Theme Analysis of Four of Robert Frost Poems Through Diction.
ABSTRACT
Dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis tema dari empat puisi Robert
Lee Frost yang berjudul “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By Woods on a
Snowy Evening”, “Two Tramps In a Mud Time”, dan “The Trial by Existence”
melalui pilihan kata. Keempat puisi tersebut menggambarkan berbagai pilihan
yang berkaitan erat dengan kehidupan manusia, dan diungkapkan oleh Robert
Frost melalui berbagai pilihan kata dan salah satunya kata-kata yang berhubungan
dengan alam.
Puisi yang berjudul “The Road Not Taken” memiliki tema “Seseorang
harus menerima konsekuensi dari setiap keputusan yang sudah dibuat.” Puisi yang
berjudul “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” memiliki tema “Seseorang
harus bertanggung jawab untuk setiap keputusan yang sudah dibuat.” Puisi yang
berjudul “Two Tramps in a Mud Time” memiliki tema “Keputusan seseorang
untuk memiliki keseimbangan antara kebutuhan dan kesenangan akan berdampak
pada kebahagiaan seseorang.” Puisi yang berjudul “The Trial by Existence”
memiliki tema “Seseorang harus membuat keputusan untuk menentukan
kehidupannya.” Melalui kata-kata yang digunakan dalam puisi tersebut, Robert
Frost berhasil menyampaikan pesan mengenai pentingnya sebuah pilihan yang
diambil oleh seseorang.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ...........................................................................1
Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................2
Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................2
Method of Research ...................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis .........................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME OF FOUR OF ROBERT
FROST’S POEM THROUGH DICTION .............................................4
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................18
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................22
APPENDICES:
Robert Frost’s Poems ...............................................................................24
Biography of Robert Frost .......................................................................30
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APPENDICES
Robert Frost’s Poems
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
20
23
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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.
24
5
10
15
Two Tramps in Mud Time
Out of the mud two strangers came
And caught me splitting wood in the yard,
And one of them put me off my aim
By hailing cheerily "Hit them hard!"
I knew pretty well why he had dropped behind
And let the other go on a way.
I knew pretty well what he had in mind:
He wanted to take my job for pay.
Good blocks of oak it was I split,
As large around as the chopping block;
And every piece I squarely hit
Fell splinterless as a cloven rock.
The blows that a life of self-control
Spares to strike for the common good,
That day, giving a loose to my soul,
I spent on the unimportant wood.
The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.
A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight
And turns to the wind to unruffle a plume,
His song so pitched as not to excite
A single flower as yet to bloom.
It is snowing a flake; and he half knew
Winter was only playing possum.
Except in color he isn't blue,
But he wouldn't advise a thing to blossom
25
5
10
15
20
25
30
The water for which we may have to look
In summertime with a witching wand,
In every wheelrut's now a brook,
In every print of a hoof a pond.
Be glad of water, but don't forget
The lurking frost in the earth beneath
That will steal forth after the sun is set
And show on the water its crystal teeth.
The time when most I loved my task
The two must make me love it more
By coming with what they came to ask.
You'd think I never had felt before
The weight of an ax-head poised aloft,
The grip of earth on outspread feet,
The life of muscles rocking soft
And smooth and moist in vernal heat.
Out of the wood two hulking tramps
(From sleeping God knows where last night,
But not long since in the lumber camps).
They thought all chopping was theirs of right.
Men of the woods and lumberjacks,
They judged me by their appropriate tool.
Except as a fellow handled an ax
They had no way of knowing a fool.
Nothing on either side was said.
They knew they had but to stay their stay
And all their logic would fill my head:
As that I had no right to play
With what was another man's work for gain.
My right might be love but theirs was need.
And where the two exist in twain
Theirs was the better right--agreed.
But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future's sakes.
26
35
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45
50
55
60
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70
The Trial by Existence
Even the bravest that are slain
Shall not dissemble their surprise
On waking to find valor reign,
Even as on earth, in paradise;
And where they sought without the sword
Wide fields of asphodel fore'er,
To find that the utmost reward
Of daring should be still to dare.
