Pecking into the literary works of Robert Frost, we get indulged in a soothing, pastoral setting close to nature which get to realize behind the curtains of our eyes. Whenever we find something close to nature, often we think about the romantic poets of the early 19th century. We find William Wordsworth, who is known to be the worshipper of nature, and then comes John Keats who tried to escape reality through the magic of art.
Frost’s poems are vivid with nature and simple in words like that of Wordsworth but he deviates in terms of pursuing a different vision from that of the romantic poets, who go along to escape and sort relief from reality. Rather we as humans seem to personify ourselves in Frost’s poetry, which applies universal significance and appreciates nature, whilst taking us back to reality. The more we dive deep, the more we figure realism in Robert Frost’s poetry. His poems are realistic and represent true human nature and humanity as a whole, leaving behind readers with layers of meaning.
World of obligations
I shall pull some instances from Frost’s poems to define this trait as a poet which worn our heart to relate. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, the speaker, for a moment got blue with the sight of the lovely woods. He admired the woods and I would not say enchanted by it as he had to come back. For a moment, he found solace in the dark woods, seeking shelter in the lap of nature, and then at the next the harness bells from his horse shook him up, acting as his conscience. He represents the disturbed individual of the contemporary society. He had to return, no matter whether happy or in dismay.
We can figure out a clash between romanticism and modernism in this poem. Even though he found temporary relief in nature, he had to come back to fulfill the duties of his life. He seemed to bring man back to reality as there is no sleep (permanent relief) in a modern man from the world of continuities and obligations. The universal significance of these lines portrays realism in Robert Frost’s poetry, which implies to all of us.
“But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep”
Cost of desire
In the poem “Fire and Ice”, Frost brings up natural elements to show the harshness of humans and the reality that we can visualize in contemporary society. He personifies fire as man’s desire and ice as hate and how dangerous it can form itself that if the world had to end twice, these two would be sufficient for it.
We often assume love and desire for something to be the same. However, there is a thin line between the two which we often fail to understand. When one desires something, he/she can go to any extent to achieve that. Whereas when we love something, we tend not to cause any harm to it, which is the opposite of hate. When man hates someone, the human mind can go to any extent to cause any possible to that person or thing. Eventually, frost in this poem wanted to warn us of how human feelings can cause such kind of harm and what potential danger could it bring along.
Left or Right?
Exploring Frost’s poems and have not read “The Road not Taken” is quite impossible, for the universal significance that it holds. The poem goes on to explain what human choice is like. A traveler is in a dilemma on which path to choose through the yellow woods. By woods, we get to figure out a rural setting. The traveler signifies all the humans of the world, and a choice that they have to make and courageous enough to bear its consequences no matter whether good or bad. From the beauty of nature, we get dragged to the reality of life to decide whether I could make a difference.
Does anyone really care?
In the poem “Out-out”, we get to witness a harsh reality after visualizing and sniffing the beauty and elements of nature. A young boy is bound to carry out the tasks of an adult undergoing child labor. What might be the situation that caused him to go up with such a decision when he was supposed to roam around the fields? and attending school. The crippling effects of World War I made Frost witness and pen down such reality after he returned to America from England. The loss of his hand signifies the loss of his livelihood, with the end of his life. But in the end, does anyone care? Taking people back to their affairs and moving on. Even the loss of a life doesn’t put a pause in others’ clocks!
To conclude…
We get to witness realism in Robert Frost’s poetry, where he not only cherishes the beauty of nature but rather picks elements to explore the harshness and truth of life, which one has to accept with no way out. Frost implies imagination at the beginning of his poems but ends his poems, landing us in reality, advocating rational thinking. He knew the duty of life is mandatory with no escape until the final sleep.
