Katelynn Black Robert Frost’s themes repeat themselves in many of his works. He frequently attributes mans relationship with the universe and alienation, nature, and death. Frost tended to use more than one of these themes in a single poem. Robert Frost’s outlook on life and his own personal experiences greatly influenced his writings. This shows the dark shadow that he lived in after many family tragedies, the death of his father, wife, and first child, followed by the suicide of his son and the mental illnesses of his daughter and his sister, which they were later institutionalized for.
Robert Frost’s themes influenced many writers by his use of theme and emotion in his work. Frost’s themes have changed the ways by influencing authors to write about their feelings, dreams, and what they see in a whole new way; even today many authors looks to Robert Frost’s works for inspiration. Another theme of Frost’s is nature. He describes the surroundings with vivid details, allowing the readers to imagine the scenes placed before them. In one of his most famous poems, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost greatly describes the experience so that the sensation presented is perceived accurately.
A writer quotes, “This poem illustrates many of the qualities most characteristic to Frost; including the attention to natural detail, the relationship between human and nature, and the strong theme suggested by individual lines”(Napierkowski 1). Frost says, “My little horse must think it’s queer to stop without a farmhouse near between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year”(Frost 7). This line infers that it’s a cold night, but he still has time to stop in a secluded field to appreciate the beauty of the natural scene.
In this poem he also says, “…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.. “(Frost 11). Here Frost is commenting on how peaceful it is in the field, but expressing how he has no desire to enter the woods, for he still has things he must do. Gerber comments saying, “.. looks upon a traveler mesmerized by the black trees yet unwilling to enter. this time with ‘promises to keep’, the traveler has a ready rationalization for withstanding the bait”(Gerber 10).
There is a similar scene in, “Desert Places”, that talks of the mystery of the snow. “Snow falling fast, oh, fast in a field I looked into going past, and the ground almost covered smooth in snow, but a few weeds and stubble showing last”(Frost 1). Here the traveler exhibits that he has no time to stop in the field, but he notices the weeds that have yet to be completely covered. Frost’s use of detail when describing theme theme of nature is very potent in his writing, it allows a clear scene to be viewed and he deserves ample credit for his impeccable creations.