The light of heaven falls whole and white
And is not shattered into dyes,
The light forever is morning light;
The hills are verdured pasture-wise;
The angle hosts with freshness go,
And seek with laughter what to brave;-And binding all is the hushed snow
Of the far-distant breaking wave.
And from a cliff-top is proclaimed
The gathering of the souls for birth,
The trial by existence named,
The obscuration upon earth.
And the slant spirits trooping by
In streams and cross- and counter-streams
Can but give ear to that sweet cry
For its suggestion of what dreams!
And the more loitering are turned
To view once more the sacrifice
Of those who for some good discerned
Will gladly give up paradise.
And a white shimmering concourse rolls
Toward the throne to witness there
The speeding of devoted souls
Which God makes his especial care.
And none are taken but who will,
Having first heard the life read out
That opens earthward, good and ill,
Beyond the shadow of a doubt;
And very beautifully God limns,
And tenderly, life's little dream,
27
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
But naught extenuates or dims,
Setting the thing that is supreme.
Nor is there wanting in the press
Some spirit to stand simply forth,
Heroic in it nakedness,
Against the uttermost of earth.
The tale of earth's unhonored things
Sounds nobler there than 'neath the sun;
And the mind whirls and the heart sings,
And a shout greets the daring one.
But always God speaks at the end:
'One thought in agony of strife
The bravest would have by for friend,
The memory that he chose the life;
But the pure fate to which you go
Admits no memory of choice,
Or the woe were not earthly woe
To which you give the assenting voice.'
And so the choice must be again,
But the last choice is still the same;
And the awe passes wonder then,
And a hush falls for all acclaim.
And God has taken a flower of gold
And broken it, and used therefrom
The mystic link to bind and hold
Spirit to matter till death come.
'Tis of the essence of life here,
Though we choose greatly, still to lack
The lasting memory at all clear,
That life has for us on the wrack
Nothing but what we somehow chose;
Thus are we wholly stripped of pride
In the pain that has but one close,
Bearing it crushed and mystified.
28
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55
60
65
70
Biography of Robert Lee Frost
Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California.
His father died when Frost was eleven years old. After his father’s death, Frost’s
Scottish mother worked as a school teacher to help her family financial condition.
Frost and his mother lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Robert Frost was a student at Darthmouth College and Harvard. After he
graduated from college, he worked in a textile mill and he also taught Latin. In 1894,
Frost wrote his first poem. The poem was entitled “My Butterfly” and was published
at the “New York Independent”.
He also wrote another five poems but they were unpublished. In 1913, Frost
published his first collection of poems entitled A Boy’s Will, and then a year later he
also published North of Boston. This poem collection contains some of Frost's bestknown poems: “Mending Wall”, “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Home Burial”, “A
Servant to Servants”, “After Apple-Picking”, and “The Wood-Pile.” All of Robert
Frost’s poems are written in blank verse or free verse of dialogues. Moreover, the
poems were drawn from his own life. He uses images of woods, stars, houses in his
poems.
Frost died in Boston on January 29, 1963, yet he is still considered as the best
American poet. Frost’s works have gained international reputation, and he had
received Pulitzer Prize four times for his works. Frost's poems show deep
appreciation of natural world and sensibility about the human aspirations.
Source : “Biography of Robert Frost”
29
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Robert Lee Frost is an American poet whose “poems show deep appreciation
of natural world and sensibility about the human aspirations. His images of woods,
stars, houses and brooks are usually taken from everyday life. Often, Frost uses
rhythms and vocabulary of ordinary speech” (“Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963)”). The
strength of his poems is that his poems “seem to be mere translation of everyday
events into poetry” (“New England characteristics in Robert Frost’s poetry”).
Robert Frost’s poems come mostly from his life experiences and the influence
of living in New England. His poems are also “very natural in its wording, using
words that most people understand and that make his poetry seem practical and
ordinary” (“New England characteristics in Robert Frost’s poetry”). Even though his
poems are simple, they are formally structured.
