Robert Frost Research Paper

Stripping Life to Form

Robert Frost grew up in a state of turmoil. From his tumultuous childhood right up until his death, Frost was a character who could speak at Harvard and live on a farm in New Hampshire. He could dazzle the brightest students with poetic ingenious, but boil life down to, “It’s hard to get into this world and hard to get out of it. And what’s in between doesn’t make much sense. If that sounds pessimistic, let it stand” (Updike 535). Robert Frost’s poems “Mending Wall” and “The Road Not Taken” both exemplify the struggle between individual autonomy and the confines that society puts on it through deceivingly simple speech. Frost specifically deals with the idea that life is no more than a series of relationships and choices, which are never simple to discern. Frost’s collections of work have not always been considered groundbreaking, for his first book of poems was published when he was forty. Parini even noted that regardless of his early writings and lack of success, he went on to read at a Presidential inauguration and won four Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry. Frost’s poems were even recognized in England as being “Much finer, much more near the ground, and much more national, in the true sense, than anything Whitman gave the world” (Frost Teacher). “Mending Wall” on the surface deals specifically with the ideological struggle between neighbors. This struggle does not go unnoticed even through the eyes of critics and explications alike. Parini articulated Frost’s crux as being, “Life, between great powers and old friends, is combat, and not clean combat at that” (Updike 539). Parini noticed Frost’s theme of struggle between human forces. He begins on line 32, “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know/ What I was walling in or walling out,/ And to whom I was like to give offense” (lines 32-34 Mending Wall). The neighbor of the poem who opposes boundaries cannot win this combat, instead Parini pinpointed Frost’s objective. To show how this struggle between friends as well as enemies is a combat. It is more a trade-off than it is a solution. Frost’s writings show human relations as a series of compromises rather than a progression. Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” gives insight into the same struggle. “And sorry I could not travel both/ And be one traveler, long I stood” (lines 2-3 Road). These lines deal with the loss of opportunity, as in a combat rather than complete autonomy. These lines signify that the protagonist understands the grave consequences that will come from his decision. The looming sense that from this point on nothing will be the same explains man’s conflict with choice, both internally and under the pressures of society. Frost’s simple verse and form with a deceptively deep connotation is not something that critics generally denounce or miss within his writings. “This is no doubt in part to the verse-theory of Mr. Robert Frost that the rhythm of poetry should be that of colloquial speech” (Aiken). Conrad Aiken notes that Frost’s verse is vernacular. It is easy to understand and yet leaves much more to be unpacked within the perceived simple language. This language may come from Frost’s many moods within his writings. There are times of understanding and there are times of confusion. For example, “Mending Wall” allows the neighbors to spar with one another without any type of physical altercation. The two men try their best to get the other to realize his side of the argument. “Good fences make good neighbors” (line 27, line 45 Mending Wall) is Frost’s second repeated line. The repetition of this line is important, as well as the combat that Parini pointed out. These are two neighbors who cannot find a common ground about things as simple as their trees and boundaries. It is unlikely that either man will use up to the absolute boundary of his property, but Frost’s notion of the human struggle to be an individual as well as a member of society holds true. The men want as much for themselves as possible, while neither of them will use the extent of the land they argue over to no avail. Frost’s literal boundaries in “Mending Wall” can also be seen as the building blocks of society. Being separate, yet abutting is how society functions. Everyone realizes their place and their impact on everyone around them, but strives to be alone in one respect or another. Whether it is behind a wall, or just simply away from most of society, such as Frost’s retreat in New Hampshire. Robert Frost rarely rushed his poetry, instead it was meticulously inspected and reworked to give the reader a truly masterful work. “He likes to keep a poem around for a year or two, get thoroughly acquainted with it and be sure he likes it reasonably well before permitting it to be printed” (Anthony). The article from Mr. Joseph Anthony is incredibly interesting. It specifically references “Mending Wall” and Frost’s fondness of the poem, but more interestingly reveals a bit of philosophy from Frost. Anthony quotes, “‘For me, the thing that art does for life is strip it to form”’(Anthony). This statement gives insight as to why Frost likes to dabble with a poem for about a year and why his poems possess more substance than many others. Frost’s aim was more than to describe a setting, or allow a reader to feel as though they are part of the characters, instead Frost would rather the poem as a whole be viewed as a statement. He would rather that a statement “strip” life of its distractions and frills and boils it down to form than carry on about useless details and gaudy language. George Browne’s thoughts on Frost’s language are that his dissimilar verses, stressed pauses, and little hurries are where Frost’s inner meaning comes from. Browne notes that this is far different from Whitman and may be the reason why Frost was more revered and highly celebrated as a prize-winning poet. Frost writes, “I shall be telling this with a sigh” (line 16 Road), which leaves much up to the reader. This break and pause gives room for much interpretation. The feuding connotations and significance of these last lines are what separate this poem from all of the other great poems. Frost then closes with, “I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference” (lines 19-20 Road). The ending of the poem seems too abrupt and unclear to discern whether his retrospection evoked positive or negative feelings. But this is not the focus of the poem at all. Instead the speaker would rather show that he is not afraid of choice, but embraces it. He has no problem sharing his own life experience, not necessarily to influence others, but to stress the grave impact that your mindset can influence your entire life. Frost’s hazy meaning is summed up in Browne’s article. It reads, “Mr. Frost is not a Socialist nor a profound moralist, but he is sane and simple and moral” (Browne). The idea that Frost is less concentrated on telling people through his poetry what is right and wrong, and more concerned with “stripping life to form.” Browne’s article also uncovers a side to Frost’s poetry that is otherwise unheard. While some poets preferred that their epiphanies and insights be locked away, or only published, Frost urged for his work to be read aloud. Frost describes them in the interview with Browne as “Living expressions flying around - the only vital parts of speech” (Browne). Instead of society confining his writing style, Frost forged ahead with his own style. Browne mentioned how the anthologies and books dedicated to Robert Frost and his poetry all have one common theme. Line structure basically had no structure except when read. Frost made sure that the only way one can truly appreciate his poem is to read it aloud, for his pauses and line breaks are meant for emphasis in the colloquial and natural form of speech. The path that the man ultimately chooses in “The Road Not Taken” is more for his own benefit. It is selfish in the sense that he goes against the grain and takes the more inviting route of individualism. But the man still grieves for not having the ability to take both paths. He is not completely sold on the path he chose, and his human ability of choice became more burdensome than previously thought. Frost allows the reader to feel for the speaker when the speaker longs to take his decision back. But reassures the readers that another day he may relinquish his compromise, not on the same exact path but at a different crossroads. Frost wrote, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way,/ I doubted if I should ever come back” (lines 14-15 Road). These last lines of stanza three exemplify his reasoning and thought process. By stripping life to its most basic form, Frost does in a couple lines what it takes philosophers and thinkers alike ages to come to grips with. His idea that what happens today absolutely influences tomorrow, what is written today, and what he thinks today will change his life forever is more profound than the poem’s potential meanings. This part is important because although he ends his last interview as a perceived pessimist, he was more a realist than anything. Frost preferred looking at things for what they are worth, and taking away the fantastical interpretations of life that clouded poetry up until his reign. “Mending Wall” and “The Road Not Taken” are two fantastic poems that take simple, natural occurrences and morph them into highly intellectual commentaries on life. The two paths diverged in a wood, and the innate belief that barriers are restrictive and harmful can be seen in both poems. The ability to choose and to interpret for oneself is a resounding theme of Frost’s “stripping to form”. Frost’s lack of babble and poetic fluff brings readers closer to his meanings and interpretation that humanity is a struggle. Not of class or of wealth, but more a combat that abides by few rules. There is little quid-pro-quo in these poems. The poems refuse to let people think that today’s choices are just for today, or that refusing to tear down barriers has no impact on the rest of society. Instead, Frost masterfully wove two poems in his own style that successfully convey his idea that life is complicated and that society has made it more of a struggle. His struggle with personal versus communal good is exemplified in many critics analysis. Frost’s poetry tells readers to do what is best for them, to take the road less traveled and to let your neighbor deduce his own ideologies. He acknowledged how hard it was to be placed on this earth, how hard it is to forge one’s own path but through his poetry he showed us the simplest form of humanity: choice. Robert Frost chose to be unlike his counterparts, and that has made all the difference.

