thesis statement about robert frost

The Road Not Taken Summary & Analysis by Robert Frost

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

Written in 1915 in England, "The Road Not Taken" is one of Robert Frost's—and the world's—most well-known poems. Although commonly interpreted as a celebration of rugged individualism, the poem actually contains multiple different meanings. The speaker in the poem, faced with a choice between two roads, takes the road "less traveled," a decision which he or she supposes "made all the difference." However, Frost creates enough subtle ambiguity in the poem that it's unclear whether the speaker's judgment should be taken at face value, and therefore, whether the poem is about the speaker making a simple but impactful choice, or about how the speaker interprets a choice whose impact is unclear.

• Read the full text of “The Road Not Taken”

The Full Text of “The Road Not Taken”

1 Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

2 And sorry I could not travel both

3 And be one traveler, long I stood

4 And looked down one as far as I could

5 To where it bent in the undergrowth;

6 Then took the other, as just as fair,

7 And having perhaps the better claim,

8 Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

9 Though as for that the passing there

10 Had worn them really about the same,

11 And both that morning equally lay

12 In leaves no step had trodden black.

13 Oh, I kept the first for another day!

14 Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

15 I doubted if I should ever come back.

16 I shall be telling this with a sigh

17 Somewhere ages and ages hence:

18 Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

19 I took the one less traveled by,

20 And that has made all the difference.

“The Road Not Taken” Summary

“the road not taken” themes.

Choices and Uncertainty

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Individualism and Nonconformity

Making Meaning

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “the road not taken”.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler,

long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.

Lines 13-15

Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

Lines 16-17

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Lines 18-20

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

“The Road Not Taken” Symbols

Diverging Roads

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The Road Less Traveled

“the road not taken” poetic devices & figurative language, extended metaphor.

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“The Road Not Taken” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Yellow wood
• Undergrowth
• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Road Not Taken”

Rhyme scheme, “the road not taken” speaker, “the road not taken” setting, literary and historical context of “the road not taken”, more “the road not taken” resources, external resources.

"The Most Misread Poem in America" — An insightful article in the Paris Review, which goes into depth about some of the different ways of reading (or misreading) "The Road Not Taken."

Robert Frost reads "The Road Not Taken" — Listen to Robert Frost read the poem.

Book Review: "The Road Not Taken," by David Orr — Those looking for an even more in-depth treatment of the poem might be interested in David Orr's book, "The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong."

LitCharts on Other Poems by Robert Frost

Acquainted with the Night

After Apple-Picking

A Roadside Stand

Desert Places

Dust of Snow

Fire and Ice

Home Burial

Mending Wall

My November Guest

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

The Death of the Hired Man

The Oven Bird

The Sound of the Trees

The Tuft of Flowers

The Wood-Pile

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Nature and Human Experience in the Poetry of Robert Frost

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Description

This study seeks to demonstrate that nature provided Frost an objective background against which he could measure the validity of human experience and gain a fuller understanding of it. The experiences examined with reference to the poetry include loneliness, anxiety, sorrow, and hope. Attention is given to the influence of Frost's philosophical skepticism upon his poetry. The study reveals that Frost discovered correspondences between nature and human experience which clarified his perspective of existence. The experiences of loneliness, anxiety, and sorrow were found to relate to Frost's feeling of separation from nature and from the source of existence. The experience … continued below

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iii, 119 leaves

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Dixon, David C. August 1975.

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• Dixon, David C.
• Smith, John T. Major Professor

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• Painter, William E. Minor Professor
• Dickey, Imogene Bentley, 1908- Consulting Professor
• North Texas State University Place of Publication: Denton, Texas

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• Department: Graduate Studies in English
• Discipline: English
• Level: Master's
• Name: Master of Arts
• PublicationType: Master's Thesis
• Grantor: North Texas State University

This study seeks to demonstrate that nature provided Frost an objective background against which he could measure the validity of human experience and gain a fuller understanding of it. The experiences examined with reference to the poetry include loneliness, anxiety, sorrow, and hope. Attention is given to the influence of Frost's philosophical skepticism upon his poetry. The study reveals that Frost discovered correspondences between nature and human experience which clarified his perspective of existence. The experiences of loneliness, anxiety, and sorrow were found to relate to Frost's feeling of separation from nature and from the source of existence. The experience of hope was found to relate to Frost's vision of the wholeness and unity of life, a vision which derives from humanity's common source with nature.

