Birches Bending Into the Past and Out of the Present

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In “Birches” by Robert Frost, the speaker uses birch trees to describe his childhood. The poem begins with the speaker describing birch trees and their bent branches. He goes on to say, “I like to think some boy’s been swinging them,” however he explains the branches are bent because of an ice storm. This first wishful desire of children playing on the birches directly contradicts the statement he makes in which the speaker vividly describes how an ice storm bends the branches. The use of imagery here sets up a contrast between his childhood memories and the adult he has become. The adult in him can use reason to state exactly what happened, while his inner child only wishes it could be so simple. This theme of childhood is prevalent throughout the poem, and the contrast in the beginning reinforces it.
The speaker mentions truth interrupting his thoughts as he is describing a scene that sounds like a memory of childhood. Truth is used to symbolize his age and experience as an adult, which is shown by the tone shift as he describes the process. The choice of words here is another suggestion of the adult he has become, as his inner child is almost mocking the adult for losing the wonder of the world children tend to have. His use of truth and the knowledge he possesses of the trees being bent have the reader believing the speaker is now an older man. His description of the bending of the trees, and specifically saying how it’s been years afterwards show this to be true. The age of the speaker is important to the theme, as it shows how far from his childhood he is, and helps the reader understand why he feels this way.
The speaker shifts his tone again as he begins to describe the scene he wishes had taken place. Here he describes a ...

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...rast between the life he lives on Earth, and the break he desires in heaven, demonstrating his desire to escape the stresses of life.
“Birches” by Robert Frost is filled with imagery and symbolism used to describe a feeling of missing his childhood and a want of escape. The poem starts by contrasting the speaker’s adulthood and childhood through the description of bent birch branches. The tone of this contrast is used to show a wanting feeling for the speaker’s simpler childhood, as life becomes more complex than climbing birch trees. The speaker then discusses how he would like to escape his life, only for a little while, and find peace. He knows he cannot escape forever and does not desire to, as he knows his life can be filled with joy and love that escape cannot provide. These themes fit well together, as those who miss the past often wish to escape the present.

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