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Most of Frost’s poems are related to nature, which is defined as “all the
plants, animals and things that exist in the universe and are not made by people”
(Hornby 285). Through nature, Frost shows that whatever choice that one has made,
one should be ready for the consequences of his or her decision. By paying close
attention to diction related to nature, I am going to analyze Frost’s poems that
concern people’s choices in life. Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I am going to
analyze in my thesis are: “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy
Evening”, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”, and “The Trial by Existence.”
The themes of Frost’s four poems are closely related to choices. Reaske states
that theme is “the central concept developed in a poem” (42). I will analyze the
themes of Frost’s poems through diction, one of poetic devices, which is defined as
“language, vocabulary, phraseology, phrasing, style” (Webster’s Dictionary of
Synonyms 240).
Statement of the Problem
1. What is the theme of each poem?
2. How is the theme revealed?
Purpose of the Study
1. To show the theme of each poem.
2. To show how the theme is revealed.
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Method of Research
I use library research in writing my thesis. Firstly, I read the poems that I have
chosen. After that, I analyze these poems through diction. And then, I search for
references from books and Internet websites. In the end, I make conclusion for my
thesis.
Organization of the Thesis
I divide my thesis into three parts, proceeded by the Acknowledgements, the
Abstract, and the Table of Content. Chapter One is the Introduction, which consists of
the Background of Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study, the
Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the Analysis
of Theme of Four of Robert Frost’s Poems through Diction. Chapter Three is the
Conclusion. The thesis ends with Bibliography and Appendices, which contains
Robert’s Frost’s poems and Biography of Robert Frost.
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CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I am going to draw a conclusion on my analysis of four of
Robert Frost’s poems revealed through diction. Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I
have analyzed in the previous chapter are: “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By
Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”, and “The Trial by
Existence.”
The theme of “The Road Not Taken” is “One has to bear consequences to
every decision that one has made”, and it is revealed through words, such as “wood”
and “grassy”. The narrator faces two roads in the middle of his or her journey. S/he is
aware with the consequence that if s/he takes the first road, s/he will lose the
opportunity to go through the second road, and if s/he takes the second road, the
narrator will lose the opportunity to go back. Finally, the narrator chooses the second
road because s/he believes the second road will give him or her a better claim. Later,
the narrator has to bear with the consequence of the choice that s/he has made as s/he
has made a choice to take the second road and, s/he has to bear with the consequence
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which s/he loses the opportunity of going through the first road.
The theme of “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” is “One has to be
responsible for every choice that one makes”, and it is revealed through words, such
as “woods”, “snow”, “frozen lake”, and “downy flake”. The narrator chooses to stop
in the woods to watch the beauty of the woods, which is lovely, dark, and deep. The
temptation comes when the narrator chooses to stop in the woods. The narrator has to
choose whether to stay in the woods, where s/he can enjoy the lovely scene or to
continue his or her journey. In the end, the narrator is aware of his or her
responsibility and chooses to continue his or her journey.
The theme of “Two Tramps in Mud Time” is “One has to make choices to be
happy.” and hobby might result in one’s happiness in life”, and it is revealed through
words, such as “mud”, “wood”, and “sun”. The poem was written at the time of Great
Depression, when people were desperate due to their financial problems. I believe the
narrator has gone through several difficulties of making decision. The narrator feels
that he has passion in doing his job, and that it is the source of his happiness, so he
does not want to give up his job to the lumberjacks that work for pay. However, the
narrator finally changes his mind. He agrees that need, which refers to paid work,
should supersede play, which is loved hobby. After the narrator makes a choice to
balance between love and need, s/he reaches happiness in life.
The theme of “Trial by Existence” is “One has to make one’s own choice to
determine one’s fate”, and it is revealed through words, such as “earth”, “fields”, and
wave”. The narrator explains that making choices is a privilege that one has.
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In the poem, the soul has to choose and bear with the consequences. The choice is
ultimate for the soul as it determines his or her own fate. The soul who chooses to
come to earth will be able to enjoy the essence of life, which means making a choice
that will determine one’s future.
