Poetry, but it Is Only a Chosen

¶ … poetry, but it is only a chosen few who make it to the status of classic. Most poets who are considered classic artists write poems that call forth emotions of the reader through the use of their words. It has often been said that poets lead tragic lives, so that they can have something to write about, but this is not always the case. One of the most widely read and respected poets of all time, Robert Frost, did not lead a poor and tortured life, yet he produced many of the poems that are considered classics in the history of the genre.

Robert Frost provides evidence to the world that one does not have to live tragically to write well as long as he is able to empathize and feel the tragedies of others.

Background

Robert Frost was born in 1874 in the city of San Francisco and lead a relatively peaceful life in his early childhood. He was raised with a mother and a father who provided a warm and stable environment for him to grow up in but at the age of 11 Frost lost his father to illness. While many widows fell apart and the children had to grow up quickly Frost's mother reacted with forethought and calmness, making the decision to move her family to Massachusetts to be with her extended family members (Robert Frost (http://www.robertfrost.org/bio.html).

B. Education was important to the Frost family and Robert completed high school in high enough regard to be accepted to Dartmouth University. When he entered college however, it took less than a semester for him to decide it wasn't for him and he walked out, never to return. He instead got a job teaching school and then later as a newspaper journalist. While pursuing various jobs Frost got several of his early works published including "My Butterfly, An Elgy" (Robert Frost (http://www.robertfrost.org/bio.html).

C. Frost worked while maintaining a farm that continued to appreciate and then sold the farm to gain proceeds to support his family in England as he tried to launch his career as a writer (Robert Frost (http://www.robertfrost.org/bio.html).

D. He was successful almost as soon as he got to England and began to get things published almost immediately.

E. "Frost's importance as a poet derives from the power and memorability of particular poems. "The Death of the Hired Man" (from North of Boston) combines lyric and dramatic poetry in blank verse. "After Apple-Picking" (from the same volume) is a free-verse dream poem with philosophical undertones. "Mending Wall" (also published in North of Boston) demonstrates Frost's simultaneous command of lyrical verse, dramatic conversation, and ironic commentary. "The Road Not Taken" and "Birches" (from Mountain Interval) and the oft-studied "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (from New Hampshire) exemplify Frost's ability to join the pastoral and philosophical modes in lyrics of unforgettable beauty (Robert Frost (http://www.robertfrost.org/bio.html)."

II. Theme

A. One of the things that made Frost as popular and enduring as he became as an artist of words is the fact that he had several themes that he was well-known for. He was able to write about happy moments as well as sad moments. He worked to touch the emotions of his readers while maintaining a sense of diversity in the styles that he used (Cook pg).

B. If one had to choose a theme that Frost was known for when it came to his work it would have to be emotion. While the emotions ranged from happy, to calm, to content, to anger to saddened, the work of Frost was always sure to bring forth emotions in those who read his words (Latham pg).

1. Whether it was confidence being instilled in "A Road Less Traveled" or a sense of calm acceptance in the snowy woods of his poetry the emotions that the poems of Frost cannot be denied.

2. Many writers are famous for a certain thematic approach to their work. Edgar Allen Poe for instance was well-known for his melancholy attitude in his work. Robert Frost did not settle into one type of theme with his works. He instead moved around all of the emotional possibilities but was always sure to write in a way that made his readers FEEL.

III. Style

A. The style of Robert Frost was well-known both then and now (Riley pg). It was simple, it was clean and it was easily understood. He was never one to complicate the poetry with such fanciful words that they had to be re-evaluated constantly to be understood. Instead he used a direct approach and style to his work.

B. Whether he was speaking of warm sunny days, or cold snowy nights Frost always used a style that was rhythmic. He was said once to take a jab at Carl Sandburg by saying he would rather play tennis without a net then to try and write free form poetry. Frost had a confidence about his style that also illustrated the fact that he did not have a tragic and misunderstood life.

C. One of the styles that have frequently been studied is the fact that his work often asked a question.

1. In A Road Less Traveled he leaves the reader trying to answer the question about what would happen had he chosen the road less traveled, or the road that was easily used. It is something that Frost frequently used to get his reader actively involved in his work.

IV. Works

A. AFTER APPLE-PICKING

B. THE DEATH OF THE HIRED MAN

C. DUST OF SNOW

D. STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

1. The Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening is a light hearted and peaceful prose about the beauty and calm of a snowy evening. It is one of the works he is most well-known for because of the emotion it evokes in those who read it (http://www.robertfrost.org/poem1.html).

2. He provides a light touch to the poem as he ponders what his horse must think about stopping where there is no farmhouse and the reader can visually imagine the beauty and calmness of the woods covered with a layer of unbroken snow, lit by the moonlight.