Robert Frost Poetry - Essay Example

Robert Frost Poetry Robert Frost remains one of the greatest influential poets who shaped the contours of America’s literary tradition. The uniqueness of Frost’s style stands out in the directness of language and the remarkable sense of realism that is noticeable in his poetry. Frost’s poetic technique and style suited his subject matter in a sense that expanded ordinary perceptions to issues and concerns that seemed to evade the common perceptions. Thematically, Frost invented new ways of perceiving reality by training his focus on the ordinary things of life such he appeared to contest the dominant tradition of the time. Frost stepped out of the crowd of the nineteenth century tradition through the reinvention of the rhyme scheme and the multiplication of possibilities in the use of imagery and other technical devices. Frost developed a penchant of depicting both the good and bad qualities of rural life (Frost and Thomas 58). However, one of the most remarkable qualities he possessed was the ability to describe things, situations, and people with utmost vividness. The poetic language adopted by Frost necessarily linked up certain elements of style that promoted realism through the systematic choice of descriptive lines and a rich vocabulary, which aptly represented the concerns of human nature. The descriptive language used in poems such as “After Apple-Picking” and “Two Tramps in Mud Time” conjure up images of realistic situations and objects in ways that elevate the poem’s aspect of realism (Hoffman 140). The reader can easily visualize the farm in vivid detail just by going through the details of the poem. On this note, it is necessary to develop some element of truth in ways that represent some specific elements of description. His poetry straddled the influences of rural life and the aspects of modernism in ways that brought out issues in ways that celebrated the unique and diverse aspects of nature and the livelihoods of the nineteenth and twenty centuries as reflected in America and parts of Europe. Effectively, the kind of symbolism adopted in Frost’s poetry disconnects him from the literary tradition of his time and converts him into an inventor of new literary forms that, in essence, defined his uniqueness (Pack 38). In terms of techniques, Frost relied significantly on regular verse, and meter to an extent that gave his poems some feel of technical conformity with tradition although he rendered the poems in certain peculiar technicalities that marked some significant differences with the traditional poetry. Much of Frost’s poetry relies predominantly on natural rhythms. The rhythm provides the sequence of thought, which unites the technique of the poem and the content represented within them. This kind of form adopted by Frost shows that he did not feel the pressure to situate his poetry within specific traditions or cultures that were in themselves subject to other forces greater than essence of natural creativity. According to Frost, such efforts did not determine the literary and poetic substance of a give poet as they were based on the realization of the need to conformity with the dominant traditions. Thematically, Frost explored on nearly all aspects of human concern. He explores the question of nature in ways that are peculiar and which relate to both his appreciation of nature and morbid fear for its capacity for cruelty. Such resident fear and apprehension could be detected from “Once by the Pacific.” This particular poem captures the sense of an unmistakable awareness of some powerful negative forces that work within the tranquility of nature. The same feelings could be extended to a second poem “Design,” which embodies the spirit of morbidity and metaphysical fear at the core. As such, Frost believed in the inevitability of certain actions. It might be important to consider the fact that some of the issues defined in the themes are necessarily linked to the modern society. Usually, Frost is controlled by the need to reflect on the society in ways that illustrate the difficulties experienced in determining the actual manifestation of nature within the realm of poetry. Basically, Frost had a fondness towards nature, metaphysics, human relations, and the simplicity of common experiences. Some of the issues that attend to the subject of Frost’s engagement with nature are necessarily linked to his opposition to other human concerns such as the determination of essence of reality and the appraisal of human concerns within the framework of traditional values versus change. Frost embodies the free poetic spirit that thrived between the forces of modernism and the nineteenth century literary tradition. In this sense, it makes sense to determine some of the issues that attend to the challenges of operating outside the prescribed literary traditions. The use of free verse allowed Frost to offer his creative reflections on certain themes in a plain and straightforward ways without the usual convolutions that have the capacity to conceal or distort meaning. Free verse also increased the clarity of his poetry by aligning his thoughts and actions with the dominant matters that engaged the attention of the society. Free verse allows a poet to explore with alternative elements of style, which in essence makes it possible to develop new meanings from a range of possibilities. The issues concerning the new possibilities could often be seen in terms of the various approaches and rhetorical strategies often employed in some of Frost’s poems to jolt the complacency of the readers regarding other creative possibilities of the poet. Using free verse, the poet gets the opportunity to select from a range of vocabularies, which eventually enriches the quality of the poem. The author also manages to create some specific aspects of style that navigate within the themes and subject of the poem in a creative and flexible manner. Frost preferred the use of regular patterns sustained with some specific length of words and some definite choice of words for all the lines. The uniformity in the lengths of the lines creates a sense of harmony in Frost’s poems. It allowed him to select some specific words that reflected with the connotations and nuances of common experiences as explored from the perspective of rural experiences and the perspectives of ordinary people. Frost made a decisive break by lowering literature to the level of the common person. He debunked the impression that literature was particularly