In my opinion, Frost is successful in presenting the issue of choices in life.
Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I have chosen to analyze in my thesis are very
inspiring and make one become aware of how one’s choice is able to impact one’s
life. I agree with the idea how Frost delivers the message about choices in one’s life.
For example, in “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost successfully
conveys the message when the narrator chooses to stop in the woods. In addition, I
believe one’s daily life is closely related to nature, which is the reason why some of
the words used by Frost in his poem are related to nature. I can easily find words
related to nature in “The Road Not Taken” such as “yellow”, “wood”, and then in
“Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” such as “woods”, “snow”, then in “Two
Tramps in Mud Time” such as “wind”, “sun” and then in “The Trial by Existence”
such as “earth”, “fields”.
Of all four of Robert Frost’s poems that I have analyzed, my favorite is “The
Road Not Taken”. I am able to relate with the idea that in life, one always faces more
than one choice and it is not easy to decide which one is the best option. Even after
one has made a choice, one has to face the consequences of the choices. And I often
face that kind of situation, in which Frost describes beautifully in the poem.
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Bibliography
Primary text(s):
Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Poets from the Academy of American Poets.
2010. 3 Oct. 2010.
Frost, Robert. “The Trial by Existence.” Poetry Archives. 2008. 3 Oct. 2010.
Frost, Robert. “Two Tramps in Mud Time.” American Poems. 2009. 3 Oct 2010.
Frost, Robert. “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Poetry Foundation. 2010.
3 Oct 2010.
Reference(s):
Hornby, AS. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1989.
Reaske, Christopher Russel. How to Analyze Poetry. New York: Monarch Pres,
1996.
Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms. Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1978.
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Internet website(s):
“New England Characteristics in Robert Frost’s Poetry.” 2001. 20 Apr. 2001.
“Robert (Lee) Frost (1874-1963): Biography.” Poetry Foundation. 2010. 20 Apr.
2010.
< http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rfrost.htm>
“Poetry Analysis Robert Frost’s: “Two Tramps In Mud Time.” 2011. 19 Apr. 2011.
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Dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis tema dari empat puisi Robert
Lee Frost yang berjudul “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By Woods on a
Snowy Evening”, “Two Tramps In a Mud Time”, dan “The Trial by Existence”
melalui pilihan kata. Keempat puisi tersebut menggambarkan berbagai pilihan
yang berkaitan erat dengan kehidupan manusia, dan diungkapkan oleh Robert
Frost melalui berbagai pilihan kata dan salah satunya kata-kata yang berhubungan
dengan alam.
Puisi yang berjudul “The Road Not Taken” memiliki tema “Seseorang
harus menerima konsekuensi dari setiap keputusan yang sudah dibuat.” Puisi yang
berjudul “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” memiliki tema “Seseorang
harus bertanggung jawab untuk setiap keputusan yang sudah dibuat.” Puisi yang
berjudul “Two Tramps in a Mud Time” memiliki tema “Keputusan seseorang
untuk memiliki keseimbangan antara kebutuhan dan kesenangan akan berdampak
pada kebahagiaan seseorang.” Puisi yang berjudul “The Trial by Existence”
memiliki tema “Seseorang harus membuat keputusan untuk menentukan
kehidupannya.” Melalui kata-kata yang digunakan dalam puisi tersebut, Robert
Frost berhasil menyampaikan pesan mengenai pentingnya sebuah pilihan yang
diambil oleh seseorang.
iv
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ...........................................................................1
Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................2
Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................2
Method of Research ...................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis .........................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THEME OF FOUR OF ROBERT
FROST’S POEM THROUGH DICTION .............................................4
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................18
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................22
APPENDICES:
Robert Frost’s Poems ...............................................................................24
Biography of Robert Frost .......................................................................30
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APPENDICES
Robert Frost’s Poems
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
20
23
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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.
24
5
10
15
Two Tramps in Mud Time
Out of the mud two strangers came
And caught me splitting wood in the yard,
And one of them put me off my aim
By hailing cheerily "Hit them hard!"
