Robert Frost is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and well-respected poets in American history. With his characteristic simple writing style, and emphasis on the natural world, Frost wrote poetry that was understood by and appealed to all. In a similar fashion to 19th century romantic poets, Frost upheld the notion that poetry is "never a put-up job.... It begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a loneliness. It is never a thought to begin with. It is at its best when it is a tantalizing vagueness." That being said, Frost adopted a conversational tone for his poetry by writing his works in colloquial language, rather than with artificial poetic diction. Drawing from his preference for the vernacular, Frost often used the indefinite pronoun “something” in his poetry. Although a fairly common term, its relatively frequent use alongside Frost’s usually vivid and descriptive imagery make it a characteristic of his works worth exploring. Upon evaluation, it becomes evident that Frost’s most potent reason for the use of the word “something” is to infuse an element of doubt or uncertainty into his poetry. It is perhaps an instilled ambiguity that Frost describes as distinctive of good poetry – often found in his better works with a “tantalizing vagueness”.
Before drawing conclusions though, it is wise to explore all avenues of possible meaning with regard to Robert Frost’s use of the word “something”. An important aspect to realize is that Frost raised concerns over readers’ far-fetched assumptions in their understanding of his poetry. According to Frost, "The objective idea [was all he] ever cared about. Most of [his] ideas [occurred] in verse.... To be too subjective with what an artist has managed to mak...
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...hing” is possibly just a careful play with diction - a medium for infusing the complexity and abstruseness into his poetry that is required to provoke such contemplation and search for meaning.
As concluded from analyzing three of Frost’s works for diction, it is difficult to stamp on the precise meaning and reason for the use of “something” in his poetry. Frost was highly unlikely to have used the word something in a mindful and deliberate fashion. However, the word does have a distinct purpose, and is possibly representative of a particular ambivalent emotion or experience to Frost. What is most concrete, though, is the fact that “something” infuses an element of uncertainty to Frost’s poetry, which is integral to the mood he wishes to convey, and an inevitable actuality in his outlook of human life.
Works Cited
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/robert-frost
In the poem “For Once, Then, Something,” the speaker recalls a time when he had encountered something in a well, and his uncertainty about the something at the bottom of the well led to his desire to have his knowledge confirmed. Frost’s choices of words, images, diction, and tone in the narrative poem “For Once, Then, Something” reflects the uncertainty of the speaker. Through Frost’s diction, imagery, and allusions, the speaker seeks the truth and clarity of knowledge that creates tones of wistfulness and desire.
Robert Frost is regarded as one of the most distinguished American poets in the twentieth century. His work usually realistically describes the rural life in New England in the early twentieth century and conveys complex social and philosophical themes. But his personal life was plagued with grief and loss, which is also reflected in his poems and the dark energy distinguishes Robert Frost’s poems, frequently conveyed in the use of lexical words like dark and its derivatives or synonyms, woods, snow, night, and so on. (Su, Y)
Frost is far more than the simple agrarian writer some claim him to be. He is deceptively simple at first glance, writing poetry that is easy to understand on an immediate, superficial level. Closer examination of his texts, however, reveal his thoughts on deeply troubling psychological states of living in a modern world. As bombs exploded and bodies piled up in the World Wars, people were forced to consider not only death, but the aspects of human nature that could allow such atrocities to occur. By using natural themes and images to present modernist concerns, Frost creates poetry that both soothes his readers and asks them to consider the true nature of the world and themselves.
Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe's life was bombarded with misery, financial problems, and death but he still managed to become a world-renowned writer. Although he attended the most prestigious of schools he was often looked over as a writer and poet during his career. His stories were odd and misunderstood during their time. However, now they are loved a read by millions.
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words,” Robert Frost once said. As is made fairly obvious by this quote, Frost was an adroit thinker. It seems like he spent much of his life thinking about the little things. He often pondered the meaning and symbolism of things he found in nature. Many readers find Robert Frost’s poems to be straightforward, yet his work contains deeper layers of complexity beneath the surface. His poems are not what they seem to be at first glance. These deeper layers of complexity can be clearly seen in his poems “The Road Not Taken”, “Fire and Ice”, and “Birches”.