suited to the tastes of the affluent and powerful people in the society. These assumptions had dominated the American and European thought for centuries without any decisive break from the existing theorists and groups of cultures. By the adoption of common and simple language, the poet signaled a change in tradition and values of poetry in a manner that aligned with the changing nature of the literary world. Frost believed that literature develops within a certain cultural context. His poetic works capture a strong sense of cultural realism. As a result, it becomes necessary to conceptualize matters within the perspective of the dominant issues that affect perceptions in the ordinary discourse. The ability to respond to new social and cultural requirements through an adjustment of the forms and techniques of poetry remains one of the strongest selling points developed by Frost. Frost’s poetry reveals some element of conversational tone within the element. In his own admission, he sought to align his poetic forms very close to the spoken word. This aspect combined with his reliance on verbal cues in his poetry to make his works reflect some strong elements of realism (Frost and Thomas 51). In essence, it might be important to consider the fact that Frost operated within a cusp of change from the point of poetic rigidity to a more relaxed environment marked by the preference of nature and expressionism. The combined effect of his methods and techniques usually reflect a deep sense of realism that manifests within the overall effect and messages created by the persona and the individual. In essence, it might be argued that some of the dominant issues that informed the themes of the film were necessarily concerned with the creation of systems of thought, which manifested within the forces that influenced American social and cultural life. Some critics observe a shifting in trends in the works produced by Frost over the times. In his earlier poems, Frost appeared to be radical in his approach on various matters. However, this aspect of his character shifted dramatically into a more conservative element during his old age. Poems such as “The Silken Tent,” which were authored in his old age capture some of the crucial aspects of a growing conservatism and an attempt in the reversal of techniques as seen with the experimentation with rhyme schemes. On this note, it becomes necessary to investigate the forces behind Frost’s poetic eminence and his ability to represent reality in multiple forms of poetic creativity. Critics point to the fact that Frost’s multifaceted upbringing remains one of the most influential forces behind his remarkable poetic achievements. There is a sense in which some elements of personality and upbringing contribute significantly to the growth of poetic talent. Frost engaged in teaching, factory work, and other multiple engagements in his early attempt to forge a career (Wooten 92). Individual talents and matters of personality are socially constructed. Taken together the combined effect of the various influences and activities that engaged Frost’s attention in his early stages of development had some significant impact on his poetry. His creative potential could be explained in terms of the creative capacity to accurately represent social realities as he had experienced and imagined it. He exploited various stylistic devices and structures to furnish his insights in ways that explored and expanded on the perspectives of social realities and the underlying challenges. The breadth of his thematic content was consistent with the range of concerns that had engaged his creative potential throughout his career as a poet. It is therefore important to consider Frost in terms of the sum total of his creative abilities and influence on the literary tradition, particularly from the perspective of poetry. Hoffman (2) contends that Frost’s unique technique and approaches were aimed at enabling him achieve fame and the material success that could come with its. He argues that Frost developed his colloquial kind of language with the express intention of winning the attention and praise of common audiences. Colloquial language, by its very nature, expresses the views and feelings of ordinary life and commonplace assumptions and beliefs. It is therefore natural that Frost attracted some significant support of the common people in the society. Those who share in this opinion extend the argument with the view that Frost’s migration to England from the United States was largely driven by his pursuit for fame and money. According to these critics, Frost felt that the American public was not giving him sufficient credit and attention. His aspiration for literary greatness, according to these critics, made seek associations with acclaimed poets such as Ezra Pound and others in order for him to benefit from synergies that come with company and comradeship. However, I would contend that much of Frost’s success relate to his choice of themes and subjects. Unlike other poets of his time, Frost did not engage with abstract ideas and notions. Instead, he focused on the subjects that engaged with ordinary experiences, which engaged the interests of common people. The ability to capture rhythms of life as lived and felt by common people was one of Frost’s unique abilities. Another critic Pack (16) examined the various influences that informed Frost’s creative potential. According to Park, Frost’s favorite subjects revolved around belief, uncertainty, pain,and loss as explored in a range of his poems (Pack 4). Pack further observes that the content in Frost’s works were largely controlled by the multiple influences such as Darwinism, the Book of Job, and many other diverse influences. He argues that these influences worked together to yield a uniquely potent element in his poetry. I would back these claims since many of Frost’s poems are tailored on subjects that move back and forth in time and which employ a range of imagery sourced from different fields of life. Works Cited Frost, Robert and Thomas Fasano. The Selected Early Poems of Robert Frost. Canyon: Coyote Canyon Press, 2008 Hoffman, Tyler. Robert Frost and the Politics of Poetry. New England: University Press of New England, 2001 Pack, Robert. Belief And Uncertainty In The Poetry Of Robert Frost. New England: University Press of New England., 2004 Wooten, Sara, M. Robert Frost: The Life of Americas Poet. New York: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2006 Read More