Assignment of American Literature : Theme of Death in Robert Frost poems

Assignment of American Literature : Theme of Death in Robert Frost poems 

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Paper : 10 : American Literature 

Prepared by : Gohil Jyotiba M.

Roll No : 16

Assignment  Topic : Theme of Death in Robert Frost poems 

M.A (English) : Semester  -3

Enrollment No: 2069108420180016

Batch : 2017-19

Email  ID: jyotibagohil96@gmail.com

Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi , Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University.

● Theme of Death in Robert frost ‘s Poems :

                                  

 Robert frost was an American poet. He was an honoured  frequently during his life time. He has received four Pulitzer prise for poetry. So he became one of the American rare public literary figures and artist. Also he was awarded on 22 July 1961 as Congressional Gold medal for his poetic work. He was considered as the most important library figures during his time. His poem based on theme of death. The word death it self connect with Ultimate and Unsettling kind of change. His most famous works are The road not taken , stopping by woods ,  Fire and Ice , The gift outright ,  Design , Mending wall and home burial. His most of work based on the theme of Death. 

● Theme of Death into Robert Frost ‘s poems : 

Through the anlaysing the poetry written by Frost. It had also some auto biographical elements into his poetry. He had experienced a great loss during his time. His poem will ability to taken people towards grief. He had experienced it at every point of his life. So his poem has also cathartic qualities. His own father had died when he was young and during his married life he lost his two children. So all this things clearly reflects into his poems. 

● Theme of Death in “Home Burial” : 

Robert frost and his wife has lost their two children. One child was still born and other died at the age of three. So this grief clearly founded into his poem “ Home Burial” .

    In this poem Death is the main theme. The complex relationship between husband and wife after child’s death explored. In this poem many emotions reflects like isolation, grief , acceptance of reality and rejection. Into this poem couple has lost their baby. After the death of baby his father continues his work by  attends to the various needs of the farm. These actions not show the denial but acceptance of reality , acceptance of death of his baby. He knows very well that they should carry on their lives after appropriate period of  mourning is over. He understands that his son is dead. 

"The little graveyard where my people are!

So small the window frames the whole of it. 

Not so much larger than a bedroom, is it?"

This lines shows that husband has grown up naturally with the graveyard nearby his house. So for him death is natural and fact of life that is always present. In this lines he compared graveyard with bedroom. The graveyard is place where people are buried when there lives over and to the bedrooms in that many lives get first beginning but it is all part of the circle of the life. So this way death becomes the main element into this poem.

  The mood of this poem is dramatic and you actually felt the witness of events that unfolds in each word of poem till beginning to the end. In the poem the word ‘out out shows the unhappiness of wife towards her husband. She angry upon the behaviour of her husband which is unaffected and lack of care towards his child ‘s death. So death of child also effected on the relationship of husband and wife. They both are not even able to do conversation with each other. So it shows that how death of child effected their lives. It shows not only death of child but it also shows the death of their relationship. 

● Theme of death in “Stopping by woods on snowing evening”: 

 It is the single poem through which Frost is addresses the concept of life . It shows the suggestive of profound thoughts and utterances about human life and death. There are many interpretation comes when we read this poem. There were many argument about this poem  that it is simply a description of a man appreciate of a man appreciating nature. Others would also  tell that there is some heavy Metaphor of action going down and that the poem is about death. Also it takes a step further and tell that this poem also addresses suicide.

  “The woods are lovely, dark and deep

           But I have promises to keep,

           And miles to go before I sleep,

           And miles to go before I sleep.”

Into this poem the poet philosophies the idea of death is waiting and responsibilities of life is waiting for him. He wants to stay here but the responsibility of family stop him. Here also the word sleep addresses the death. Also it considered as a natural recurring psychological state of rest. It also represents the peace which comes after death. This lines represents the long life without  peace of sleep. The repetition of these lines shows its importance that is no ignored and not forgotten.