Frost, Robert. A. A. “The Lover Not Taken.” Literature and the Writing Process.
Frost establishes at the outset his speaker's discursive indirection. He combines the indefinite pronoun "something" with the loose expletive construction "there is" to evoke a ruminative vagueness even before raising the central subject of walls. A more straightforward character (like the Yankee farmer) might condense this opening line to three direct words: "Something dislikes walls." But Frost employs informal, indulgently convoluted language to provide a linguistic texture for the dramatic conflict that develops later in the poem. By using syntactical inversion ("something there is . . .") to introduce a rambling, undisciplined series of relative clauses and compound verb phrases ("that doesn't love . . . that sends . . . and spills . . . and makes . . ."), he evinces his persona's unorthodox, unrestrained imagination. Not only does this speaker believe in a strange force, a seemingly intelligent, natural or supernatural "something" that "sends the frozen-ground-swell" to ravage the wall, but his speech is also charged with a deep sensitivity to it. The three active verbs ("sends," "spills," "makes") that impel the second, third, and fourth lines forward are completed by direct objects that suggest his close observation of the destructive process.
...ed by many scholars as his best work. It is through his awareness of the merit, the definitive disconnectedness, of nature and man that is most viewable in this poem. Throughout this essay, Frosts messages of innocence, evil, and design by deific intrusion reverberate true to his own personal standpoint of man and nature. It is in this, that Frost expresses the ideology of a benign deity.
Robert Frost uses metaphor and symbolism extensively in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, developing deeper and more complex meanings from a superficially simple poem. Frost’s own analysis contributes greatly to our appreciation of the importance of metaphor, claiming that “metaphor [is] the whole of thinking,” inviting the reader to interpret the beautiful scene in a more profound way. However, the multitude of possible interpretations sees it being read as either carefully crafted lyric, a “suicide poem, [or] as recording a single autobiographical incident” . Judith Oster argues, therefore, that the social conditions individual to each reader tangibly alter our understanding of metaphor. Despite the simplicity of language, Frost uses conventional metaphors to explore complex ideas about life, death and nature. The uncertainty, even in the concluding stanza, that encompasses the poem only adds to the depth of possible readings.
...to be. The characters of which Frost’s poems are about paint clear pictures of what he anticipates that the readers will get out of the poems. The characters could be nature, animals, or people that are used as symbols. The poems are always understandable, even if there is not a clear plot within the poem.
strengthens his viewpoint and regards Frost as ―one of the most intuitive poets [. . . h]e sees
By both elaborating on the ideas of earlier writers and adding ideas of his own, Robert Frost creates a place for himself in history. The themes of his poems remain true regardless of the time period. Modern readers understand the importance of love and imagination that Frost describes. His messages about death and relationships have guided readers for decades. While technology becomes an ever more important part of the modern world, the continued love of Frost’s poetry shows that people still feel a connection to nature.
Lynen also states that “the struggle between the human imagination and the meaningless void man confronts is the subject of poem after poem” (6). On speaking of Frost’s nature poetry, Gerber says, “with equanimity Frost investigates the basic themes of man’s life: the individual’s relationships to himself, to his fellow man, to his world, and to his God” (117). All of these...
Frost was a rural Yankee whose writings reflect everyday experiences-his own experiences, but was one who saw metaphorical dimensions in the everyday things he encountered. These everyday encounters held ground as his subject manner, combined with the rural setting of New England nature, seasons, weather and times of day. Frost’s goal was to write his poetry in such a way that it would cover familiar ground, but in an unfamiliar way or uncommon in expression.
Robert Frost is an amazing poet that many admire today. He is an inspiration to many poets today. His themes and ideas are wonderful and are valued by many. His themes are plentiful however a main one used is the theme of nature. Frost uses nature to express his views as well as to make his poetry interesting and easy to imagine in your mind through the detail he supplies.