Robert Frost, one of the great American poets, is well known for his unconventional poem structure and writing techniques. He uses contradiction in his poetry to achieve a dark and confusing effect.
Although known for his work set in New England, Frost was born in California (Thompson 1). Strangely, Frost actually did not enjoy studying or reading as a child, but still managed to develop an outstanding career as a poet. After he sold his first poem, "My Butterfly," he published two copies of a new booklet called Twilight. This booklet included only five of his lyrics, and he gave one booklet to Elinor White, his fiancée, while he kept the other copy. After pneumonia almost took his life in 1906, he suffered a depression, and, feeling as though he had no hope, used writing poetry as an antidepressant of sorts, and actually sold a few poems. In 1912, he quit his job as a teacher, sold his farm in New Hampshire, and relocated, along with his family, to Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, to pursue writing poetry full time. Luckily, his first poetry book, A Boy's Will succeeded, along with his next book, North of Boston. In fact, when he returned to the United States, a mere three years later, these books were being published and sold in America, and he soon rose to fame (2).
The concept of contradictions abounds in Frost's poetry. Frost's book North of Boston contradicts what people believe about his poetry. Because some of his poems are obviously not in traditional forms, readers assume they are free verse. But this confuses them when they find regular pentameter line joined with irregular rhythms of speech. Frost's technique of using “sentence sounds” in blank verse brought a modern sound to poetry. (Greiner 23). In 1928, Frost published West-Running Brook, which included several dark, contradictory poems. These poems include "Spring Pools," "On Going Unnoticed," "Bereft," "Tree at My Window," and "Acquainted with the Night" (26). Because of his elusiveness, a characteristic of his poetry, his poetry could seem contradictory and, therefore, confuse readers. Another trait that makes Frost's poetry so contradictory is its multiple layers. The use of layers presents readers with many views and possibilities. These layers allow all readers to find their beliefs displayed within the poems. As can be imagined, this style causes disputes when discussing the meaning of the poems (Beacham 1173). Another reason for confusion and contradiction is that Frost wrote about normal events with familiar language. As a result, many people accept the first interpretation they get, instead of delving in further (1174).
A prime example of the layers and possibilities can be found in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," which gives readers many meanings as to the theme of the poem. Some of these themes include the peacefulness of snow, duty, death, and even self-mockery. The common, but incorrect interpretation, is a moral theme about keeping promises. As Beachham writes, "A critic who reads Frost moralistically, believing that "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a lesson about keeping promises, has fallen into Frost's trap." He goes on to caution readers not to "impose their own ideas," or to "blindly accept any interpretations.” The way that readers miss Frost's intended theme is by applying their own ideas about morals to the poems (1174).
Traveling along Frost's contradictory road, "The Subverted Flower" tells of ordeals in life that can prohibit young love. The poem portrays the girl as a frigid and inhibited animal, controlled by her mother. Frost's disturbing and depressing poem contradicts his love for his wife and may have been a revenge poem. Critics believe that because Frost's wife had refused to marry him before she graduated, Frost wrote the autobiographical, seventy-three line poem that explained his sexual insecurity and jealousy he suffered before his marriage (Greiner 28).
Perceiving man's thoughts of self importance, Frost contradicts people and lowers the human life span from seventy years to one hour in "On Going Unnoticed." The line reads, "You linger your little hour and are gone, / And still the woods sweep leafily on, //..." (qtd in Greiner 26).
Frost's contradictory poem "An Old Man's Winter Night" belies Frost's public persona. Instead of the expected poem, warm and soft, the reader finds a sad tale of an old man with nothing to live for, and death quickly approaching. Alone and hopeless, the old man is held by a fear of the darkness coming and of sleep. He is compared to a house, his mind has been ravaged by years that have passed, and as Frost said, "One Aged man--one man--can't keep a house,/A farm, a countryside..." (qtd in Greiner 25).
The contradictions continue in "Dust of Snow," a small and simple poem with a deep meaning. It reads, "The way a crow/ Shook down on me/ The dust of snow/ From a hemlock tree// Has given my heart/ A change of mood/ And saved some part/ Of a day/ I had rued," (qtd Ellis 723). The poem contradicts human emotion connected to snow. The speaker's attitude seems odd because after new snow falls, the ground is pure and white, but the speaker is not happy or joyful. Another contradiction is the animal that cheers the speaker up. This is a crow, a generally hated bird (723). The crow received its bad reputation because it symbolized the devil in medieval times (724). Frost most likely did not mean for this to happen, but it could have been his way to try to get an outsider, the crow, accepted as something not totally evil in literature.
The final poem of contradictions, "After Apple-Picking," includes a grand example of misunderstood theme (Beacham 1174). In this poem, Frost deliberately uses words and ideas that he knew would confuse readers (1175). But because he wanted readers to catch on, he adds subtle hints to guide them. One of his hints is the pronoun change in line 16. Frost uses this change to supposedly draw the reader into the poem and give him a part in the story. Reading this poem, the reader believes that the sleep Frost is referring to is his own death, thus he is troubled by it in his sleep. As the reader read on, he discovers that Frost is instead talking about a simple-minded woodchuck when he uses “one” (1176).
My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree/ Toward heaven still,/ And there's a barrel that I didn't fill/ Beside it, and there may be two or three/ Apples I didn't pick upon some bough/ But I am done with apple-picking now./ Essence of winter sleep is on the night,/ The scent of apples: I am drowsing off./ I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight/ I got from this morning from the drinking trough/ And held against the world of hoary grass./ It melted, and I let it fall and break./…One can see what will trouble/ This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is./ Were he not gone,/ The woodchuck could say whether its like his/ Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,/ Or just some human sleep. (Frost 26-27)
Frost uses this poem to explain how as readers use their imaginations to make death seem like more that it is, so they do to his poetry. Readers seem to read Frost's poems and make up their own meanings to the poetry.
Frost's use of contradiction does in fact give his poetry a strange, eerie quality. Although critics and readers alike today try to decipher his poems, some of his deep meaning that have not been uncovered yet, may never be found. Robert Frost was a brilliant man with a great imagination, and is still one of the great American poets.
