’s poems. Right know I am
standing at a cross road in my life; currently I am deciding between two different
colleges yet similar. Like in The Road
Not Taken the traveler also had to make a decision between two roads.
Robert Frost also makes you think more deeply about meanings and symbolism. In
the Dust of Snow, Frost made me wonder how a crow dropping snow on ones head
would brighten ones day. After future research and examination I learned that
the man was suicidal going to a hemlock tree, which are poisonous. When the
crow symbolizing fear and death decided to shake down pure white snow on the
man it gave him insight on life to continue living. Only experienced poets
could fit a deep story into a short poem.
Nothing
challenged my faith concerning Jesus Christ. However, my viewpoint of the world
is slightly changed. I want to be more aware of my surroundings and see the
poems come to life. Like Amy Lowell wrote in On Frost’s Realistic Technique “Mr. Frost’s work is almost
photographic… reproduced directly from life.” What would my experiences be like
if they were written down into a poetic form? Thinking about the future I want
to make the most of it. Some experiences I go through will change me like the
crow (Dust of Snow) did for Robert
Frost.
Two Poetic Devices
The wetter ground like glass / Reflecting a standing gull. (Neither Out Far nor In Deep 7-8)
Reflection: Many different grounds can be wet and still not be reflective. Saying that the wet ground looks like glass refers that is mostly sandy. For water to reflect s clear object it must be perfectly calm and smooth. If the surface is not smooth then the image reflected will be distorted. However, since the ground is reflecting a standing gull we can assume the gull is standing on the calm wet sand. This is helpful to visualize the edge of beach on the fine line of where sand meets the ocean.
I found a dimpled spider, fat and white, / On a white heal-all, holding up a moth / Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth – (Design 1-3)
Poetic Device: Imagery
Reflection: First of all Frost uses three words right in a row to describe the spider. This emphasizes the importance of the spider, and Frost really wants his audience to visualize and capture the essence of the spider. Instead of just saying the spider is holding a moth Frost continues to describe how the moth is held. I like that I could instantly sees that the moth is dead, broken, and very fragile. This is not the most pleasing image of a spider holding a dead moth like a precious victory flag, but I try to think of it as the circle of life. Every detail in this quote was carefully chosen.
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