Frost

Like many people I’ve always enjoyed reading poetry by Robert Frost. I wanted to know more about him and found his page on the Modern American Poetry site (http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/life.htm). It was no surprise to find that Frost was/is an extremely popular poet. He was a Pulitzer prize winner and has been admired by everyone including Presidents (JFK). His poems are widely read and unlike many writers, Frost was able to enjoy his popular status during his lifetime. But, I did not know about all the sadness and loss he faced in his personal life. And, I can’t help keeping this in mind while I reread his poems.

His style, traditional meter and rhyme scheme, makes his poems seem simple but, the deeper meaning in many of them is sometimes missed. He reminds me of the Romantic poets since much of his poetry is about nature and expresses an admiration for natural things. “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a favorite of mine. You can certainly see Frost’s love of nature in this poem. “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.” But, in the same stanza he also reminds us of the “promises to keep”, obligations to people in our lives. One can’t be drawn into slumber and rest in the lovely woods, because the responsibilities of life are more pressing.

In “Need of Being Versed in Country Things” he reflects on a burned out farmhouse with a tone of sadness. Yet he also notes hopefulness in the regeneration of nature when he reflects on the new home the birds have made there and “the lilac renewed its leaf.” His poems induce a mixture of differing emotions.