An Interpretation of Frost's Birches
After reading this poem, I believe that it can be divided into three
specific parts. The scientific explanation for the appearance of birches,
Frost's boyhood fanatasy about their appearance, and his present day
interpretation of their appearance.
In the first section, Frost explains the birches appearances
scientifically. He implys that natural phenomenons make the branches of the
birch trees sway. He explains that ice storms, which is a characteristic of
New England weather, can accumulate on the branches and cause them to
become heavy and bending. (For those of ya'll not familiar with the
appearance of the bark of the birch, click here.) Birches have a black
background with crackled snow white bark on top of the black bark. It has
an unusual appearance because both the black and the white are visable.
Frost offers many suggestions for their appearance. It maybe due to the ice
breaking that is burdened on the bark. The breeze causes the ice to move
and crack certain parts of the bark, creating the crackling effect. "As the
[ice] stir cracks and crazes their enamel." He also compares this image to
that of breaking glass and compares it to the "dome of heaven" shattering.
I enjoy how he offers such different interpretations for the appearance of
the bark. My personal favorite is the shattering of the dome in heaven. I
think this creates a vivid image for the reader. He goes on to say that
once the branches are bent, they never return completely upright again, but
they are so flexible that they never break."You may see their trunks
arching in the woods/ Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the
ground." These are some of the natural phenomenons that Frost me...
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...s to revisit his childhood days, where his
life was peaceful, fun, and carefree. He does not want to just simply die,
but "die, and be reborn again." He is not rejecting earth, because he likes
earth and all that it has to offer. "Earth's the right place for love:/ I
don't know where it's likely to go better." Although he has grown up, he is
still a part of this fantasy world that he would be content "climbing"
birches his entire life. He uses the image that the top of the trees
represent heaven, and the more he climbs the closer he is to reaching his
dream. However, he does not want to reach heaven right this instant, so the
bending of the tree would send him back down to earth, or reality. "But
dipped its top and set me down again/ That would be good both going and
coming." But he would be perfectly content with his life being a "swinger
of birches."
Sensory Imagery: make the reader envision objects and settings in the book with greater detail.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
Analysis: This quote shows that the setting was at one point different to the author. It was not glossy and new.
Piper’s use of imagery in this way gives the opportunity for the reader to experience “first hand” the power of words, and inspires the reader to be free from the fear of writing.
Having such an image before our eyes, often we fail to recognize the message it is trying to display from a certain point of view. Through Clark’s statement, it is evident that a photograph holds a graphic message, which mirrors the representation of our way of thinking with the world sights, which therefore engages other
One of the literary techniques most prominently featured throughout the passage would be that of imagery. The author takes great care to interweave sentences comparing the traits
...mple of imagery is when Richard’s friends run up to him with his article in their hands and a baffled look on their faces. This shows that Richard is a very talented writer for his age and that Richard is a very ambitious person because his school never taught him to write the way he does. This also shows that Richard took it upon himself to become a talented author and wants to be a writer when he grows up.
You discuss imagery in your paper to prove certain points about the separation theme. Direct quotes would have been useful.
...r, by reading the rest of the sentence and by looking at how the word is used, I came up with a more solid conclusion of what the word meant. I used visualization mostly throughout the book because of the staggering mass of compelling vocabulary used. The image that the passage shown above gave was very clear.
Descriptive imagery is also dominant in line 29 “She clawed through bits of glass and brick,” allows the reader to vividly picture the mother frantically digging through the crumbling remains of the church in search of the daughter she holds dear to her heart. Clearly picturing the frantic mother the readers can feel how dramatic the situation is and the devastating, emotional impact it will have on the mother’s life. The descriptive imagery adds to the dramatic situation by allowing the reader to picture the mother and bu...
...h the message is conveyed. Potter’s juxtaposition of picture and word also rewards the reader for trusting the evidence of his or her eyes, rather than simply submitting to the authoritative voice.
The visual description of a text is the perfect way to wrap the reader’s senses into the story.
Comparison of Dylan Thomas' Fern Hill and Robert Frost's Birches. Poets often use nature imagery to comment on the relationship between humans and the natural environment surrounding them. Traditionally, the sand is a sand. This relationship is portrayed in a positive manner as it places emphasis on the concept that nature is representative of beauty.
In the poem Birches by Robert Frost, Frost portrays the images of a child growing to adulthood through the symbolism of aging birch trees. Through these images readers are able to see the reality of the real world compared to their carefree childhood. The image of life through tribulation is the main focal point of the poem and the second point of the poem is if one could revert back to the simpler times of childhood. The language of the poem is entirely arranged through images, although it contains some diction it lacks sound devices, metaphors, and similes compared to other published works by Frost.
Robert Frost wrote the poem “The Pasture” in 1913. He gives the reader a springtime pasture for the setting. There are leaves on the ground, and cows are roaming the land. Also, Frost gives the reader the feeling of springtime with the image of a thawed pond and baby calf (Savant 3). Frost used this setting to convey a soft setting in order to connect with the reader. The speaker of the poem is talking to an unknown character. He tells the other unknown character that he was cleaning the pasture and he will stop only to rake or to watch the water. The speaker says that he will not be gone long. At this moment, he invites the unknown character to join him. Next the speaker says that he is going to get a little calf with its mother. The calf is so small that it totters when its mother licks him. Finally, the speaker explains that it will not be a long trip to the pasture and invited the reader to join him (Savant 2).