I knew pretty well why he had dropped behind
And let the other go on a way.
I knew pretty well what he had in mind:
He wanted to take my job for pay.
Good blocks of oak it was I split,
As large around as the chopping block;
And every piece I squarely hit
Fell splinterless as a cloven rock.
The blows that a life of self-control
Spares to strike for the common good,
That day, giving a loose to my soul,
I spent on the unimportant wood.
The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.
A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight
And turns to the wind to unruffle a plume,
His song so pitched as not to excite
A single flower as yet to bloom.
It is snowing a flake; and he half knew
Winter was only playing possum.
Except in color he isn't blue,
But he wouldn't advise a thing to blossom
25
5
10
15
20
25
30
The water for which we may have to look
In summertime with a witching wand,
In every wheelrut's now a brook,
In every print of a hoof a pond.
Be glad of water, but don't forget
The lurking frost in the earth beneath
That will steal forth after the sun is set
And show on the water its crystal teeth.
The time when most I loved my task
The two must make me love it more
By coming with what they came to ask.
You'd think I never had felt before
The weight of an ax-head poised aloft,
The grip of earth on outspread feet,
The life of muscles rocking soft
And smooth and moist in vernal heat.
Out of the wood two hulking tramps
(From sleeping God knows where last night,
But not long since in the lumber camps).
They thought all chopping was theirs of right.
Men of the woods and lumberjacks,
They judged me by their appropriate tool.
Except as a fellow handled an ax
They had no way of knowing a fool.
Nothing on either side was said.
They knew they had but to stay their stay
And all their logic would fill my head:
As that I had no right to play
With what was another man's work for gain.
My right might be love but theirs was need.
And where the two exist in twain
Theirs was the better right--agreed.
But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future's sakes.
26
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
The Trial by Existence
Even the bravest that are slain
Shall not dissemble their surprise
On waking to find valor reign,
Even as on earth, in paradise;
And where they sought without the sword
Wide fields of asphodel fore'er,
To find that the utmost reward
Of daring should be still to dare.
The light of heaven falls whole and white
And is not shattered into dyes,
The light forever is morning light;
The hills are verdured pasture-wise;
The angle hosts with freshness go,
And seek with laughter what to brave;-And binding all is the hushed snow
Of the far-distant breaking wave.
And from a cliff-top is proclaimed
The gathering of the souls for birth,
The trial by existence named,
The obscuration upon earth.
And the slant spirits trooping by
In streams and cross- and counter-streams
Can but give ear to that sweet cry
For its suggestion of what dreams!
And the more loitering are turned
To view once more the sacrifice
Of those who for some good discerned
Will gladly give up paradise.
And a white shimmering concourse rolls
Toward the throne to witness there
The speeding of devoted souls
Which God makes his especial care.
And none are taken but who will,
Having first heard the life read out
That opens earthward, good and ill,
Beyond the shadow of a doubt;
And very beautifully God limns,
And tenderly, life's little dream,
27
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
But naught extenuates or dims,
Setting the thing that is supreme.
Nor is there wanting in the press
Some spirit to stand simply forth,
Heroic in it nakedness,
Against the uttermost of earth.
The tale of earth's unhonored things
Sounds nobler there than 'neath the sun;
And the mind whirls and the heart sings,
And a shout greets the daring one.
But always God speaks at the end:
'One thought in agony of strife
The bravest would have by for friend,
The memory that he chose the life;
But the pure fate to which you go
Admits no memory of choice,
Or the woe were not earthly woe
To which you give the assenting voice.'
And so the choice must be again,
But the last choice is still the same;
And the awe passes wonder then,
And a hush falls for all acclaim.
And God has taken a flower of gold
And broken it, and used therefrom
The mystic link to bind and hold
Spirit to matter till death come.
'Tis of the essence of life here,
Though we choose greatly, still to lack
The lasting memory at all clear,
That life has for us on the wrack
Nothing but what we somehow chose;
Thus are we wholly stripped of pride
In the pain that has but one close,
Bearing it crushed and mystified.
