Robert Frost's poems

"Mending Walls" and "Briches" poems by Robert Frost

Robert Frost : 

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet and playwright. He is considered one of the most prominent and well-known poets of the 20th century and is recognized for his realist style and use of rural settings and traditional forms in his poetry. He won four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry and is best known for works such as "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Mending Wall." Frost's works often explore universal themes of life, death, and the human experience, and his accessible style has made his poems widely read and studied.

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. His family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts when he was 11 years old. He attended Dartmouth College but dropped out after only a few months. He worked various jobs, including teaching and journalism, before moving to England in 1912 to focus on his writing.

In England, Frost met and was influenced by other contemporary poets, including Rupert Brooke and Edward Thomas. He published his first book of poetry, "A Boy's Will," in 1913, and it was well received by critics. He returned to the United States in 1915 and continued to write and publish poetry, eventually becoming one of America's most famous poets.

Frost was married to Elinor Miriam White, with whom he had six children. He was awarded four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry and was also appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1958. He died in Boston in 1963 at the age of 88. Throughout his life, Frost was known for his dry wit and practical, down-to-earth approach to life and literature, which is reflected in his poetry.

Mending Walls :

The poem describes a speaker's annual ritual of repairing a wall that separates his property from his neighbor's, and reflects on the idea of boundaries and the purpose of walls. The speaker muses on the absurdity of the wall, as it serves no practical purpose, yet he and his neighbor continue to maintain it each year.

The poem is often interpreted as a commentary on human relationships and the ways in which people create and maintain barriers between each other, both physically and emotionally. Through its vivid imagery and poignant questions, "Mending Wall" challenges the reader to consider the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries, and the impact they have on our lives.

Concept of this poem : Theme

The main point of Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" is that walls and boundaries can act as physical and emotional barriers between people, which can limit communication and understanding. The speaker reflects on the annual ritual of repairing a wall between his property and his neighbor's, and questions the purpose and meaning of the wall.

The poem's central theme is the idea of boundaries and their impact on human relationships. The wall serves as a symbol for the ways in which people create and maintain barriers between each other. The speaker muses on the absurdity of the wall, as it serves no practical purpose, yet he and his neighbor continue to maintain it each year. This act of upkeep serves to reinforce the idea of the wall as a physical barrier between the two properties.

At the same time, the speaker recognizes the importance of community and the value of shared experiences in bringing people together. Despite the fact that the wall serves no practical purpose, the speaker and his neighbor engage in an annual ritual of repairing it together. This act of shared labor highlights the need for unity and cooperation in society.

The poem raises questions about the nature of walls and boundaries, and their impact on human relationships. Through its vivid imagery and poignant questions, "Mending Wall" encourages the reader to reflect on the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries in their own lives and in society at large.

Rhyming Scheme :

The rhyming scheme of Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" is a loosely structured pattern of alternate rhyme, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This means that the first and second lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, as do the third and fourth lines. The rhyming words in the poem are chosen carefully to create a sense of balance and structure, while also allowing for a certain degree of freedom and unpredictability.

Frost's use of rhyme in "Mending Wall" reinforces the poem's themes of boundaries and stability, as the rhyme patterns serve to provide a sense of structure and containment, while also suggesting the idea of balance and symmetry. The loose rhyme scheme also allows Frost to create a conversational tone, making the poem more accessible and relatable to the reader. The rhyming words also serve to emphasize key ideas and themes, helping to drive home the poem's central message about the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries.

Birches

"Birches" is a poem by American poet Robert Frost, first published in 1916 in his collection "Mountain Interval." The poem is one of Frost's most famous works and is considered a classic of 20th-century American poetry. It is a meditation on childhood, nature, and the power of imagination, and features Frost's signature use of rural New England landscapes as a backdrop for his reflections on life and human experience. The poem is known for its imaginative description of the speaker's experiences climbing and bending birches, which serves as a metaphor for the idea of bending but not breaking under the weight of life's challenges.

Robert Frost’s “Birches” : A Visual Interpretation by Julian Peters

Theme :

The theme of "Birches" by Robert Frost can be summarized as follows:

• Childhood memories :

The poem reflects on the speaker's childhood memories of climbing birches and playing in the woods.

• Nature as a source of solace :

The speaker finds comfort and peace in the natural world, particularly in the birches.

• Escaping reality :

The act of climbing the birches is seen as a way of temporarily escaping the difficulties of adult life.

• The power of imagination :

The poem explores the idea that imagination can shape our perceptions of reality and provide a source of comfort and escape.

• The passage of time :

The poem also reflects on the inevitability of aging and the passage of time.

• The cycle of life and death :

The image of the birches bending but not breaking is seen as a metaphor for the resilience of life in the face of adversity.

Overall, the theme of "Birches" is the interplay between imagination and reality, and how nature and childhood experiences can provide comfort and solace in the face of life's challenges.

Symbol :

• Birches :

The birches symbolize the resilience of life and the ability to bend but not break under the weight of life's challenges. They also symbolize childhood memories and the power of imagination.

• Climbing the birches :

The act of climbing the birches symbolizes escape from reality and the pursuit of a more imaginative and carefree state of mind.

• Ice-storms :

The ice-storms symbolize the harsh realities of life, such as adversity and the passage of time, and the way these forces can shape and transform us.

• The woods :

The woods symbolize the natural world and the peace and comfort it can provide.

• Swinging birches :

The image of the birches swinging back and forth is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life and the way it can bring us both joy and sorrow.

Overall, the symbols in "Birches" serve to reinforce the themes of the poem and deepen our understanding of the speaker's reflections on childhood, nature, and the power of imagination.

(Words 1245,Images 04, Videos 04)