The poet has a long journey in front of him. He has also a long journey in front of him before reach the final and ultimately journey of death. He has to fulfilled his responsibility before death comes. So the reality of life reflect into this poem. It also shows the mental death of poem. That poet doesn’t want to go back but he has to go back to his house for fulfilling his responsibility before he died. 

●Theme of death in “Design” :

This poem is written by frost. It is all about the natural death. Into this poem spider holding up a dead moth into his mouth. So it’s reflect the reality of life. Death is the natural part of life. No one can escape from the reality of life that is dead. Death is ultimate reality of life that everyone has to face. So through this poem also reflects idea of evil and good is changed. But the ultimate truth of life is death so this idea clearly reflects into the poem. 

● Theme of Death in “ Fire and Ice” : 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

This poem describe the fate of the world that world will destroy by fire or ice. Into this poem shows the both sides. It is all about the end of the world. The poet first give conclusion with his personal experience with the desire and passion the emotions of fire. In next ice also represents the emotion of hatred. So both of this things are equally harmful Mankind. The world will definitely destroy by both things fire and ice. It also denote to the death and destruction. So this word connected with the conflict that these emotions can only brings destruction only into the world and humanity. Both are destructive and harmful for the world. The excessive fire or ice has a power to destroy the whole world. So in this poem also reflects the idea of death.  It also focus on ultimate fate of world and mankind has to destroy at one day. So it also reflects the reality of life
. 

 So in this all poems frost majorly describe theme of death that how it effected upon the life of others. The ultimate reality is death only but still no one able to accept it and move on from there. Death is nothing but a long sleep that gives you relief from all your pain and suffering. So it also can be seen the positive way rather than negative way. But here frost describe death as most painful thing of life. In the poem burial of death frost tries to show acceptance and rejection of death. Father accept the death of his child as ultimate reality of life while wife can’t accept death of her child. Because of it this thing effected upon their relationship. So it shows that two death into poems the death of relationship and death of child
. 

     In the design poem death can be seen as the design of nature or God. The death of moth can give life to spider. So the cycle of life and death is going on it never stop. The death of moth can given life to spider. It is also a natural chain of food that once death gives life to another. So this concept of death is connect with natural order and design of God or Nature.

   In the poem stopping by woods on snowing evening represent death as a peaceful. The narrator wants to dead because he need peaceful sleep. Also the poem fire and ice shows the destruction of whole world and man kind with fire and ice. Here it also connected with the emotions and this excessive emotions has a power to lead the world towards destruction. 

● Conclusion : 

So the main and important element and theme of frost poems is death. It can be connected representation of   frost own suffering and pain of lost during his life. So in this poem describe death as the way of getting peaceful sleep and acceptance of death. So it shows that death is the ultimate reality of human life. It should be accepted rather than ignored. Death is the real part of life. It is destined way of peace. So in this way frost try to shows the reality  of life that is death. 

Resources : 

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-main-theme-poem-death-hired-man-by-robert-97341 

https://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/an-analysis-of-the-theme-of-death-in-robert-frosts-poem-home-burial-and-emily-dickinsons-poem-i-felt-a-funeral-in-my-brain-and-i-died-for-beauty-V0XhvyxC

Thinking activity : Robert Frost 's " Design "

Thinking activity : Comparison and interpretation two different pictures on the basis of the poem " Design " By Robert Frost. 

Design is a fourteen line sonnet. It is also called an Italian sonnet also known as a Petrarchan Sonnet. This kind of Sonnet is composed of two stanzas. The first eight lines make up one stanza while the second stanza is six lines. 

Two Different pictures interpretation : 

1) Nature : 

                  

 This is the picture of Nature which is far away from reality.  This picture is called a design of nature because everything has drown in particular shape. For example the mountains are in shape of triangle , sun is in the round shape also the trees and house drows  in particular shape. So all this thing design and that way it drows. Also this picture filled with so much positivity. It shows the positive nature of Nature. It is far away from reality. It is also design of life. Nature seen here as a life giver.