28
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Biography of Robert Lee Frost
Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California.
His father died when Frost was eleven years old. After his father’s death, Frost’s
Scottish mother worked as a school teacher to help her family financial condition.
Frost and his mother lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Robert Frost was a student at Darthmouth College and Harvard. After he
graduated from college, he worked in a textile mill and he also taught Latin. In 1894,
Frost wrote his first poem. The poem was entitled “My Butterfly” and was published
at the “New York Independent”.
He also wrote another five poems but they were unpublished. In 1913, Frost
published his first collection of poems entitled A Boy’s Will, and then a year later he
also published North of Boston. This poem collection contains some of Frost's bestknown poems: “Mending Wall”, “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Home Burial”, “A
Servant to Servants”, “After Apple-Picking”, and “The Wood-Pile.” All of Robert
Frost’s poems are written in blank verse or free verse of dialogues. Moreover, the
poems were drawn from his own life. He uses images of woods, stars, houses in his
poems.
Frost died in Boston on January 29, 1963, yet he is still considered as the best
American poet. Frost’s works have gained international reputation, and he had
received Pulitzer Prize four times for his works. Frost's poems show deep
appreciation of natural world and sensibility about the human aspirations.
Source : “Biography of Robert Frost”
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Robert Lee Frost is an American poet whose “poems show deep appreciation
of natural world and sensibility about the human aspirations. His images of woods,
stars, houses and brooks are usually taken from everyday life. Often, Frost uses
rhythms and vocabulary of ordinary speech” (“Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963)”). The
strength of his poems is that his poems “seem to be mere translation of everyday
events into poetry” (“New England characteristics in Robert Frost’s poetry”).
Robert Frost’s poems come mostly from his life experiences and the influence
of living in New England. His poems are also “very natural in its wording, using
words that most people understand and that make his poetry seem practical and
ordinary” (“New England characteristics in Robert Frost’s poetry”). Even though his
poems are simple, they are formally structured.
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Most of Frost’s poems are related to nature, which is defined as “all the
plants, animals and things that exist in the universe and are not made by people”
(Hornby 285). Through nature, Frost shows that whatever choice that one has made,
one should be ready for the consequences of his or her decision. By paying close
attention to diction related to nature, I am going to analyze Frost’s poems that
concern people’s choices in life. Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I am going to
analyze in my thesis are: “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy
Evening”, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”, and “The Trial by Existence.”
The themes of Frost’s four poems are closely related to choices. Reaske states
that theme is “the central concept developed in a poem” (42). I will analyze the
themes of Frost’s poems through diction, one of poetic devices, which is defined as
“language, vocabulary, phraseology, phrasing, style” (Webster’s Dictionary of
Synonyms 240).
Statement of the Problem
1. What is the theme of each poem?
2. How is the theme revealed?
Purpose of the Study
1. To show the theme of each poem.
2. To show how the theme is revealed.
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Method of Research
I use library research in writing my thesis. Firstly, I read the poems that I have
chosen. After that, I analyze these poems through diction. And then, I search for
references from books and Internet websites. In the end, I make conclusion for my
thesis.
Organization of the Thesis
I divide my thesis into three parts, proceeded by the Acknowledgements, the
Abstract, and the Table of Content. Chapter One is the Introduction, which consists of
the Background of Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study, the
Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the Analysis
of Theme of Four of Robert Frost’s Poems through Diction. Chapter Three is the
Conclusion. The thesis ends with Bibliography and Appendices, which contains
Robert’s Frost’s poems and Biography of Robert Frost.
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CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I am going to draw a conclusion on my analysis of four of
Robert Frost’s poems revealed through diction. Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I
have analyzed in the previous chapter are: “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping By
Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”, and “The Trial by
Existence.”
The theme of “The Road Not Taken” is “One has to bear consequences to
every decision that one has made”, and it is revealed through words, such as “wood”
and “grassy”. The narrator faces two roads in the middle of his or her journey. S/he is
aware with the consequence that if s/he takes the first road, s/he will lose the
opportunity to go through the second road, and if s/he takes the second road, the
narrator will lose the opportunity to go back. Finally, the narrator chooses the second
road because s/he believes the second road will give him or her a better claim. Later,
the narrator has to bear with the consequence of the choice that s/he has made as s/he
has made a choice to take the second road and, s/he has to bear with the consequence
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which s/he loses the opportunity of going through the first road.
