It is a delightful coincidence (or perhaps preordained fate) that the most influential 20th Century nature poet was named Robert Frost. The New England poet’s much-beloved work is a tender love letter to the natural world and our human experiences therein.
I was entranced by Robert Frost when I read his first published poem, “My Butterfly.” Here, he uses the death of an allegorical butterfly to examine the depths of human bereavement. Frost uses the butterfly and the pastoral setting to depict loss and suggests that grief is a universal, fundamental human emotion. It is a stunning, elegiac verse that takes an anthropomorphic approach, in which nature becomes a vehicle for expressing personal grief.
Another of Frost’s masterpieces is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” a narrative poem in which an isolated traveller comes across a “lovely, dark, and deep” forest and is seduced by its inviting darkness. It is unclear exactly what the woods represent. They are possibly a siren call luring the narrator towards a ‘sleep’ symbolising death (not unlikely considering Frost suffered from depression), but could simply reflect peaceful solitude and an escape from the business of everyday life. Frost maintains ambiguity throughout the poem, forcing the reader to engage with the narrative and decide what escape the “woods” represent in their own life. Of course, an anthropocentric reading of this poem may not have been Frost’s intention; he could merely be admiring the isolated tranquillity of the woods. It is a phenomenal achievement that his poetry leaves such interpretative flexibility.
Of course, the most famous poem by Frost is “The Road Not Taken.” It also happens to be one of the most amusingly misunderstood poems around. When met with “two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” the speaker does indeed take “the road less travelled,” but not in the celebration of individualism that many consider it to be. In fact, “The Road Not Taken” arose from Frost poking fun at his friend’s indecisiveness. It is an elaborate eye-roll at a man who, no matter which way he went, would regret not taking the other path. Quite the opposite of what is often suggested, “The Road Not Taken” suggests that we need not waste our energy on inconsequential decisions. Maybe this is less inspired than the common interpretation, but I find it comforting that most choices we make do not have life-altering implications. Take whichever road you like, Frost assures us. It probably won’t change your life.
Image “Robert Frost’s Farm” by StarrGazr is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.