• humanity in literature
• nature in literature
• poetry of Robert Frost

Library of Congress Subject Headings

• Emotions in literature
• Frost, Robert, 1874-1963
• Nature in literature
• Thesis or Dissertation

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• Call Number : 379 N81 no. 5026
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Dixon, David C. Nature and Human Experience in the Poetry of Robert Frost , thesis , August 1975; Denton, Texas . ( https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663194/ : accessed June 22, 2024 ), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu ; .

By Robert Frost

‘Design’ is one of Robert Frost’s more contentious poems. It was written as a response to the traditional depiction of God as a benevolent, all-powerful being who created humankind in his own image.

Robert Frost

His highly accessible work made him famous in his lifetime.

Poem Analyzed by Emma Baldwin

B.A. English (Minor: Creative Writing), B.F.A. Fine Art, B.A. Art Histories

Frost published the definitive version of this poem   in 1936 in A Further Range. In  ‘Design,’  Frost rethought the concept of “design” and produced the poem in order to present what he saw as another side of the equation. That of a malevolent, all-powerful being might be responsible for the combination of ingredients. The poem speaks on themes of religion, life, and death. 

Explore 'Design' by Robert Frost

• 2 Structure
• 3 Poetic Techniques
• 4 Analysis of Design 

The poem begins with the speaker discussing a spider and moth he found on the top of a flower. They came together there, as if kindred spirits, in order for the spider to eat the moth. He wonders over this convergence and equates it to a witch’s brew. There are a few light-hearted lines in which the speaker plays with potion-related imagery . He then transitions in the sestet to discuss design, creation, more broadly, God.

‘Design’ by Robert Frost is a fourteen-line sonnet that is separated into two stanzas . The first is an octet , meaning it contains eight lines (usually further divided into quatrains , sets of four lines). The second stanza is a sestet or set of six lines. Depending on the structure of the sonnet, Shakespearean or Petrarchan , the divisions can become more intricate. In the case of ‘Design’ Frost has followed the Petrarchan rhyme scheme . It follows a pattern of ABBAABBA ACAACC.

Another element that marks ‘Design ’ as a Petrarchan sonnet is the turn or volta . This is a shift in the poem that can be seen through a change in narrator , belief or setting . It can even consist of an answer to a question posed in the first half. In Shakespearean sonnets , the turn occurs between the twelfth and thirteenth lines, aka before the concluding rhyming couplet . But, in Petrarchan, the turn normally appears between the octet and sestet. This is also the case for Frost’s ‘Design’.  

The rhythm is mainly iambic pentameter . This means that each line contains five sets of two beats, known as metrical feet. The first is unstressed and the second stressed. It sounds something like da-DUM, da-DUM.  

Poetic Techniques

Within ‘Design’ frost makes use of several poetic techniques. These include alliteration , enjambment , juxtaposition , and caesura . Alliteration occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the same letter. It appears a number of times in this piece, but a few examples include “flower” and “froth” in line seven of the first stanza and “design” and “darkness” in line five of the second stanza.  

Juxtaposition appears when two contrasting things are placed near one another in order to emphasize that contrast . A poet usually does this in order to speak on a larger theme of their text or make an important point about the differences between these two things. For instance, the moth is described as “white…stain cloth,” (white is generally a symbol of purity or innocence) in line three of the first stanza, and the following reference to “death and blight”.

Caesura occurs when a line is split in half. Sometimes with punctuation, sometimes not. There is a perfect example of this technique in the second line of the poem as well as in the seventh.  

Another important technique commonly used in poetry is enjambment. It occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly. One has to move forward in order to comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. For instance, the transition between the fourth and fifth lines of the first stanza.  

