Robert Frost Contribution to American Literature - Research Paper Example

To support the family, his mother became a teacher and his grandfather was homeschooling Robert and his sister. He was very stern, yet with him Robert received a very solid education. About a year later they moved to Salem where Robert passed examinations to enter Lawrence High School. He finished the school year ahead of his class. When in Lawrence High, his poems first appeared in his school’s Bulletin. In his senior year in High School he became an editor of The Bulletin, he fell in love with Elinor Miriam White.

Right after the graduation ceremony Robert asked her to marry him right away, but she decided to postpone the marriage until more appropriate time since both of them were to enter different colleges. Frost was admitted to Harvard, but because his grandfather and mother thought Harvard to be full of freethinkers that could lead Robert astray and also because it was cheaper, in the fall of 1892 Frost entered Dartmouth College, yet he spent there less than a semester and dropped out. (Ketzle) He returned to Salem and became a school teacher.

He also worked at various jobs and in 1894 he sold his poem “My butterfly: An Elegy” to a New York magazine, The Independent. Elated, he visited Elinor and asked her marry him at once, but she wanted to finish college first. After her refusal, depressed, he went on a reckless two week journey to Virginia’s Dismal Swamp. . At that time he worked on his poem that would make up his first volume. But being a farmer was not Frost’s forte, so he sold the Derry farm and traveled with his family to England.

He decided to live there and became a teacher. Shortly after arrival in England, Frost gave his first book of poems to a small London publisher. He also got acquainted with many literary men, such as Rupert Brooke, Earnest Rhys, Ezra Pound, William Butler Yeats, Robert Bridges, Walter de la Mare, W. H. Davies, and Ralph Hodgson, and many others. When England entered into the First World Frost returned to United States. He learnt that Henry Hold and Company would publish his book. In America, Frost gave talks and reading throughout New England.

He got elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was teaching, advising students at the Michigan University in accordance with accepted fellowship. In 1924 he was awarded his first Pulitzer Prize for New Hampshire. He also earned other numerous awards and prizes. In 1930 Collected Poems won Frost a second Pulitzer Prize. Later in life he received another two Pulitzer Prize - great honors for achievements in literature. In his life he received total of four such rewards. During the next ten years, Frost became even more honored and revered.

Yet, in his personal life, he endured serious of grievous disasters. In 1934 died his youngest and favorite child Marjorie; in 1938 of a heart attack suddenly died his wife. Frost went into heavy depression, having his whole world collapsing. Then, to add to the grief, his son Carol committed suicide. Another daughter suffered from mental disorders. So after this series of tragic occurrences a number of poems in A Witness Tree derived their dark tone, yet some of his best poetry such as