1. Thesis Statement: Begin by stating your thesis or theme statement clearly. For example:
   • Frost often delved into poems featuring isolated settings to convey psychological concepts. Provide examples and elaborate on their significance.
   • Frost’s position as a bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries, juxtaposed with his contemporaries like E.A. Robinson, T.S. Eliot, and Carl Sandburg, merits discussion and comparison.
   • Frost’s enduring fascination with astronomy led to the incorporation of star imagery and metaphor in his poetry. Explore the reasons behind this fascination and provide illustrative examples.
2. Content Structure:
   • Biographical Information: Discuss Frost’s life, the connections between his personal experiences and his poetry, and his role in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century poetry scene. Consider comparing Frost to contemporaries like E.A. Robinson, T.S. Eliot, or Carl Sandburg.
   • Frost’s Style: Analyze Frost’s unique style, which he described as “the sound of sense.” Examine the organization, meter, rhyme scheme, and rhythm of his poems. Explore his use of figurative language, including metaphor, alliteration, assonance, and consonance. Identify symbols and images used by Frost, and discuss how he introduced conversational language into traditional English meters and forms. Use examples from poems like “Storm Fear,” “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” and “Two Tramps in Mudtime.”
   • Theme and Meaning: Explore the central themes recurring in Frost’s poetry, such as loneliness, retreat, loss, and love. Clarify the distinction between nature as a setting and nature as a theme in Frost’s work. Emphasize Frost’s ability to intertwine observations of nature with human concerns. Refer to Frost’s observation-based method of organizing ideas and his tendency to leave conclusions open-ended.
   • Literary Criticism: Incorporate critical analysis from scholars such as Reginald Cook, John Lynen, or Rueben Brower. Utilize library resources for additional critical insights, as online sources may be limited due to copyright restrictions.
   • Poems for Analysis: Select one or two famous Frost poems for in-depth analysis, supported by scholarly opinions. Consider poems like “Acquainted with the Night,” “After Apple-Picking,” “Birches,” “Desert Places,” “Design,” “Fire and Ice,” “Mending Wall,” “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” “Once by the Pacific,” “Out, Out,” “The Road Not Taken,” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Discuss how these poems align with Frost’s recurring themes and stylistic elements.
3. Conclusion: Summarize your findings and reiterate the significance of Frost’s contributions to poetry. Acknowledge the complexities and nuances inherent in analyzing Frost’s work, and emphasize the ongoing process of interpretation and understanding.

By following this structure and incorporating relevant examples and scholarly insights, you can develop a comprehensive and insightful paper on Robert Frost’s poetry.

The post Tips appeared first on Frostfriends.

There are seven different kinds of imagery:

1. Visual Imagery – something seen in the mind’s eye.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “magnified apples appear and disappear…every fleck of russet showing clear.”
• Once by the Pacific – “the clouds were low and hairy…like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.”
• Birches – “the iced branches shed ‘crystal shells.'”
• October – “Enchant the land with amethyst.”
• Good Hours – “the cottages up to their shining eyes in snow.”

2. Auditory Imagery – represents a sound.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “the rumbling .. of load on load of apples coming in.”
• Mowing – “the scythe whispering to the ground.”
• The Runaway – “the miniature thunder… the clatter of stone.”
• An Old Man’s Winter Night – “the roar of trees, the crack of branches, beating on a box.”
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – “the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.”

3. Olfactory Imagery – a smell.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “Essence of winter sleep is on the night, the scent of apples.” (Note: just the mention of “the scent of apples” does not make it an image, but when connected to “essence of winter sleep,” the scent gains vividness.)
• To Earthward – “musk from hidden grapevine springs.”
• Out, Out – the sticks of wood “sweet scented stuff.”
• Unharvested – “A scent of ripeness from over a wall…smelling the sweetness in no theft.”
• To a Young Wretch – “the boy takes the tree and heads home, ‘smelling green.'”

4. Gustatory Imagery – a taste.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – although not specifically mentioned, the taste of the apples is implied.
• To Earthward – “I craved strong sweets…now no joy but lacks salt.”
• Blueberries – “the blueberries as big as your thumb…with the flavor of soot.”
• A Record Stride – “the walking boots that taste of Atlantic and Pacific salt.”
• The Exposed Nest – “A haying machine passes over a bird nest without ‘tasting flesh.'”

5. Tactile Imagery – touch, such as hardness, softness, wetness, heat, cold.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “the fruit to ‘Cherish in hand.'”
• Moon Compasses – “So love will take between the hands a face.”
• The Death of the Hired Man – “Mary touches the harplike morning-glory strings and plays some tenderness.”
• The Witch of Coos – “the bed linens might just as well be ice and the clothes snow.”
• On Going Unnoticed – “You grasp the bark by a rugged pleat, / And look up small from the forest’s feet.”

