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Rather than noticing the fragrance of the newly cut hay, the "abyss" of odor at his back indicates the wasteland that Frost perceives the hay field to be. He observes that the last evening swallow, although intermittently silenced by Frost's presence and rustle, finds its voice again on its "last sweep." These words do not evoke joy or vibrancy, but instead suggest something worse than discomfort - a numbness of spirit that exists in a wasteland of such gloomy depths that it implies an empty stoniness of the heart.
The poet has brought along to the hay field a book of old treasured songs, not to read and reminisce, but to hold and "freshen in this air of withering sweetness." The songs must hold some former joy for him, but he holds the book only for the memory of the person...
The withering sweetness may imply that, although once happy with this person, her absence has withered the sweetness of their relationship. He has brought the book with him as a bitter reminder, hoping to sweeten it in his sad contemplation.
Frost's wasteland imageries are plentiful in his poetry. His words are beautiful and carefully chosen, but the vacuity of feeling from which they came clearly suggests a person whose battle with his own demons was a lifelong struggle. I believe Frost was a genius at creating a sense of wasteland in his writing because his untreated depression reached a deeper level than simple sadness and despair, and sucked him into an empty space where he was able to write about it more objectively.
Robert Frost -- Life Issues and Parallels to My Life A Life Filled with Tragic Inspiration Robert Frost was a prolific American writer and poet whose work captured the difficulties some of the most challenging periods in modern American history as well as his personal trials and tribulations. Frost's work is known for the eloquence that he was able to express using the simple language of common colloquial speech (Holman & Snyder,
Robert Frost wrote, "I have written to keep the over curious out of the secret places in my mind both in my verse and in my letters." In a poem, he wrote, "I have been one acquainted with the night." Those unfamiliar with Robert Frost's life story might not realize the significance of those words. Frost was born in a nearly lawless city and grew up in a highly dysfunctional
Robert Frost's adulthood was also riddled with loss. He often felt jealous and resentful that the quality of his poetry was slow to be recognized. Unable to support his family with his writing, for many years he had to work at various jobs, often as a teacher until his grandfather finally gave him land to live on and an allowance with on which to live (Meyers, p. 52). In addition,
"He gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake." The horse's action portrays the tendency of people to question those choices they don't understand. This scene can be interpreted as the disapproving voice of society voicing its demands on those of a more sensitive bent. In much the same vein as the previous stanza, Frost shows a depth of human understanding (and misunderstanding). Our
Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" tells the story of a traveler making the decision to travel the road less traveled, but looking back upon the road not taken and wondering what might have been. On first glance the reader might assume that Frost is touting the benefits of taking the road less traveled, or the path in life that is perhaps most unclear. Too many people assume that the
Robert Frost treats several themes in his short lyrical poem, "The Road Not Taken." First, Frost focuses on the notion of choice and decision: the narrator is faced with a fork in the road and must choose which path to take. He momentarily wishes that he could travel both paths at once and still be "one traveler," (line 3). After hemming and hawing, the narrator chooses the path less trodden.