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For Discussion or Writing. 1. Compare and contrast the symbolism of the wall in this poem with the symbolism of the “western gate” in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem “Luke Havergal.”






1. Compare and contrast the symbolism of the wall in this poem with the symbolism of the “western gate” in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem “Luke Havergal.” How do both poems deal with the theme of separation? What are the differences between the separated characters in the two works? How do the tones and conclusions of the two poems differ? How and why is humor used in Frost’s poem but not in Robinson’s?

2. How and why is wall imagery used differently in this poem than in H. D.’s work titled The Walls Do Not Fall (especially sections 1 and 43)? What do walls symbolize for H. D.’s speaker? What do they symbolize for the speaker of Frost’s poem? One poem is set in a peaceful rural environment; the other poem is set in a war-torn urban area. How do these contrasting contexts of the walls help determine the significance of the wall imagery in each work?

3. How and why might a Marxist critic respond to this poem? What does the poem suggest about “private property”? What is the probable class of the two men featured in this poem? Does their focus on maintaining boundaries seem ironic in any way from a Marxist perspective?

4. Discuss the poem “Birches” in relation to Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town. In particular, discuss the relations between past and present and between youth and age in both works. How do both texts try to avoid sentimentality? How is childhood presented from a double perspective in both texts? What do both texts suggest about the process of loss through maturation?

5. Compare and contrast the poem “Birches” with Jack London’s story “The Law of Life.” How is nature presented in both works? How is man’s place in nature described? In which work is the emphasis on man’s place in society more strongly emphasized? How do the tones and conclusions of the two works differ?

6. Why and how does the speaker of the poem “Birches” use the word you so often in the first 20 lines of the poem? How does his use of that word contribute to the poem’s tone and effectiveness? How does his use of that word help to involve the reader? In what other ways does the tone of the poem seem casual and conversational, and what other devices does Frost use to help create that tone?

7. Frost was a great admirer of Edwin Arlington Robinson, and he especially admired Robinson’s poem titled “Mr. Flood’s Party.” What resemblances and/or differences can you see between that poem and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”? Discuss the poems in terms of such matters as setting, theme, symbolism, and the characterization of the protagonist. Discuss the issues of isolation and the motif of making a journey as they are used in both works.

8. Compare and contrast Frost’s poem with Langston Hughes’s lyric titled “Mother to Son.” Discuss the way both works deal with the theme of obligations and responsibilities. Discuss how they both use the idea of physical movement in symbolic ways. Is one work more clearly affirmative or positive than the other, or is each complicated in its own ways? Discuss the forms the poets choose for their works and the tones and attitudes of the speakers.

9. Why is the speaker concerned with being seen by the owner of the woods? What other evidence is there for the speaker’s self-consciousness? Discuss the attitude of the speaker toward his horse. What are some effects of describing the horse as “little”? What do the speaker’s observations suggest about his own personality?

10. Of the poems discussed here, which one do you consider the least successful or effective? Explain and justify your opinion by discussing such matters as form, theme, tone, and especially diction, or word choice. Compare and contrast the poem you have selected with a work by Frost that you consider especially accomplished; use the successes of the latter poem to help explain the shortcomings of the former.

11. Because of his generally clear diction, conventional meter, and traditional forms, Frost can be accused of being an unsophisticated and perhaps even simplistic writer. How would you defend him against this charge? Which qualities in his works make them seem rich, complex, provocative, and stimulating? Illustrate your argument by pointing to specific aspects of particular poems.

12. Using the sections above that analyze each poem, make a list of the typical thematic and stylistic traits of Frost’s poetry. In other words, make a list of the topics he tends to write about and the methods or techniques he tends to use when writing. Then, having assembled that list, choose a poem by Frost not dealt with earlier and discuss all the ways in which that poem seems typical and/or atypical of Frost’s writing.

13. Choose a poem by Frost not discussed earlier and analyze it in detail, paying particular attention to its structure and sound effects, including such matters as meter, rhyme, assonance, alliteration, and enjambment. Frost famously said that writing a poem without meter is like playing tennis with the net down. What did he mean, and how does the poem you chose illustrate his point? How, in other words, does meter contribute to the complex meaning of the poem?

14. Frost was once famously accused of being a frivolous writer whose poems lacked moral seriousness. Choose one of his better-known poems and use that work either to confirm or confute (or some combination of the two) that claim. How is the chosen poem ethically serious and mature? How does it raise thoughtful questions about the ways humans treat one another? How does the poem deal with the problem of good versus evil?

15. Critics of Frost have sometimes complained that he ignores the complex problems of modern life and that he rarely comments on political issues. How would you respond to these charges? Do you think they are fair or even relevant? Using some poems by Frost, discuss the ways he handles (either implicitly or explicitly) social and/or political issues.

16. Frost is often regarded as a regional poet whose main concern was life in rural New England. Is this a fair assessment? In what ways (if at all) does Frost transcend any “regional” limitations? How and why might his work be relevant to a person living, say, in sub-Saharan Africa or in the South Seas islands? Why should non-American readers find Frost’s verse worth reading?

17. Choose a particular poem by Frost and then discuss whether and how it illustrates the ideas outlined in his essay “The Figure a Poem Makes.” In particular, discuss the way the sound of the poem is distinctive, the way theme contributes to the success of the poem, the ways the poem moves from delight to wisdom, and the ways it functions as “a momentary stay against confusion” (Collected 777).

18. Compare and contrast Frost’s essay “The Figure a Poem Makes” with several of his other extended essays on poetry. What concerns and arguments do the essays share? How is each distinctive? Is Frost consistent in his thinking, or does he ever seem to contradict himself? Which of the essays you chose did you find most useful in helping you to understand Frost’s poetry? Explain why that essay was helpful.

19. In relation to various modern poets you have read, what do you think are Frost’s distinctive strengths and most serious weaknesses? How would you rank Frost in relation to such other important modern poets as Eliot, Pound, Stevens, or Williams? Which of these poets do you think will be most esteemed 100 years from now? Explain and justify your answer.

 


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