Tuft of flowers - Essay Example

Tuft of Flowers. The couplet of flowers is not eventually removed for it was essential that the tuft of flowers remained to give meaning and substance to the poem. The butterfly weed in the poem can be construed to represent the essence of the poem in the sense that, it is through their presence that the poem illustrates its dynamism. The tufts of flowers bring a sense of camaraderie to Frost, who felt that his tasks were acts of isolation that were bestowed upon him by fate. Frost initially thought that the loneliness he felt was natural and it was in his place to accept and get used to live with his loneliness (Haynes 458). The tufts of flowers banish his loneliness and create a sense of kinship with the mower responsible for leaving the orange milkweed intact (Frost n.p). Frost believed in conveying his thoughts and themes in simple language yet befitting of the complexity with which these aspects relate to the reader. A butterfly is an insect that is associated with beauty, elegance and its ability to find good and positive (nectar) wherever it goes. The turner in the poem embarks on a task that is boring and seemingly lonesome, devoid of any beauty, concert and/or accompaniment. Frost uses the ‘butterfly weed’ in the poem for its relational qualities with the butterfly that is attributed to a change the turner’s perspective on life. The butterfly weed’s spiky flowers might seem unwelcoming, but they are illustrated to possess the ability to attract such an elegant and beautiful creature as the butterfly. This indicative of the author’s foreshadowing of the flowers’ significance in the poem. The poem’s author uses the simple beauty of flowers and their effect on the butterfly to illustrate the subtle yet strong theme of commonality, congruence and interconnectedness of all entities in nature. The tufts of flower give the most significant meaning to the poem with regard to other assumptions that the author might have held or intended to carry through the poem. Analyzing the necessity of the flowers in poem reveals that they are used to convey the central theme of the poem that is based on universality of loneliness (Frost 27). The butterflies signify the universality of loneliness and the constant need to seek out positivity in life. In the mowed field of grass, Frost was overwhelmed by the overbearing feeling of loneliness, and he could not imagine there would be a sense of relief (Borroff 42). His expectations are reversed when the butterfly appears and heralds the discovery of the tufts of flowers. The mowed field of grass can be construed to represent the bleak nature or life and shared aspect of nothingness between the turner and the butterfly. Frost refers to the metaphysical connection that exists between people if they share a common belief and/or ideal. The author contrasts the two prominent protagonists involved in advancing the theme of connectivity in the poem. On one hand, the grass turner is pessimistic about life with respect to the abstract sense or perception of loneliness. Conversely, the butterfly is illustrated as having an optimistic outlook to life in the sense that, despite the bleakness of the mowed grass field, it keeps up its flair and hope of finding a soft landing. Discovery of the flowers makes the experience conveyed by the poem more universal in the sense that people will always need companionship and that seeking the positive in life will always yield these expectations. The butterfly facilitates the discovery of the butterfly weed, and whose beauty foreshadows what is yet to come. Appearance of the beautiful butterfly leads to more beauty and hope when the turner discovers the left over patch of flowers in the midst of the mowed field of grass. The use of calm images is prominently used by the author to unite the different conflicting beliefs and views that serve to separate the otherwise positive outlook at the beginning of the poem. This is exemplified by the use of the green leafy field that is intersected by a brook running through it; with the author mentioning a long scythe whispering to the ground (Haynes 460). The reader of the poem perceives pleasure extruded by the peaceful images portrayed by the author. The protagonists attitude and mood can be confusing to the reader those involved do not seem to notice the positivity provided by their surrounding environment. The probability for appreciation and discontent in the reader for the poem is a representation of man’s diversity. The tufts of flowers serve to convey to the reader that no matter how far away a person might be, there is always an entity present, even though unrecognizable that connects them to their self. Frost and the mower are connected by the flowers left over by the mower, which illustrates the power of love in uniting people. The mower’s gesture of leaving the tufts of flowers uncut is illustrated to have an impact on Frost. The response garnered from the flowers by Frost, the mower and the butterfly might be different, but they all underwent a positive change and influence. The use of a tuft of flowers by the author is also indicative of his style in verse in line with their persona which was to be part and parcel of their verse as a mirror of their identity. The use of these features ensures that the reader is engaged at a higher level with respect to the poem’s meaning and purpose; at the same time, it conveys a deeper thematic prose. Frost uses the poem to explore similarities that are intrinsic to an individual’s nature and being. It should not escape one’s notice that people are driven by self-preservation instincts that are some cases referred to as acts of selfishness. Every individual harbors the desire for companionship that is fitting their needs and wants, and an absence of this presence creates less desirable perceptions. This can be explained by trying to compare the effect of the flowers on the mower, butterfly and Frost. The commonality of this scenario is the ability of the flowers’ beauty to elicit different but positive emotions and perceptions of their life. The author’s essentialism permeates the poem from the beginning to the end, which is illustrative of the need to remain simple in order to perceive and appreciate the complexities of life. The poem delves into an aspect of life that is rarely or is inadequately expressed due to the intricate nature of expressivity required to convey such intimate and reflective thoughts. People tend to exude a sense of wellbeing to the outside world in mask like or veiled existence. In the poem, Frost effectively sheds this mask and/or veil to the reader, which enables the reader to see the true self. The reader pictures Frost’s turmoil and subsequent elation upon discovery of the fundamental truth with respect to people’s interconnectedness. The tufts of flowers are a representation of the miniscule, and often ignored features of life that people tend to overlook without the realization that they hold the essence of their happiness. People’s relational potential is present in every aspect of their life, and careful appreciation of facts equips them with added potential. Works Cited. (MLA) Borroff, Marie. "Robert Frosts New Testament: Language and the Poem."Modern Philology (1971): 36-56. Dawes, J. R. (1993). Masculinity and transgression in Robert Frost. American literature, 65(1993), 297. Frost, Robert. Robert Frosts poems. Macmillan, 2002. Frost, Robert. "A Tuft of Flowers." The Poetry of Robert Frost (1969): 22-23. Haynes, Donald T. "The Narrative Unity of A Boys Will." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1972): 452-464. Read More