Analysis of Robert Lee Frost's Poems (Essay Example)

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet who wrote many well-known poems. Frost was born in 1874 in San Francisco, California and died in 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts. Frost suffered an unstable childhood. He suffered from depression due to the tragic loss of his father. Poetry helped Frost through hard times as he “settled on poetry as a way of salvation and pursued it with a great deal of tenacity and courage” (Smith).  Two years after Frost graduated high school, he published his first poem called “My Butterfly.” It was published in a small magazine called The Independent. Later in life Frost would be the only poet to ever receive four Pulitzer Prizes for his outstanding work. Frost’s poems were found to be relatable by many people. Being able to relate to poetry helps people to accept some of the problems they could face. In poems such as “Mending Wall,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “The Road Not Taken” Frost uses everyday situations to illustrate human nature. 

The poem “Mending Wall” is a poem that was published in 1914. In this poem, Frost explains the relationship between two neighbors. The theme of this poem is that humans tend to set self-imposed barriers that intervene with human interaction. This poem discusses two neighbors that are metaphorically building a fence. This “fence” represents the barrier that these neighbors put up to avoid too much conversation that could lead to conflict. The neighbors meet in the spring to repair the damage from winter, but then return to their homes and keep to themselves. Although the speaker initiates repairing the wall in the spring, he does not like the wall. The speaker ironically admits that he wants the wall to come down when he says, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, that wants it down” (35-36). This is an ironic statement because he does not want the wall but insists on repairing it. The neighbor believes the wall should stay and repeats the statement: “Good fences make good neighbors” (27, 45). The general idea is that people can be close, but do not always need to be too close. If everyone keeps to themselves in their own homes, people will remain good neighbors. At first glance, it might seem that the men are working closely yet the reader can see that they are so far apart. So, do men work together or apart? Frost says they obviously do both using “Mending Wall” to prove his point (Gerber 125). A writer for The Atlantic states that “Distance is a good thing, and so is admitted difference, even when it sounds like hostility” (Smith). Sometimes it is best to set boundaries to help people build trust and set basic guidelines. People still have trouble with this today when it comes to a new person in someone’s life. In “Mending Wall,” Frost shows the reader that it is normal to set boundaries with people, even if it appears to be disrespectful. 

The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is one of Frost’s most famous poems and it was published in 1923. The theme of this poem is that sometimes people get caught up in greater responsibilities and it results in the loss on moments of joy and pleasure. In this poem, Frost uses imagery to help the reader better understand the meaning of the poem. When the speaker stops “to watch his woods fill up with snow” (4), the reader can picture the woods filling with snow while reading. Frost also wrote a poem called “Desert Places” that is similar to “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost uses a similar scene of snow falling in the woods in both poems to create an image in the reader’s mind. Frost tends to use nature in many of his other poems and stories. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the speaker stops to watch the woods fill up with snow because he finds beauty and calmness in nature. The reader can see that the speaker is “momentarily torn between his love of beauty and these other various and complex claims that life has upon him” (Johnson and Thomas 853). He wants to stay in the woods, but knows he has greater responsibilities to take care of. At the end of the poem, the reader can see that the speaker carries on because he has “promises to keep” (13). Frost shows the reader that it is normal to feel overwhelmed with responsibilities. Sometimes people feel the need to drop everything but keep going because it is the right thing to do. Throughout poetry, Frost brings real emotions and feelings to life as seen in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

Frost published a poem in 1915 called “The Road Not Taken.” The theme of this poem is that sometimes hard decisions must be made although a positive outcome is not promised. In this poem, the speaker is stuck trying to decide which road to explore. In the opening line the speaker says, “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (1). Once again, Frost is using nature in his poem which helps to create an image in the reader’s mind.  In “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker would like to explore both roads, but knows that is not possible. There are several ways to interpret this poem. It is said that this poem is often misinterpreted to “encourage readers to take the road less traveled” (Lay). Frost replied to this misinterpretation stating that both roads are “really about the same.” Frost warned his readers about this poem by saying “you have to be careful of that one; it’s a tricky poem—very tricky” (qtd. in Lay). In “The Road Not Taken,” the road is referring to choices that humans must make in everyday life. This poem is often seen “as proof of Frost’s simplicity and homiletic imagination” (Barron 99). The speaker in this story learns that “not only choices must be made but his decisions prove irrevocable” (Gerber 133). The speaker knows that he is not able to explore both roads, so a decision must be made. The speaker says he is “sorry” (2) that he could not travel both roads showing the reader that he is having a hard time deciding. The speaker admits that he made the right choice when he says, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” (19-20). By the end of this poem the reader can see that this choice is about something more than the choice of which road to travel. The speaker believes that his choice has made a great difference in his life, just like choices people make in everyday life. 

People find peace and comfort in different ways. Some people read books or poetry, some find a quiet place to meditate, and some spend time with friends or family. There are many things that people find peaceful. At first glance, Frost’s poems may seem difficult to understand, but digging deep into his poetry proves that it is quite simple. Frost has a unique way with words in his writing that people tend to enjoy. People enjoy the real-world emotions that he shares within his poetry making people feel comfortable with their own emotions or feelings. In “Mending Wall” the speaker feels that it is better to set boundaries with people and not be friends with everyone. People can relate to this feeling of having little desire to befriend everyone.  In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” the speaker feels calmness through the beauty of nature. He wants to continue to look at the snowy woods but continues his travels because he has promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps. This is a real feeling that people can relate to. People tend to become overwhelmed with responsibilities, and they do not have the time to take in the beauty of nature. With responsibilities, comes decisions.  In “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker must decide which road to choose. It can often be difficult to make big—or even small decisions. If the roads are referring to future choices, any decision could be life changing. People can often find themselves torn between options that have to be decided. Throughout all these poems, the reader can see that they all relate to emotions that people still experience in everyday life.