Analysis of Design  

Stanza one  , lines 1-4  .

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– Assorted characters of death and blight

In the first lines of ‘Design’,  the speaker begins by describing a spider he found. It appeared “fat” and “dimpled”. These words, especially dimpled, are generally associated with human beings. They help to create a clear picture in the reader’s mind of the shape and size of the spider the speaker found. The next lines provide more detail. The spider was white and Frost describes through a simile , how it was holding a “moth / Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth”.  

These two creatures the speaker came upon at once are an example, he says, of the “characters of death and blight”. The fourth line of this stanza is enjambed, encouraging a reader to jump quickly to the fifth in order to conclude the phrase.

Mixed ready to begin the morning right, Like the ingredients of a witches’ broth– A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth, And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

When the fifth line begins, Frost picks up the rhythm of ‘Design,’ making use of alliteration and internal rhyme . These lines have a musical quality to them and therefore reference, to an even greater extent, a potion. “death and blight” are the two ingredients needed to “begin the morning right”. They are, he states, the parts of a “witches’ broth”.  

The next two lines return to the image of the spider on the flower with the moth. The moth is “carried like a paper kite” by the spider. Its dead wings are of obvious interest to the speaker who referred to them in the first stanza as “satin” and in the second as “a paper kite”.  

What had that flower to do with being white, The wayside blue and innocent heal-all? What brought the kindred spider to that height, Then steered the white moth thither in the night? What but design of darkness to appall?– If design govern in a thing so small.

The second stanza provides a different structure for considering life, death, intelligent design, and the intentions of that intelligence. Frost ends ‘Design’ with a series of questions. They do not provide the reader with any answers, as Frost did not have any. The first and second have to do with the position of the spider on the flower. Frost wants to understand how it’s possible that the world came together so perfectly in order to steer the “white moth thither in the night” so that it might end up in the spider’s mouth.  

The last two lines, a rhyming couplet , consider the implications of a dark design and how this kind of creator might invent in order to “appall”. Perhaps, Frost is saying, the designer of the world created it in order to disgust and inspire fear.  

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In his poem design by robert frost the writer portrays layers of ambiguity and complexity of this world with an event of a spider and its prey (a moth). How does the text respond to the aspect of science and technology? What is that aspect?

I feel that this doesn’t really delve into that debate. The only real reference to technology of any kind is the mention of the “kite” which is a metaphor for the moth’s wings.

What’s the main message mentioned at the end of the poem?

I think it is open to interpretation. Some may claim that it is aiming to negate the idea of a god. Others might suggest that it is suggesting that god sometimes created with the intention to create things that are sublime, that is, in this instance, both awe-inspiring and repulsive.

Why do you think the title is appropriate for this poem?

The poem covers the idea of challenging creationism. So I’d say the title is apt.

“Is this blasphemy?” Only if you care about fictional, imaginary supernatural beings.

And why wouldn’t you? Spike from Buffy is one hundred percent real. Don’t kill my dreams.

theme of this piece?

I think you meant, “What is the theme, please”? The theme is creationism vs intelligent design. So it examines death and nature to look at these complex issues.

There is no “stain cloth” in this poem. There is a typo in this analysis. Rather it is “satin cloth” and that changes the meaning quite a bit.

How very true! That’s an amusing typo. Thank you I have amended it.

I have always thought that the design Frost saw on the white flower was a skull, the spider and crossbones, the wings of the moth, in other words, a Jolly Roger, designed to leap out at the last minute and appall. Just my take, but it helps explain all the whiteness and innocence in something designed to be evil. Thanks for providing an opportunity to comment. MRC

That’s a really interesting theory. I rather like that.

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Baldwin, Emma. "Design by Robert Frost". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/robert-frost/design/ . Accessed 21 June 2024.

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Analysis of Poet Robert Frost’s Life and Writings Research Paper

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Introduction

Poet robert frost’s life and writings, works cited.

Different people have distinctive life histories according to the works they get involved with and the achievements they are able to have during their lifetime. Robert Frost was an American poet who was born in the year 1874 and died in 1963 at the age of 89. Among the things he got involved with, he is well known for his poetic and writing works.