2) Design by Robert Frost : 

This picture is make on the poem "Design ". It shows the  reality of Nature. It is based on the everyday observation of spider on white flower holding up a dead moth. The back ground of white flower called a heal all.  

      

Frost description is filled with gothic imagery including the fact that all three elements the spider , flower and moth are white. White usually stands for something virtuous and pure but here it describes as not purity but deadly pallor. It is story of moth death. It is not design of life but death. 

   

White spider suggest that even within evil there is goodness and purity. While the moth represents the spider 's prey. Medicinal flower the heal all suggest that life  is full of both good and evil. Moth and spider become the symbol of humanity. They both are product of natural forces not spiritual design. Spider holds dead moth is also a part of natural food chain. It is also a reality of life that life and death is a part of Nature. 

  On the other hand it is not a natural that on white flower the white spider holds the white moth. So all this thing is rarely found. It is strange thing that all this things seeing  at one place. So it may be the design of creator to put these things  all together. It also like a artificial design that it happens  forcefully. 

Also this poem shows the reality of Nature. Poet described the negative side of nature. Here moth shown as a hero and spider shows as a villian. The image becomes horrified and ugly. It is design of Death. Design of Darkness. 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

●  Stopping by woods on a snowy Evening: 

   "Stopping by woods on a snowy Evening " is a poem written in 1922 by Robert Frost. It published in 1923. Imagery, personification and repetition are prominent in the work.

 The poem tells the story of a man travelling through some snowy woods on the darkest evening of the year. He is pretty much in love with what he sees around him. He is on his way back to town but he can't quite tear himself away from the lovely and dark woods.

 There are many interpretation comes when we read the poem. Some argue that it is simply a description of a man appreciate of a man appreciating nature. Others would tell that there is some heavy Metaphor action going down and that the poem is about death. Also it takes a step further and that this poem address suicide. There are four stanzas in the poem.

                      

 In the first stanza start with a  possessive pronoun. It is a brave and unusual things. The poet thinks that he knows who owns the wood. The first uncertainty is introduced and he is making his first statement to reassure himself as he comes to stop breaking his journey. In the further lines creating the gentle , slightly and mysterious atmosphere. Yet the image presented to the reader is as innocent. The  poet is far away from human world and comes into the natural world.

  In the second stanza concentrates on the  horse 's reaction to the rider. Again the tetrameter reassures and lulls the reader into false sense of security. The language is simple yet the meaning can be taken in two ways. Queer is the word that mean odd or strange. The Frozen lake is the symbol of Death. Darkest evening is the symbol of depression. 

 In the third stanza Horse is notice the intention  of his master. Horse thinks that they should move on.  The horse is uncertain it's shakes the bells on the harness. Harness is the symbol of intellectual.  It reminding the rider that this whole business stopping by woods is a tad disturbing. The creature like a horse symbol of intuition , noble , journey, grace and sacrifice to focus the rider 's mind on reality. They ought to be moving ahead , there is something  about the way that worries the  horse apart from cold and dark. They heard the sound of wind and downy flake. 

 In the fourth stanza Narrator finds the woods to be lovely and beautiful.  Here is paradox of language in words that woods are lovely , dark and deep. Dark and deep not matched with each other. it is dark and deep yet very attracting. He wants to stay there forever looking at how the snow flakes fall on the woods. But he can't do what he desires to do. He has many responsibilities to fulfill. He had made promise to someone seems his family members. It is his obligation to fulfill those promises. 

  This shows that he is very far off from his house and it's important to move and reach his house before it gets too late. The Narrator says that he have to travel many miles to reach his destination before he sleeps.  Sleep here denotes that before he get tired off traveling,  tired off physical tiredness or the deep meaning if sleep may be that before he retires to death there are lots of responsibilities he has to undertakemake. 

 The gist of the poem seems to be that the poet is deeply sad and deserted. He seems to have failed in his endeavour and still have much more responsibility in his life towards himself and his family. He knows that he has a long way to go and the time with him is less.