The poem I will be analyzing is Design by Robert Frost
So basically, this poem is Frost’s response to the arguments of “design” (that nature is designed to be
this way) and the Creator that designed nature which were prevalent in the 18th century. This poem has
tons of contrasting imagery and syntax. Starting out with dimpled, which usually is used for someone’s
cheek or a baby’s bottom, basically is a pleasant connotation, but is used to describe the spider, which
creates like an image of this giant insect. White alludes to purity but fat is a negative word used for the
spider and the speaker uses this style of combining positive and negative words to create a contrasting
image throughout the poem. Now the white heal-all here is referring to a wildflower which was known
to have a curing effect for a disease back then, as we’ll find out as we go further into the poem. The
flower is “holding up” or supporting a moth. The “white piece of rigid satin cloth” creates an image of
the cloth that is used in coffins and takes away the elegance of a satin cloth. Notice how the word white
is used 3 times in the first three lines. It’s been used to create a negative rather than a pure or a true
image each time. Blight is a ruined state, and is combined with death. The speaker creates beautiful
irony by saying to “begin the morning right” which contradicts the beautiful and peaceful morning with
death and blight. And the last three lines contain ironies as well. The witches’ broth gives the warmth of
a broth an evil devil related image. The snow-drop brings in grace and the dead wings take it away, as
they negate the positive image of children playing with kites to dead wings falling through air as the
moth is eaten up.
After the octave, the speaker’s tone changes drastically as he starts to leave us with questions and
communicate the messages intended. He first questions the flower’s odd color, white, which is
appearing 4th time in the poem. Now the poet is questioning the design that brought the kindred spider
there, and steered the moth at the same place. The word “night” and “steered” make it seem as if the
moth was under control and was moved to the same place even if the moth didn’t intend to be there
and it was done in the dark to magnify the dark image. The word “white” is used now for the 5th time,
and each time it was used ironically to create a negative air, even if it seems like it is pure. The speaker
also asks why does the design has to be so appalling to some species, even if it’s as minute as a moth
being eaten by a spider. Throughout the poem, the use of simple diction and the colloquial language
made it resonate more in the reader’s mind.