Robert Frost Poems

?
'Out, Out-' - Context, Allusion
Allusion to 'Macbeth' foreshadows the exploration of the brevity of life, the fragile rapidly extinguished nature of life and the nihilistic idea of the boy's life as 'signifying nothing'
1 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Context, Subtle Parallel
Subtle parallel to the tragic deaths of young soldiers in WW1 many of whom were young boys who were out of their depth; 'doing a man's work, though a child at heart'
2 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Structure
Blank Verse, Iambic Pentameter, detached, conversational tone - broken by intrusion of the first person
3 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Structure
Contrast between peaceful, harmonious, picturesque rural New England and the violence of the buzzsaw (saw personified to portray boys lack of control)
4 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Structure
Caesura - mimetic reflection of abrupt, meaningless ending of boys life: 'No more to build on here'
5 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Structure
Tricolon emphasises disturbingly rapid transition from life to death
6 of 31
'Out, Out-' - Structure
First person to criticise the adult responsibility for the boy and perhaps by extension society as a whole
7 of 31
'Mowing' - Context
Rural New England landscape - basis for philosophical exploration on the nature of truth - epistemological uncertainty
8 of 31
'Mowing' - Context
Presentation of physical labour as peaceful, beautiful and philosophically important relates to Frost's own decision to lead a simple, rural life away from the distractions of urbanity
9 of 31
'Mowing' - Structure
Sonnet, octave introduces sound of scythe and questions what it represents, rejecting the idea of it being a supernatural or spiritual experience
10 of 31
'Mowing' - Structure
Sestet - concludes that the act of mowing and other acts of physical labour is important because it leads to a greater connection with the truth about reality
11 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Context
NE landscape as an extended metaphor for the tensions between the responsibilities and sense of order provided by civilisation and the liberation represented by nature in the early C20
12 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Context
Horse as personified critical voice of society in early C20
13 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Structure
Regular AABC rhyme scheme and iambic tetrameter in first 3 stanzas - mimetic of speakers hypnotic attraction to the woods and the snow
14 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Structure
Break in rhyme scheme in the last stanza is mimetic of speaker's life affirming decision to return to the civilised world of 'promises' and pull away from the hypnotic attraction to the woods
15 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Structure
Final repetition suggests the speaker has resisted the temptations of oblivion and death
16 of 31
'Stopping by Woods...' - Structure
Horse is anthropomorphised as the critical voice of early C20 society which criticises the speaker for stopping to admire natures beauty rather than hurrying bad to the civilised world of order and promises
17 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Context
Inspired by Frost's rural walks in England w. English poet Edward Thomas
18 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Context
Focuses on regret, indecision and unconventional lifestyle choices
19 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Context
Saw Thomas as a person tormented by regret - thought that reading the poem was influential in persuading Thomas to joining WW1
20 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Structure
Regular ABAAB rhyme scheme
21 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Structure
Half rhyme between 'hence' and 'difference' in the final line is mimetic of the destabilising effect which the decision has had on the speaker's life
22 of 31
'The Road Not Taken' - Structure
Repetition of 'I' reflects the persona's realisation that he is solely to blame for his choices
23 of 31
'Mending Wall' - Context
NE landscape as the basis for extended philosophical exploration
24 of 31
'Mending Wall' - Context
Published around the same time of the start of WW1, seen as a subtle comment on problems caused by barriers and boundaries between countries during a time of escalated physical tension
25 of 31
'Mending Wall' - Structure
Blank verse with iambic pentameter creates an everyday conversational tone which reflects Frost's desire to explore philosophical issues though practical, real-life examples (futile desire to build impertinent barriers)
26 of 31
'Mending Wall' - Structure
Neighbours dialogue sets up a conflict with the speakers view that barriers are futile and imp;permanent and his desire to challenge conventional wisdom
27 of 31
'The Runaway' - Context
NE landscape
28 of 31
'The Runaway' - Context
Vulnerable, ostensibly-abandoned young horse can be sen as a subtle parallel to the 'doomed youth' on the battlefield of WW1
29 of 31
'The Runaway' - Structure
Irregular rhyme scheme and use of caesura is mimetic of horse's unpredictable, anxious, fearful, skittish movements
30 of 31
'The Runaway' - Structure
Dialogue anthropomorphises the horse
31 of 31

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Subtle parallel to the tragic deaths of young soldiers in WW1 many of whom were young boys who were out of their depth; 'doing a man's work, though a child at heart'

Back

'Out, Out-' - Context, Subtle Parallel

Card 3

Front

Blank Verse, Iambic Pentameter, detached, conversational tone - broken by intrusion of the first person

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Contrast between peaceful, harmonious, picturesque rural New England and the violence of the buzzsaw (saw personified to portray boys lack of control)

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Caesura - mimetic reflection of abrupt, meaningless ending of boys life: 'No more to build on here'

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all Robert Frost resources »