The theme of “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” is “One has to be
responsible for every choice that one makes”, and it is revealed through words, such
as “woods”, “snow”, “frozen lake”, and “downy flake”. The narrator chooses to stop
in the woods to watch the beauty of the woods, which is lovely, dark, and deep. The
temptation comes when the narrator chooses to stop in the woods. The narrator has to
choose whether to stay in the woods, where s/he can enjoy the lovely scene or to
continue his or her journey. In the end, the narrator is aware of his or her
responsibility and chooses to continue his or her journey.
The theme of “Two Tramps in Mud Time” is “One has to make choices to be
happy.” and hobby might result in one’s happiness in life”, and it is revealed through
words, such as “mud”, “wood”, and “sun”. The poem was written at the time of Great
Depression, when people were desperate due to their financial problems. I believe the
narrator has gone through several difficulties of making decision. The narrator feels
that he has passion in doing his job, and that it is the source of his happiness, so he
does not want to give up his job to the lumberjacks that work for pay. However, the
narrator finally changes his mind. He agrees that need, which refers to paid work,
should supersede play, which is loved hobby. After the narrator makes a choice to
balance between love and need, s/he reaches happiness in life.
The theme of “Trial by Existence” is “One has to make one’s own choice to
determine one’s fate”, and it is revealed through words, such as “earth”, “fields”, and
wave”. The narrator explains that making choices is a privilege that one has.
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In the poem, the soul has to choose and bear with the consequences. The choice is
ultimate for the soul as it determines his or her own fate. The soul who chooses to
come to earth will be able to enjoy the essence of life, which means making a choice
that will determine one’s future.
In my opinion, Frost is successful in presenting the issue of choices in life.
Four of Robert Frost’s poems that I have chosen to analyze in my thesis are very
inspiring and make one become aware of how one’s choice is able to impact one’s
life. I agree with the idea how Frost delivers the message about choices in one’s life.
For example, in “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost successfully
conveys the message when the narrator chooses to stop in the woods. In addition, I
believe one’s daily life is closely related to nature, which is the reason why some of
the words used by Frost in his poem are related to nature. I can easily find words
related to nature in “The Road Not Taken” such as “yellow”, “wood”, and then in
“Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” such as “woods”, “snow”, then in “Two
Tramps in Mud Time” such as “wind”, “sun” and then in “The Trial by Existence”
such as “earth”, “fields”.
Of all four of Robert Frost’s poems that I have analyzed, my favorite is “The
Road Not Taken”. I am able to relate with the idea that in life, one always faces more
than one choice and it is not easy to decide which one is the best option. Even after
one has made a choice, one has to face the consequences of the choices. And I often
face that kind of situation, in which Frost describes beautifully in the poem.
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Bibliography
Primary text(s):
Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Poets from the Academy of American Poets.
2010. 3 Oct. 2010.
Frost, Robert. “The Trial by Existence.” Poetry Archives. 2008. 3 Oct. 2010.
Frost, Robert. “Two Tramps in Mud Time.” American Poems. 2009. 3 Oct 2010.
Frost, Robert. “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Poetry Foundation. 2010.
3 Oct 2010.
Reference(s):
Hornby, AS. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1989.
Reaske, Christopher Russel. How to Analyze Poetry. New York: Monarch Pres,
1996.
Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms. Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1978.
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Internet website(s):
“New England Characteristics in Robert Frost’s Poetry.” 2001. 20 Apr. 2001.
“Robert (Lee) Frost (1874-1963): Biography.” Poetry Foundation. 2010. 20 Apr.
2010.
< http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rfrost.htm>
“Poetry Analysis Robert Frost’s: “Two Tramps In Mud Time.” 2011. 19 Apr. 2011.
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