6. Organic Imagery – internal sensation, such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, fear.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “My instep arch not only keeps the ache, It keeps the pressure of a ladder round.”
• Storm Fear – “My heart owns a doubt, It costs no inward struggle not to go.”
• Birches – “It’s when I’m weary of considerations / And life is too much like a pathless wood, etc.”
• The White-Tailed Hornet – “To stab me in the sneeze-nerve of a nostril.”
• Spring Pools – “the trees drinking up the pools and along with it, the flowers.”

7. Kinesthetic Imagery – movement or tension.

Examples:

• After Apple-Picking – “I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.”
• Bereft – “Leaves got up in a coil and hissed, / Blindly struck at my knee and missed.”
• Ghost House – “the black bats tumble and dart.”
• A Late Walk – “the whir of sober birds, is sadder than any words.”
• Once by the Pacific – “Shattered water …Great waves looked over others coming in.”

The post Imagery appeared first on Frostfriends.

In this letter, Frost expressed a departure from the prevailing poetic trends of his time, particularly the emphasis on harmonized vowels and consonants as the essence of poetic music. He believed that poets like Swinburne and Tennyson had pursued a path focused on assonance, which he considered to be a “short track.” Frost instead championed his own theory, which he termed “the sound of sense.”

Assonance, in its traditional definition, involves the repetition of similar vowel sounds, often with different consonants, creating a vowel rhyme. However, Frost’s approach to sound in poetry diverged from this conventional understanding. While assonance and consonance can be found incidentally in Frost’s work, they do not hold the same deliberate prominence as in the poetry of Tennyson, for example.

Frost’s concept of “the sound of sense” prioritized the poetic arrangement of words to evoke meaning and tone. Rather than focusing solely on the repetition of specific vowel sounds, Frost aimed to craft lines that resonated with a distinct tone when spoken aloud. He sought to imbue his poetry with a sound that evoked a particular emotional response, one that readers could intuitively recognize and connect with.

In essence, Frost’s exploration of sound in poetry went beyond the mere repetition of vowel sounds; it encompassed the broader interplay between language, meaning, and tone. While definitive instances of assonance may be less pronounced in Frost’s poetry, his unique approach to sound remains a defining characteristic of his poetic style.

The post Assonance appeared first on Frostfriends.

While Frost occasionally portrays trees positively, such as the resilient gray birch in “Birches,” more often they carry a sense of menace. In “The Oft-Repeated Dream,” a pine tree threatens a woman, while in “Spring Pools,” the forest has the power to destroy tender flowers. Frost’s concern extends beyond trees themselves to their leaves, which he depicts as wearying or playful, depending on the context.

The setting for Frost’s poetry is primarily New England, a region with a rich literary tradition rooted in its forests. Frost’s deep connection to nature is evident in his keen observations of botanical and geological phenomena during his walks. Despite his affinity for nature, Frost rejected the label of a “nature poet,” emphasizing the presence of human psychology in his poems.

Frost’s use of trees as symbols follows a poetic tradition that can be traced back to classics like Virgil’s pastorals and Dante’s “Inferno.” Trees represent obstacles to progress and sources of darkness and fear. However, Frost’s relationship with trees is complex; while he acknowledges their allure, as seen in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” he ultimately resists their pull.

Throughout his body of work, Frost’s trees accumulate varied meanings, colors, and textures, defying simplistic interpretation. They serve as potent symbols that reflect the poet’s nuanced understanding of the natural world and human experience.

The post The Dark Woods: Image Becomes Symbol appeared first on Frostfriends.

Our library’s size is limited due to the time-consuming process of scanning pages as text and the generosity of copyright holders allowing reproduction on the web. The works featured here are out of print and may be challenging to find elsewhere. We extend our sincere gratitude to the original publishers for their cooperation in making these texts available.

The Books and Essays are accessible in two formats: standard HTML or PDF. While you can read them online, we recommend downloading them to your computer for a more comfortable reading experience, especially considering their length. To view the PDF files, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 5 or higher, which is available as a free download. Simply click here to get it and follow the easy installation instructions.

Utilizing PDF and Adobe Acrobat Reader, you’ll have the added advantage of performing word searches within the texts. This feature allows you to search for poetic terminology, references, and more. Each work has its own dedicated page providing “Search Tips” to assist you in finding specific content within that particular text.

The post Welcome to the Frost Free Library appeared first on Frostfriends.

The stone house, known as the “Peleg Cole” house, boasted 80 acres of land suitable for farming, with a warmer climate conducive to orchards and gardens. This location was not only closer to Frost’s publisher in New York but also provided accessibility via railroad. Frost’s daughters could complete their education in nearby North Bennington.

