Robert Frost and Robert Service Comparison - Essay Example

Robert Frost and Robert Service Comparison Robert Frost and Robert Service are prominent personalities in the poetry field. With their different works that they have done, and their poetry foundation, both the personalities can be explicitly compared. Nevertheless, their contribution to the social life and communication of societal virtues and vices, as well as, social organization of different communities make them unique in the world of poetry. Their diverse collection of different themes regarding the society makes them famous, wherein, their poetry foundation and specific arguments in their poetry portray bring out their differences. Therefore, the paper digs to highlight the differences and similarities between these two poetry personalities. Thereafter, the paper recommends on which personality and their work is preferable and a clear justification for it. Robert Frost, born in 1874 in California, was an American poet and a playwright whom his work sold more in England than in America. Such an aspect can be explained by the fact that Frost’s poems featured the early social setting and rural life in England early in the 20th century (Frost, 7-12). Basically Frost was interested in the complex social, as well as the philosophical themes in New England. Nevertheless, Frost paid attention to the critique of the American colloquial language. On the other hand, Robert Service was born in 1874 in Lancashire, England whom his father was a banker in Scotland. Service is known for his humorous poems as he was both a writer and a poet, mostly recognized for his humor in poetry. Most of his works entail fiction, non-fiction and music that made him famous for the humor he conveyed in addressing societal issues (Rankine and Lisa, 12-89). Consequently, this differs from Frost who also did plays, prose books and letters to convey societal issues. Distinctly, the two individuals can be compared in the line of their educational background that facilitated their poetry life at their early ages. Frost’s father was an editor for the San Francisco Evening Bulletin and a teacher. He graduated from Lawrence School in the new locality where the family had shifted to after the death of his father, 1885. He was brought in the city and later associated with the rural life which gave him insights regarding to the challenges that were associated with both the city and the rural life. He managed to publish his first poem in high school magazine and later in the New York Independent. His adult ages gave him a good foundation of writing experience as he was a writer, English teacher and a lecturer in Amherst College. Nevertheless, he encouraged students account for their intonations and myriad sounds in their spoken English; his first approach to colloquial language. It, therefore, can be noted that such an educational background allowed Frost to practice his career (Rankine and Lisa, 12-89). On the other hand, regarding to educational background, Robert Service attended Hillhead High School, where he joined the Commercial bank of Scotland. At this time he was writing as his mother from an English factory owner where he got literature support. Service had a number of jobs from California to Columbia that allowed him to acquire life insights and encounter different experiences that gave him a firm background to his poetry life. As a bank clerk he used to write and save his verses that later he published them in the Colonist and the Toronto Star. His innate fondness and curiosity inspired him to travel off seas and experience the world. After the World War I, he settled in Paris and stably settled on his writing career. For this time he was known for his poems The rhymes of Red Cross Man and The March of the Dead, that reflected the war (Service, 13-56). The two personalities can be differentiated from the basic of their literary work and the literary awards that they received. Service published two autobiographies, six novels, more than 5o verse collections and over 1000 poems all reflecting life experiences. Service has been honored by three literary medals, the British war medal, the 1914-15 Star awards and the Victory Medal. On the other hand, Frost has been recognized for more literary awards. For instance, he won four Pulitzer Prizes for his newly published book, New Hampshire and collected poems in 1931. During this time poems such as A witness and The Range made him famous for the Pulitzer awards. Later, he received an honorary degree from Harvard University as a literary honor. Additionally, he received over forty honorary awards including Oxford, Cambridge and Princeton universities and the US Congressional Gold Medal Awards for his poetry. It, therefore, indicates that Frost has been more awards that Service, an issue that can be explained by support variance and their backgrounds. Despite the distinct differences Frost and Services have various similarities that are revealed in their literary works. For instance, both the poets have a diverse background and an educational background that has offered them a broad range of life experiences and knowledge-based literary environment and supportive families. Among the similarities both the two poets are ranked in the top 500 poets globally. The writers are recognized by their prominent social subjects and themes that rule out in any society. The writers have focused on the social organization of different communities and have based their argument on the rural and the urban lives. Interestingly, the writers have had common themes such as the nature, communication, everyday life, isolation, duties and responsibilities, as well as rationality. Other common themes entail rural life versus the urban one (Rankine and Lisa, 23-89). Among the prominent poems by Frost regarding the nature includes, The Sounds of Trees, After Apple-Picking and the Birches. On the other hand, Services reflects the nature in different works, including the Moon Song, Moon Lover, Trees against the Sky are part of Service’s poems that reveals the importance of nature as the writers were inspired by different scenes when they were brought up. Additionally, the theme of identity and individualism can be revealed in the Lockless Door and the Sound of Trees by Frost, while the Rhymes of the Red and Joy of being Poor by Service reveal isolation and identity of the marginalized individuals in the society during times of war (Wooten, 14-67). Two works of these writers can be compared regarding to the theme of identity and conformity within the society. The Ordinary Man by Service and the Road not Taken by Frost have a common theme. Frost argues about indecision and recommends of being unique. Therefore, it translates that human beings are faced by different choices in lifetime and make poor decisions influenced by others (Frost, 18). Taking a Road not Taken indicates making a concrete and firm decision on what to do and not what other do subjected to any regrets (Koperski, 28-54). Meanwhile, in The Ordinary Man, focuses on the way an individual makes their rational decision without noting the presence of their friends. The ordinary man is said to pass his friend in the streets with no care at the opportunity of his job. Nevertheless, the ordinary man is focused to take home his pay for family expenses and care of his children rather than spending it with friends in the streets (Service, 29-64). These two poems reveal the theme of identity, decision making and conformity within the society. In Conclusion, the two poets have compelling literary works that focus on the society which every reader may find it informative. However, I prefer Robert Frost because all his works focus on diverse societal issues that emanate from any organizational setting and the community as well. Frost has a wide range of inspirational poems that provide the reader with an opportunity to learn about their social identity, making decisions and learning about the society. I love the way he has not used hyperbole and non-fictional literary devices that makes his poems sound real and applicable. Additionally, his poems have double meanings, are deep in meaning that provide diverse interpretations. The language is simple and dip as he tries to capture what happens in our lives. For example, Stopping by Woods means the way we incur pretty sites, but we do not spare a moment for our social obligations while the Road not Taken indicates the options we reject in making decisions and follow other people. The poetry is just lovely by him. Works cited Frost, Robert, Gary D. Schmidt, and Henri Sorensen. Robert Frost. New York: Sterling, 1994. Print. Frost, Robert, and Robert Frost. Poems by Robert Frost. New York: Signet Classic, 2001. Print. Koperski, Ronald J. An Analysis of Selected Dramatic Poems of Robert Frost. , 2013. Print. Napierkowski, Marie R, and Mary K. Ruby. Poetry for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context and Criticism on Commonly Studied Poetry. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1998. Print. Rankine, Claudia, and Lisa Sewell. American Poets in the 21st Century: The New Poetics. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press, 2007. Print. Service, Robert W. The Collected Poems of Robert Service. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1999. Print. Wooten, Sara M. I. Robert Frost: The Life of Americas Poet. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2006. Print. Read More