Rereading the poem offers up other images too, such as "If you are the profaned city / I am the rain of consecration" (Paz). Here, the relationship between the positive first line and the opposing second line seems to change. The first line has become the "problem" line and the second line the "solution" line, and the relationship is transposed, just as power and leadership can change from time to time in any relationship. Rereading this poem brings out even more complexities and underlying meanings in the poem, so it is easy to see why Paz was such a fan of rereading his and others works. Finally, this poem seems to be about the natural world and complex relationships, but it is really a poem about life and how a person lives their life. It shows that relationships, like life, can be complex and difficult, but that they can be exhilarating, too. The language of the poem moves the poem in a full circle, just like the passing of a day, and it brings closure to the poem and the reader. It is beautiful and haunting in a way, and it is a little frightening and garish, too. The author clearly knows how to use the English language effectively, which is an important aspect of poetry, which has to get a message across in a much smaller space than a short story or novel does. He uses very vivid images in the poem to stir the reader and make them think. For example, he writes, "If you are the...
Immediately, the image of a sunbeam, "cutting" an orange open becomes real to the reader, and that is a good example of how he paints vivid images with his language and context.
Robert Frost -- Life Issues and Parallels to My Life A Life Filled with Tragic Inspiration Robert Frost was a prolific American writer and poet whose work captured the difficulties some of the most challenging periods in modern American history as well as his personal trials and tribulations. Frost's work is known for the eloquence that he was able to express using the simple language of common colloquial speech (Holman & Snyder,
Robert Frost wrote, "I have written to keep the over curious out of the secret places in my mind both in my verse and in my letters." In a poem, he wrote, "I have been one acquainted with the night." Those unfamiliar with Robert Frost's life story might not realize the significance of those words. Frost was born in a nearly lawless city and grew up in a highly dysfunctional
Robert Frost's adulthood was also riddled with loss. He often felt jealous and resentful that the quality of his poetry was slow to be recognized. Unable to support his family with his writing, for many years he had to work at various jobs, often as a teacher until his grandfather finally gave him land to live on and an allowance with on which to live (Meyers, p. 52). In addition,
"He gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake." The horse's action portrays the tendency of people to question those choices they don't understand. This scene can be interpreted as the disapproving voice of society voicing its demands on those of a more sensitive bent. In much the same vein as the previous stanza, Frost shows a depth of human understanding (and misunderstanding). Our
Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" tells the story of a traveler making the decision to travel the road less traveled, but looking back upon the road not taken and wondering what might have been. On first glance the reader might assume that Frost is touting the benefits of taking the road less traveled, or the path in life that is perhaps most unclear. Too many people assume that the
Robert Frost treats several themes in his short lyrical poem, "The Road Not Taken." First, Frost focuses on the notion of choice and decision: the narrator is faced with a fork in the road and must choose which path to take. He momentarily wishes that he could travel both paths at once and still be "one traveler," (line 3). After hemming and hawing, the narrator chooses the path less trodden.
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now