What was so unique about Robert Frost is that he was so realistic in depicting the aspects associated with rural life. His command of American idiomatic speech is also a concept he is remembered for to present time (Schmidt and Sorensen 2). This piece of work gives an in depth analysis of Poet Robert Frost’s life with much emphasis being given to his works especially the writings and poetry.

Frost was born in California, San Francisco and spent most of his early years there. It is deemed that his writing and poetic nature could have been drawn from his father, William Prescott Frost Jr. who had a passion in journalism and also worked as an editor. Most of the works of Robert Frost revolved around the lifestyle of people in the rural areas of New England especially in the beginning of the 20 th century.

Frost used the lifestyle and settings of the rural people in a creative manner and related them to the philosophical, cultural and social issues that existed at that time so as to bring in the relevance and hence inform a majority of the people. The irony that is seen is the fact that although he is known for his association and affiliation with the rural lifestyle and setting, he grew up in the city (Bloom and Zuba 106).

Before frost specialized in poetry, he was engaged in a variety of jobs including teaching but he felt that those were not in line with his talents and calling, which is poetry. He therefore sought to specialize in poetry so that he would not only earn from it but also enjoy his work and hence attain job satisfaction, an aspect that is very essential for every individual. He was however engaged in other works due to circumstances and he therefore never dealt with poetry and writing solely.

The first notable publication of frost was a poem that was featured in his high school’s magazine. The first poem to sell was however the one entitled “My Butterfly: An Elegy”. This poem was published in the New York edition Independent in 1894, November 8.

To Frost, this was a very great achievement such that he took the chance to propose marriage to his then girlfriend, Elinor Miriam White who did not agree stating that she wanted to first complete her college education. Frost then left the country to Virginia and on his return, he asked Elinor to marry him since she had already graduated and fortunately, she agreed (Anonymous par 4).

Writing was so much into Frost’s life that even when he left to take care of the farm that his grandfather bought him and his wife, he did not do away with it but ensured that he fixed it in his tight schedule. He used to write very early in the morning and compose poems.

The writings and poems that seemed just ordinary at that time later made Frost very famous. It was after the farm work he engaged in became unsuccessful that Robert decided to go back to the teaching field where he taught English subject in various schools for instance the New Hampshire’s Pinkerton Academy and New Hampshire Normal School.

Being an English teacher fostered his career as a poet as compared to farming which was completely parallel to his line of work. In his teaching career in different schools, Robert was so much concerned with poetry and all the aspects that surround it. He encouraged his students to be keen and take note of all sounds related to human voice and consider them in their writing.

Robert later left for Great Britain where he published his first poetry book in the year 1923. The book was entitled, A Boy’s Will . It was in England that frost was able to meet with many renowned people with whom they would help each other grow for instance Edward Thomas who is recognized in the poetry field among others.

In England, Frost was able to come up with most of his best works. The North of Boston is also another collection that reinforced Frost’s stand and reputation. It was after the First World War begun that Frost decided to go back to America to reinforce his career in writing.

In the year 1915, Frost set up a career in teaching, lecturing as well as writing in a farm he bought and dedicated specifically for that work. The farm is now preserved as “The Frost Place” and serves to show most of his work. It serves as a poetry conference site as well as a museum where a lot of his original writings and poems can be traced even today. This has so much contributed to his fame.

Robert spent a significant part of his life teaching especially at the Bread Loaf School of English. In the school, Frost did major developments in regard to writing and poetry and he is up to date remembered for his work. He achieved this through establishing strategic writing programs aimed at enhancing poetry in as many people as possible.

During the 1920s, Frost was the most recognized and celebrated poet in America and his popularity grew day by day with the release of new and better collections. Some of his renowned collections include the New Hampshire published in 1923, A further Range published in 1936, Steeple Bush released in 1947 and In the Clearing which was produced in 1962 among others (Schmidt and Sorensen 4).

The works of Robert Frost made him very popular and was able to receive various awards and prizes for instance four Pulitzer prizes in relation to his poetry, an aspect that not many individuals have been able to achieve.