Works Cited
Aiken, Conrad. "The Deterioration of Poets. " The Dial; a Semi - monthly Journal of

Literary Criticism, Discussion, and Information (1880-1929) Volume LXIV..No.

765. (1918): 403. APS Online. ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries. 2

Apr. 2008 <http://www.proquest.com/>

Anthony, Joseph. "Robert Frost, Realist and Symbolist. " New York Times (1857-

Current file) [New York, N.Y.] 4 Jul 1920,42. ProQuest Historical Newspapers

The New York Times (1851 - 2004). ProQuest. University of Connecticut

Libraries. 2 Apr. 2008 <http://www.proquest.com/>

Browne H. George. "ROBERT FROST, A POET OF SPEECH. " The Independent ...

Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Economic Tendencies,

History, Literature, and the Arts (1848-1921) 22 May 1916: 283. APS

Online. ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries. 2 Apr.

2008 <http://www.proquest.com/>

Frost, Robert. “Mending Wall”.

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken”.

"Robert Frost, Poet, Teacher and Man. " New York Times (1857-Current file) [New

York, N.Y.] 13 May 1928,62-62. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New

York Times (1851 - 2004). ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries. 2 Apr.

2008 http://www.proquest.com/

Updike, John, and Jay Parini. Due Considerations. New York, New York: Alfred a.

Knopf, 2007. 530-539.

Cited: Aiken, Conrad. "The Deterioration of Poets. " The Dial; a Semi - monthly Journal of Literary Criticism, Discussion, and Information (1880-1929) Volume LXIV..No 765. (1918): 403. APS Online. ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries. 2 Apr Anthony, Joseph. "Robert Frost, Realist and Symbolist. " New York Times (1857- Current file) [New York, N.Y.] 4 Jul 1920,42 The New York Times (1851 - 2004). ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries History, Literature, and the Arts (1848-1921) 22 May 1916: 283. APS Online "Robert Frost, Poet, Teacher and Man. " New York Times (1857-Current file) [New York, N.Y.] 13 May 1928,62-62 York Times (1851 - 2004). ProQuest. University of Connecticut Libraries. 2 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com/ Updike, John, and Jay Parini. Due Considerations. New York, New York: Alfred a. Knopf, 2007