Frost’s interest in apples dated back to his time at his first farm in Derry, New Hampshire, from 1900 to 1911. He found that growing apples was a fitting occupation for a poet and appreciated having them around. Frost maintained his orchard in a practical manner, relying on traditional New England farming methods and letting the trees largely care for themselves.

His poem “After Apple-Picking,” written about his orchard in Derry, showcases his poetic prowess and his intimate connection with nature. Frost’s dream of planting “a new Garden of Eden with a thousand apple trees of some unforbidden variety” captivated the family, particularly his son Carol, who envisioned the orchard as a vital component of the farm.

Although Frost was primarily known as a poet, his love for rural life and farming was deeply ingrained. While farming was a means of earning a livelihood, it also allowed him to live off the land and appreciate the simple pleasures of rural life. Frost and his family enjoyed the fruits of their labor, relishing the summer produce grown on their farm.

The orchard at the Stone House consisted of apple varieties such as MacIntosh, Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Red Astrachan. While the land is no longer owned by the Frost museum, some of the trees still remain, albeit in a state of neglect.

Efforts to revive Frost’s orchard have been undertaken, with plans to create a display orchard featuring historic apple varieties mentioned in Frost’s works. Through collaborations with apple experts and the UVM Master Gardener extension service, initiatives to propagate heritage trees and educate the public about Frost’s apple poems and the care of apple trees are underway.

The rich history of apple grafting in Shaftsbury adds another layer to the story, reflecting the longstanding tradition of apple cultivation in the region. Modern techniques of grafting and rootstock methods have been employed to ensure the successful propagation of desired apple varieties, preserving Frost’s legacy and his love for apples for generations to come.

The post Apples appeared first on Frostfriends.

While Frost deeply respected the rules of poetry, he also possessed a penchant for subverting them. He adhered to traditional standards while simultaneously challenging them, a duality that is essential to understanding his poetics. Frost resisted being categorized within contemporary poetic movements, preferring to define his own approach. He once quipped, “I started calling myself a Synecdochist when others called themselves Imagists or Vorticists,” highlighting his tendency to defy labels.

In essence, Frost was a Classicist at heart, valuing enduring and universally valid standards. Alongside his contemporaries, he pioneered the use of everyday language in poetry, recognizing the potential of conversational tones and ordinary experiences as rich poetic material.

Frost’s poems exemplify these principles of versification while also containing layers of profound psychological insight. As a humanist, he explored the complexities of human experience with empathy and nuance, infusing his poetry with a deep understanding of the human condition.

The post The Poetics of Robert Frost appeared first on Frostfriends.

When Frost welcomes you into his snugly built cabin, he becomes the life of his own party, engaging in lively conversation with the ease of a seasoned host. His charm is most evident in his words, which possess a rare freshness and provocation. Frost has the uncanny ability to infuse any topic with a sense of significance, delivering profound insights with the casual grace of a seasoned storyteller. His conversations are like unwrapping a carefully packaged gift, each word unfolding with precision and timing, leaving a lasting impression on the listener.

Accompanying Frost on a walk is akin to embarking on a journey of both body and mind. Setting out from his Ripton cabin with Gillie, his loyal Border collie, Frost navigates the woodlands with the agility of a fox, his steps deliberate and nimble. As he leads the way, he shares anecdotes and musings on a myriad of topics, from poetry and politics to science and history. Frost’s mind traverses vast landscapes of knowledge, effortlessly weaving between subjects with a depth of understanding that belies his years.

During our walks, Frost’s keen eye for nature is ever-present. He identifies plants and shrubs with the precision of a botanist, his curiosity piqued by the mysteries of the natural world. Together, we explore the fern-bordered wood roads and high swamps, discovering orchids and rare flowers along the way. Frost’s enthusiasm for discovery is infectious, his thirst for knowledge driving us deeper into the wilderness.

As we traverse the rugged terrain, Frost reflects on his life and work with humility and candor. Poetry, he confesses, was not a predetermined path but rather a series of fortuitous discoveries. He shares anecdotes from his past, recalling the skepticism of his grandfather and the challenges he faced as a young poet. Yet, despite the trials and tribulations, Frost remains steadfast in his commitment to his craft, finding inspiration in the beauty of the natural world.

Our walks with Frost are not just journeys through the wilderness but voyages of the soul. In his presence, we are reminded of the profound interconnectedness of all things, the delicate balance between light and shadow, joy and sorrow. Frost’s words resonate like echoes in the forest, lingering long after the walk has ended. As we bid him farewell at his farm, we carry with us the memory of his wisdom and the promise of future encounters with this remarkable man of letters.

The post A Walk with Robert Frost appeared first on Frostfriends.

