Robert Frost: Themes of a Tortured American Life

Essay by dylan_bHigh School, 11th gradeA+, August 2008

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Poets often explore specific concerns that relate to their lives. These concerns are themes that the poet has come across through their experiences. Poets throughout history have recognized that whilst these ideas are relevant, they are beyond human control. Robert Frost was one of these many poets and was born in 1874 in San Francisco, California. His upbringing in the countryside of the United States gave him a profound appreciation of nature that is evident in his work. However he also knew the depth of despair as he lost many loved ones at various times throughout his life. The varying emotions of his life are portrayed through his poetry, where he uses simple language and the imagery of nature to communicate complex themes relating to the nature and purpose of life. Yet it is also evident that Frost lamented at the fact that these themes were out of his control.

Evidence of this can be found in his poems, The Sound of Trees, Nothing Gold can stay and Acceptance. Here he uses quite simple language and the beautiful images of the landscapes he loved so much to present to the reader themes that he felt were near to him but out of the realms of human control and comprehension.

In his poetry, Robert Frost explores themes that have their roots in the events of his life. Much of his work deals with loss and the acceptance of inability, unimportance and ending. This is because Frosts life was extremely traumatic right from his childhood. His father was an alcoholic and a gambler who died when he was just 11. He then moved with his mother and sister to New England town so his mother could start teaching again. Frost married Elinor Miriam White in 1985 and they moved to a farm...