Today, Frost’s poems are usually assessed critically at the oxford university press in the Anthology of modern poetry. The evaluation shows that even though Frost was popular his poems have not been fully recognized and analyzed as it is expected or as compared to his fame and what he was able to do in the field of English writing and poetry.

Among the existing collections of frost at the Special Collections department of the Jones Library located in Massachusetts include photographs, correspondence, audio recordings, letters and poems, manuscripts as well as visual recordings all amounting to approximately 12,000 items excluding his papers that are located in the Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College.

Some of the poems written by frost include, “In White”: Frost’s Early Version of Design, A Boundless Moment, A Late Walk, After Apple Picking, a minor bird, a soldier, asking for rose and a patch of old snow among others (Anonymous par 7).

Although the professional life of Frost is surrounded by achievements and recognition, his personal life is not that interesting. It is a life that is characterized by grief and losses for instance his father died while he was still young and their family was not financially stable. His mother also died five years later and he was supposed to take care of the home and young sister who later died of a mental illness.

His family was not lucky either and different diseases run among them (wife and six children) and they did not live long and they suffered a lot for the time they were alive. All in all, he is deemed to be an inspiration to many including the readers of his collections.

Others who have include young as well as established musicians, writers/authors, poets and playwrights among others. Although his family life was not that good and was associated with a lot of pains and losses even of close family members, Frost was able to accomplish much in the field of writing and poetry and more so, he set programs that ensured that the field of poetry did not die off but rather grow in the people he left behind (Bloom and Zuba 105).

When criticizing the life and works of Frost Robert, we can say that although he was full of potential and talent, he was not able to present it fully as expected. He for instance, did not appear public on many occasions in his lifetime and this made him to be termed as an unofficial poet.

His poems are also deemed to lack universal meaning since they concentrated too much on the rural life. His works also lacked seriousness in regard to the social and political problems faced by the society in his time as it was full of humor for instance when he stated that he was never serious except when he was fooling.

This has left him to be looked at by many as a regional poet who did not fully exploit his potential. Just as any aspect is linked with some benefits and drawbacks, the life and writing of Frost is also associated with some strengths and weakness but all in all, his works are still an inspiration to many and hence we can not deny the fact that he contributed significantly to the field of poetry by acting as an inspiration to many (Anonymous par 6).

It is evident that the works of Robert Frost are unique and has hence drawn attention of a significant number of people due to their content.

To many he is a source of inspiration. Although the writings and poems have not been without critics, it is clear that they have attracted a significant readership and most of them adore his works as they draw comfort in the meaning they deduce from the work especially poetry. This is because Frost was able to incorporate almost every aspect that happens in our day to day lives more especially in the rural setting.

Anonymous. “ Robert Frost ”. Poets.org . 1997. Web.

Bloom Harold and Zuba Jesse . Robert Frost . USA: InfoBase Publishing, 2003. Print.

Schmidt D. Gary and Sorensen Henri . Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost . New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2008. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 12). Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-poet-robert-frosts-life-and-writings/

"Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings." IvyPanda , 12 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-poet-robert-frosts-life-and-writings/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings'. 12 October.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-poet-robert-frosts-life-and-writings/.

1. IvyPanda . "Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-poet-robert-frosts-life-and-writings/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Analysis of Poet Robert Frost's Life and Writings." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-poet-robert-frosts-life-and-writings/.

English Studies

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“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

• Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
• That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
• And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
• And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
• The work of hunters is another thing:
• I have come after them and made repair
• Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
• But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
• To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
• No one has seen them made or heard them made,
• But at spring mending-time we find them there.
• I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
• And on a day we meet to walk the line
• And set the wall between us once again.
• We keep the wall between us as we go.
• To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
• And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
• We have to use a spell to make them balance:
• ‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’
• We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
• Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
• One on a side. It comes to little more:
• There where it is we do not need the wall:
• He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
• My apple trees will never get across
• And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
• He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
• Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
• If I could put a notion in his head:
• ‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it
• Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
• Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
• What I was walling in or walling out,
• And to whom I was like to give offense.
• That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
• But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
• He said it for himself. I see him there
• Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
• In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
• He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
• Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
• He will not go behind his father’s saying,
• And he likes having thought of it so well
• He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

