Robert Francis "Fair and Unfair": Balance in Nature and Society
This essay offers a close reading of Robert Francis's two-stanza poem "Fair and Unfair," exploring how Francis uses structure, form, and poetic devices to mirror the very imbalance he laments between nature and society. The analysis examines the poem's modified terza rima rhyme scheme, its caesura, and its use of assonance and anaphora to emphasize the unequal distribution of fairness in the world. The essay also situates Francis within the tradition of American nature poets such as Robert Frost, arguing that Francis, like Frost, believed nature could provide moral guidance to those willing to observe it carefully.
- Introduction: Francis and the Tradition of Nature Poetry: Francis's place among American nature poets
- Narrator, Perspective, and Theme: First-person omniscient voice addresses imbalance
- Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis: Nature versus society across two stanzas
- Structure, Form, and the Terza Rima Adaptation: Modified rhyme scheme enacts thematic balance
- Poetic Devices: Assonance and Anaphora: Sound devices reinforce the fairness theme
- Imagery and Simplicity of Style: Direct imagery avoids obscuring the message
- Conclusion: Balance Through Structure and Message: Form and content together achieve poetic balance
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The essay consistently connects formal poetic elements — rhyme scheme, stanza count, caesura — to the poem's thematic argument about balance, showing rather than merely asserting the relationship between form and content.
- The analysis moves methodically through the poem, addressing perspective, tone, structure, and individual devices in a logical sequence that builds a cumulative interpretation.
- The paper situates Francis within a recognizable literary tradition (Frost, Dickinson, Thoreau), giving the reader context without letting that context overshadow the close reading.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates integrated close reading: it quotes the poem precisely, names specific literary devices (anaphora, assonance, terza rima, caesura), and immediately explains how each device serves the poem's meaning. This technique — quote, identify, interpret — is the foundation of strong literary analysis at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens by placing Francis in literary context, then establishes narrative voice and theme. It moves through the poem stanza by stanza before pivoting to formal analysis (rhyme scheme, line count, caesura). Two subsequent paragraphs treat individual sound devices, followed by a discussion of imagery and diction. The conclusion synthesizes form and message, returning to the Frost comparison introduced in the opening.
Introduction: Francis and the Tradition of Nature Poetry
Robert Francis was an American poet whose work is often compared to that of Robert Frost, his mentor, as well as to Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau. Although Francis's work has frequently been neglected — he is "often excluded from major anthologies of American poetry" — those who have read it have praised both the poet and his writing. In "Fair and Unfair," Francis comments on balance in nature and in society. Like Frost, Francis contends that nature has the ability to provide guidance, if only humanity is wise enough to observe it. In "Fair and Unfair," Francis achieves balance both through what is written and through how it is written.
Narrator, Perspective, and Theme
The poem is told from a first-person, omniscient perspective, and the narrator appears to be addressing the general public. It seems as though the narrator seeks to bring attention to how nature has become disregarded as society and civilization grow and develop. As narrator, Francis appears to want to inform the reader of the imbalance between fair and unfair in the world. By writing "Had we the wit," Francis contends that people cannot perceive this imbalance because they lack wisdom, and thus cannot restore balance to the world. In a sense, Francis is asserting his own enlightenment about the role of nature in the formation of society, and he wishes to share what he has observed so that others may become equally enlightened.
Works Cited
Francis, Robert. "Fair and Unfair." Web. 7 November 2012.
"Robert Francis." eNotes. Web. 7 November 2012.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.