The Homer Noble Farm

Frost purchased the Homer Noble Farm to have a summer residence while visiting Ripton. The property included a large farmhouse and a quaint cabin. While the Morrisons occupied the farmhouse with their family, Frost preferred the privacy of the cabin, where he could write undisturbed. Kay Morrison spent hours each morning assisting Frost with his papers. The cabin became a haven for literary discussions and late-night conversations with visitors and admirers. Today, Middlebury College owns the property, utilizing the farmhouse for faculty accommodations.

The Bread Loaf Inn and The Robert Frost Walking Trail

The Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, established in the mid-1920s, remains an important event to this day. The inn, owned by Middlebury College, hosted the Robert Frost Conference in 1999 to celebrate the poet’s 125th anniversary. The event brought together scholars and enthusiasts from across the country, fostering discussions and programs dedicated to Frost’s poetry. Nearby, the Robert Frost Trail offers a picturesque hike featuring Frost’s poems, developed with the assistance of Frost’s friend Reginald Cook, known as “Doc Cook” at Middlebury College. Frost and Cook often enjoyed walks together, observing nature and discussing poetry.

In 1964, a historical marker was dedicated to Frost near the Homer Noble Farm, honoring his legacy as a distinguished American poet and his affinity for Vermont. The trail, curated by Cook, offers a unique opportunity to explore Frost’s poetry amidst the natural beauty of Ripton.

The post Ripton, Vermont appeared first on Frostfriends.

• 3-26-74: Robert Lee Frost is born in San Francisco, California.
• 6-25-76: Birth of Jeanie Frost (sister).
• 5-5-1885: Death of father, Will Frost, in San Francisco. Family returns to Lawrence, Massachusetts, for burial.
• Sept, 1888: Robert enters Lawrence High School.
• May, 1890: Robert writes his first poem “La Noche Triste.”
• June, 1892: Robert graduates from Lawrence High School, sharing valedictorian honors with Elinor White.
• Sept., 1892: Enters Dartmouth but leaves before the end of the term.
• 1893 – 1894: Teaches in local schools and works in the mills.
• 11-8-94: First poem published: “My Butterfly: An Elegy.”
• 1895: Works as a reporter and teaches school.
• 12-19-95: Marries Elinor Miriam White in Lawrence.
• 9-25-96: First child, Elliott, born to Robert and Elinor.
• Sept., 1897: Enters Harvard University.
• 3-31-1899: Leaves Harvard and returns to Lawrence.
• 4-28-1899: Second child, daughter Lesley born.
• 7-8-1900: First child, Elliott, dies.
• Oct., 1900: Frost family moves to farm in Derry, New Hampshire.
• 11-2-1900: Frost’s mother, Isabelle, dies of cancer.
• 5-27-1902: Third child, son Carol, born.
• 6-27-1903: Fourth child, daughter Irma, born.
• 3-29-1905: Fifth child, daughter Marjorie, born.
• 6-18-1907: Sixth child, Elinor Bettina, born – dies within days.
• 11-16-1911: Sells Derry Farm. Lives in Plymouth, New Hampshire, and teaches at New Hampshire State Normal School.
• Sept., 1912: The Frost family sails for England.
• 10-26-1912: First book of poetry accepted by publisher.
• 5-15-1914: Second book published.
• 2-13-1915: The Frost family returns to the U.S. and buys a farm in Franconia, New Hampshire.
• Oct., 1920: Moves to Shaftsbury, Vermont, and buys the Stone House.
• Dec., 1928: Buys second farm, The Gulley, in Shaftsbury.
• 9-7-1929: Sister Jeanie dies.
• 5-2-1934: Daughter Marjorie dies following childbirth.
• 3-20-1938: Wife, Elinor, dies of a heart attack in Florida.
• Summer, 1938: Frost rents an apartment in Boston.
• Sept., 1939: Frost buys The Homer Noble Farm, Ripton, Vermont, to use as a summer residence.
• Oct 9, 1940: Son Carol dies by suicide in Shaftsbury.
• Spring, 1941: Frost buys a home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• 1-29-1963: Frost dies in Boston. Burial in Bennington.

Publication of Works

• April, 1913: A Boy’s Will, English edition.
• May, 1914: North of Boston, English edition.
• Feb, 1915: North of Boston, American edition.
• April, 1915: A Boy’s Will, American edition.
• Nov, 1916: Mountain Interval.
• Mar, 1923: Selected Poems.
• Nov, 1923: New Hampshire.
• Nov, 1928: West-running Brook.
• Nov, 1930: Collected Poems.
• May, 1936: A Further Range.
• Feb, 1939: Collected Poems.
• April, 1942: A Witness Tree.
• Mar, 1945: A Masque of Reason.
• May, 1947: Steeple Bush.
• Sept, 1947: A Masque of Mercy.
• April, 1949: Complete Poems.
• Mar, 1962: In the Clearing.

The post Robert Frost – A Chronology appeared first on Frostfriends.