Introduction

Table of Contents

Written in 1914, “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost first appeared in North of Boston (Frost’s poetic collection) in 1915 and quickly became one of his most popular poems. The poem’s popularity can be attributed to its timeless themes and simplicity. It explores the idea of boundaries and the human desire to create them as well as the notion behind traditions and the conflict between change and preservation. Frost’s use imagery and everyday language adds depth and meaning to the verses, making them relatable and thought-provoking. The focus of the poem is on the relationship between two neighbors and their differing opinions on the need for a physical barrier between them. It also touches on the broader themes of human connection and communication.

Annotations of Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Literary Devices in Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Sound and Poetic Devices in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Functions of Literary Devices in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

• Function of Imagery : Robert Frost uses clear images when describing the physical act of the wall crumbling down. For example, he describes the ground swelling up and boulders spilling in the sun. This, according to him, allows the reader to visualize the force working against their efforts. As the poem shows, imagery also adds to the poem’s sensory appeal, while helping the reader to better understand the speaker’s frustration over repairing the wall again and again. The imagery also highlights the poem’s underlying themes of change, the natural world, and the futility of constructing barriers.
• Function of Irony : The use of irony in the line “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” creates shows how Frost employs it to demonstrate a contrast between the speaker’s belief that walls are necessary and the natural world’s working that walls must go down. This use of irony emphasizes tension between the need for boundaries and human desire for freedom, along with highlighting the speaker’s skepticism toward the very idea of building walls. This, in turn, adds depth and complexity to other themes such as tradition, isolation, and communication.
• Function of Metaphor : The wall in the poem serves as a metaphor for the barriers people construct between their areas in “Mending Wall.” For example, the speaker compares himself and his neighbor to trees to emphasize their differences. The wall, on the other hand, serves a physical manifestation of their emotional and psychological divide. This metaphor also highlights the theme of human connection and the need to bridge the divide between people. This metaphorical representation of the wall adds depth to the poem which, in turn, helps to convey the speaker’s frustration against arbitrary boundaries that separate different people.
• Function of Repetition : The repetitive phrases such as “Good fences make good neighbors” stresses upon the idea that boundaries are necessary for peaceful coexistence. However, the speaker himself is skeptical of this idea. The repetition adds to the music along with emphasizing oral traditions. It also serves as a literary device to highlight other themes such as tradition, conformity, and the tensions emerging between individuality and community. By repeating this phrase further, Frost attracts his readers to the paradoxical nature of human relationships and the complexities involving social norms of the community and expectations of individuals.

Themes in Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

• The Power of Nature : The dominant idea of the poem is the idea that nature has a force that resists man-made boundaries lines “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” and “That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it” show. In fact, here Frost questions the need for walls that separate people and emphasizes the power of nature. However, it has attendant themes as well.
• Tradition vs. Change: The speaker of the poem questions the traditional practice of building and maintaining walls between people. He demonstrates his wonder, saying wall is necessary to make people truly “good neighbors.” This leads to conflict between tradition and change as highlighted when the speaker puts forward the idea of “elves” destroying the wall.
• Human Relationships: The poem centers around relationships between people. Frost shows his concern about his neighbor and his wall which have impacted their relations. He feels reluctance when challenging this well-settled tradition but recognizes the significance of smooth communication and mutual understanding for healthy relationships to reinforces his idea that “Good fences make good friends.
• The Nature of Work: The poet also explores the nature of work when he reflects on the work of building, repairing and maintaining the wall. He further presents the work of the hunters with their work of repairing the wall. Then he thinks about the physical labor involved in the task. Afterword, he acknowledges the value of hard work, yet questions whether the work of maintaining a wall is really worth it when it is going to crumble next year.

