Joshua May
3/2/11
English 204
Professor Hersey
Robert Frost
“Good fences make good neighbors” was a quote from one of Robert Frost’s poems, the
“Mending Wall”. Robert Frost’s poems have always interested me as they contain concealed
meanings and lessons within each work. Robert Frost’s poems draw the reader in with the
common theme of “man’s isolation” which in many cases, relates to sadness or loneliness, or
fear in everyday life (Island). Frost draws from real life events, irony and his own experiences to
create his poems. He felt isolated at times and this feeling thus lead to his inspiration for some of
his most famous writings. Frost was a major influence on the “conception of Americans being
self-sufficient individuals”. He was often was called the “Icon of Yankee values” and to this
very day, remains the prototypical American poet (enotes). We will explore the life of this
brilliant writer, his literary works, common themes of his poems, subject matter of his writings,
and the overall critical opinion of others.
Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, CA. He moved to New
England with his mother after the passing of his father. At a young age, Robert Frost was
exposed to books and reading. Frost studied such works as William Shakespeare and the poets
Robert Burns and William Wadsworth (Literature). At an early age, Frost started to form a “lifelong love of nature, the great outdoors and rural countryside” (Literature). “After enrolling in
Lawrence High School he started writing his own poems such as “La Noche Triste” which was
published in the school’s paper” (Literature). In 1892, Frost enrolled in Dartmouth, which was
an Ivy League college in Hanover, New Hampshire. He soon found himself becoming
disconnected with the atmosphere of campus life. He took a series of jobs including teaching
and working in a mill but he still continued to focus on his poetry (Literature). All of his hard
work paid off in 1894, when the New York Magazine published his work, “My Butterfly”, for a
stipend of fifteen dollars (Literature). In 1897, Frost entered Harvard University in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. He left the campus in 1899 before finishing his degree due to an illness. Later in
his life, Frost obtained a honorary degree from Harvard University (Literature). In 1900, Frost
got married and started a family with his wife Elinor. They had a total of six children and the
family them moved into a peaceful little farm in Derry, New Hampshire that Frost bought from
his grandfather (Literature). Approximately a year after moving into their new peaceful home,
Frost’s son, Elliott, dies from Cholera. Frost struggles with the guilt and grief of losing his son
and then loses his mother to cancer within the same year (Literature). In 1907, Frost’s daughter
also died just one day after her birth. Despite his emotional turmoil, Frost found the farm to be a
peaceful and secluded setting and he most enjoyed farming. This period of hardship, however,
inspired such poems as “The Mending Wall” and “Hyla Brook” which were written in 1906 and
1913 (Literature).
Frost is known for many literary works; such as the poem “The Road Not Taken”, “Home
Burial”, “Sleep” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. The important meaning
conveyed by many of these brilliant pieces of poetry is that Frost informs the reader of the
everyday life ups and downs that every person must go through in order to become a stronger
person. The strength is not only mental but physical, as well. Frost’s poems opened many doors
for future writers and poets of many different styles. Frost’s style blends classic poetry and a
modern simplicity to create a new generation of poetry lovers. It is with his style, that Frost
dissolved barriers within the poetic community and created a simple and more natural poetic
style. There are plentiful meanings and symbolism behind all of Frost’s writings. This has
brought inspiration for many writers and readers alike. This style also shows through in the
themes of many of his poems.
The most popular themes within Frosts poems are “man’s isolation from his universe or
alienation from his environment” (Island). Frost depicts within some of his writings that a man
“is alone and frail as compared to the vastness of the universe”, human limitation, extinction or
death, the process of self-discovery and the theme of love (Island) are all topics within Frost’s
writings. Another theme that can be also be brought forth is the predominant theme of barriers
within his poetry. Often, man attempts to create and/ or break down barriers between he and his
environment or between he and others. This idea can be found in frosts writings (Island). All of
these theme link with each other to paint a visual picture of the “real world” or the environment
in which we live. Frost’s writings often indicate that life can sometimes be cruel and
unforgiving. Through this pain and hardship, a person can become stronger. It is the above
noted symbolism or theme that draws the reader in and encourages the person to beome engaged
in the poem or story. Robert Frost’s fan base is large as a result of his writing style.
Often times, the critics refer to Frost’s early work as being “the Puritan ethic turned
astonishingly lyrical and enabled to say out loud the sources of its own delight in the worlds”
(Poets). People also comment on his career by saying “he became a national celebrity, our
nearly official poet laureate, and a great performer in the tradition of that earlier master of the
literary vernacular, Mark twain" (Poets). Even the late, great President John F. Kennedy was
quoted as saying “He has bequeathed his nation a body of imperishable verse from which
Americans will forever gain joy and understanding” (Poets). These positive comments illustrate
what a great writer Robert Frost really was, and the many people that enjoy his poems will
continue to be enlightened by his works for many years to come.
In conclusion, Robert Frost has had a great impact on the poetic community with his
simplistic style of writing and the use of irony and human fears to bring forth human emotions.
Frost had many hardships in his life; these hardships inspired many of his most famous and well
known poems. The main theme in many of Frost’s poems is the idea that man is isolated, alone,
and frail within this colossal universe. His captivating play of words and understanding of the
art of conversation draws the reader in (Lane). Frost’s many critics had nothing but good things
to say about his writings. Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets because he is simple, but yet
very complex at the same time. Frost has a different style of writing that makes his works most
enjoyable to read.
Works Cited
enotes. Robert Frost- Information and Facts. 28 Febuary 2011. 28 Febuary 2011
<www.enotes.com/authors/robert-frost>.
Island, Last. Major Themes of Robert Frost . 28 Febuary 2009. 28 Febuary 2011
<www.engliterarium.blogsspot.com/2009/02/major-themes-of-Robert-Frost.html>.
Lane, Sarah. Famous People- Robert Frost. 17 March 2006. 1 March 2011
<http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/article_785.shtml>.
Literature, Online. Robert Frost Biography. 28 Febuary 2011. 28 Febuary 2011 <http://www.onlineliterature.com/frost/>.
Poets, Academy of American. Robert Frost. 1 March 2011. 1 March 2011
<www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192>.