Literary Theories and Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

• Formalism : Formalist literary theory uses formal elements of a literary work for critiquing a literary piece which include structure, language, and imagery. The critics and commentators use these elements to analyze poems and stories. Frost uses very simple and direct language to create a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the reader. The conversational tone further intensifies this intimacy. The poem demonstrates the use of short, unrhymed lines. These rhymes create a conversational tone, stressing upon the theme as well as the idea of boundaries. The use of natural imagery such as the frozen ground and boulders demonstrate down-to-earn reality and show that harshness of the natural world. Using these formal elements, Frost has woven highly powerful ideas into a piece of poetry that involves a highly sensitive issue represented by simple literary devices and structural elements.
• Historical Criticism: Historical theory examines historical and cultural contexts of a literary work. When applied to the poem, “Mending Wall”, it means to see the United States when the poem became people. At that time, the United States was undergoing significant social and political transformations. That is why the poem seems a stark commentary on the changing social American landscape when people started questioning traditional values and norms. The poem also reflects the tensions between rural and urban life and people as Frost and his neighbor show different perspectives, beliefs and lifestyles. Examining the historical context of the poem show to gain a better understanding of different beliefs and perspectives.
• Reader-Response Theory: Reader-response theory centers around the reader rather than th author when interpreting a literary work. When it comes to “Mending Wall,” Frost is clearly asking the readers to participate in the conversation of between the individual and th community. He raises the most important questions about limits, boundaries and their functions in a society. That is how it invites the reader to reflect on their experiences of confronting walls or limits. However, its open-ended conclusion leaves room for the readers to interpret walls and their importance in life. In fact, Frost goes on the personal level and contacts himself and his art with the reader and his situation. That is, then, up to the critics to involve the poet and the reader simultaneously and discreetly view how readers with deduce their meanings from this poetic argument.
• Psychoanalytic Theory : Psychoanalytic theory examines psychological motivations of the author lying behind his works. When it comes to “Mending Wall,” Frost indicates to his obsession with the wall. Therefore, it seems a manifestation of his own psychological need for limits and privacy. The wall represents a defense mechanism of an individual to preserve his privacy and to keep unknown and unfamiliar out of the limits. The poet’s neighbor, on the other hand, represents the values of openness and connection with others. By analyzing the psychological issues of the poet and the speaker, the critics analyze the understanding of the poem and its message.
• Feminist Theory : Feminist theory analyzes gender and power shown intertwined in literary works and society. When it comes to the poem, “Mending Wall” the fact that the narrator and his neighbor are both male demonstrates patriarchal power structures. The emphasis on physical labor and the idea of “good fences making good neighbors” reinforces the traditional gender roles of men, showing that they are not only laborers but also preservers of norms and traditions. However, the narrator’s desire to break down the wall and his inquiry of the need for a limit could lead to feminist perspective. Although feminism is not directly involved, the poem demonstrates a challenge to patriarchal power structures.

Essay Topics, Questions and Thesis Statements about Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

• Topic: Isolation in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does Frost use the wall as a symbol of isolation and separation of people in the poem “Mending Wall”?

Thesis Statement: Robert Frost uses the wall as a metaphor for the emotional and physical limits people create to highlight the theme of isolation and separation.

• Topic: Role of Traditions in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does the speaker’s attitude toward tradition change in the poem “Mending Wall.”

Thesis Statement: Through the speaker’s evolving attitude toward the wall and tradition, Robert Frost portrays the struggle between maintaining tradition and embracing change in “Mending Wall.”

• Topic: Relationship in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does the relationship between the speaker and his neighbor evolve throughout the poem?

Thesis Statement: Robert Frost uses the relationship between himself and his neighbor to explore the complexities of human connection and the tension between individual and community.

• Topic: “Mending Wall” and Ambiguity

Question: How does the ambiguity of the speaker’s perspective contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Thesis Statement: “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost shows ambiguous point of view of the poet who challenges the reader’s assumptions and highlights the complexity of human perspective.

Short Question-Answer about Mending Wall” by Robert Frost”

• What is the significance of the title “Mending Wall” and how does it relate to the themes of the poem?

The title refers to the human act of repairing the wall or setting limits on one’s privacy as well as property. This act of mending this barrier is a metaphor of a barrier in stopping the conflict arising between privacy of an individual and community’s encroachment. The wall represents a physical boundary between two people and their possessions. On psychological level, it shows the mental barrier intended to prevent people from forming unnecessary contacts. The poem also explores the themes of tradition and questioning, suggesting that while boundaries are necessary, they should not stop others from approaching you to form a healthy relationship.

• What is the role of repetition in “Mending Wall” and how does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?

The use of the literary device of repetition in “Mending Wall” is not only deliberate but also intended. It is deliberate as it stresses upon the importance of the wall and intended as it highlights the act of repairing it. The repetition of “good fences make good neighbors”, however, reinforces this point that whoever believes in the importance of maintaining the wall also believes in forming good relations. It also highlights the speaker’s quizzical attitude toward the wall and the convention of walling itself. Repeating the phrase, Frost emphasizes the tension between tradition and its legitimacy to highlight the cyclical nature of human beliefs and behaviors.

• How does “Mending Wall” reflect Robert Frost’s use of nature imagery in his poetry?

Robert Frost’s use of natural imagery in “Mending Wall” shows his love for rural landscape such as the mention of trees, rocks, and animals shows. It serves the purpose of making sense of place to connect the theme of limits and privacy to the natural world. The wall, for example, is made of rocks that are “loaves” and “balls.”  This shows that they natural part of the landscape. By connecting this theme to the natural world, he wants to show that human world and natural world coexists and that human behavior is also a natural part of it.

• How does the relationship between the speaker and the neighbor reflect the tension between individualism and community in American culture?

Whereas the tension between the poet, who is also the speaker, and his neighbor reflects the broader problem of community versus individual in American culture, the neighbor embodies a tradition that persists, while the poet seeks to explore new avenues in relationship building. This creates a conflict within the poet, which reflects the drive for new relationship formation, where the rural landscape faces encroachment from new residents. This conflict between tradition and individual thinking persists until the end, with new beliefs blending with the old, illustrating that the American melting pot accepts new ideas despite traditional views.

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Home > THESES > 1101

Open Access Master's Theses

Robert frost: a twentieth century poet of man and nature.

Pauline Elaine Allen , University of Rhode Island

Date of Award

Degree type, degree name.

Master of Arts in English

First Advisor

Sydney Howard White

Robert Frost is a twentieth century poet who deals realistically with his world through man and nature. Frost is still widely thought of as a nature poet, but this is a misconception. Although most of his poems are filled with nature images, his real subject is humanity. Frost admitted that he "had only three or four pure nature poems. The rest were human portraits with a nature setting."

Frost's poetry differs from that of nineteenth century poetry in response and tone--his subtlety and sly wit is often undetected except by the most observant, his material is presented honestly and without sentimentality. Frost's focus remains on the drama of man in nature whether it is in his lyric, narrative, or dramatic poetry. The unique form of Frost's nature poetry represents his way of presenting man and nature along the usual lines of a contemporary poet.

In his themes of fear, isolation and acceptance, Frost is often in conflict with nature. He strives to keep man and nature independent of each other because they are separate entities, not to be unified, and not to be joined. Frost is well aware of man's limitations, and in coping with these limited capabilities he realizes that man mu.st possess a strong faith in himself in order to maintain his equilibrium against nature.

Frost's dramatic poems reveal intricate tensions in human relationships. In his longer narrative poems he couples together inward fears and external problems with the most interesting results. In his lyric poetry, love appears to be more prevalent. Love, sex, and psychological relationships do, however, appear to be expressions of what he sees to be central to human relationships.

Robert Frost is a twentieth century poet of man and nature; he is a major poet of our time. To Frost, nature may be a symbol of man's relation to the world, but the most important aspect in h.is poetry remains his strong underlying message about man.

Recommended Citation

Allen, Pauline Elaine, "Robert Frost: A Twentieth Century Poet of Man and Nature" (1978). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1101. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1101

Since October 26, 2017

https://doi.org/10.23860/thesis-allen-pauline-1978

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