Robert Frost’s Poetic Analysis: Themes of Nature, Reality, and Tragedy
Robert Frost’s Poetic Themes and Techniques
The Tragedy of Raymond Fitzgerald and Core Themes
Frost based his poem on an accident that had taken place six years before, which had taken the life of a sixteen-year-old boy, Raymond Fitzgerald, in nearby Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Frost focuses on this small event to suggest the larger themes of his poetry:
- The isolation of the individual
- The mystery of human existence
- The ambiguity of nature
- The need to create order and meaning out of chaos
Personification of the Buzz Saw
Frost uses the method of personification to great effect in this poem. The buzz saw, though technically an inanimate object, is described as a cognizant being, aggressively snarling and rattling as it does its work. When the sister makes the dinner announcement, the saw demonstrates that it has a mind of its own by “leaping” out of the boy’s hand in its excitement. Frost refuses to lay blame for the injury solely on the boy, whom he views as still a “child at heart.”
Blame, Intervention, and Lost Childhood
In addition to blaming the saw, Frost blames the adults at the scene for not intervening and telling the boy to “call it a day” before the accident occurred. Had the boy received an early excuse from the workday, he would have avoided cutting off his hand and would have been saved from death. Moreover, a mere half-hour break from his job would have allowed the boy to regain part of his childhood, if only for a moment.
War Context and the Destruction of Innocence
Frost’s emphasis on the boy’s passivity and innocence in this situation is particularly significant in the context of the time period. After moving to England with his family, Frost was forced to return to America because of the onset of World War I in 1915, an event that would destroy the lives of many innocent young boys. With that in mind, this poem can be read as a critique of the world events that forced boys to leave their childhoods behind and ultimately be destroyed by circumstances beyond their control.
Detachment and the Narrator’s Conclusion
By the end of the poem, the narrator no longer has anything to say about the tragedy of the boy’s death. While the first twenty-six lines contain elegant metaphors and descriptions of the scene, the final eight lines are detached and unemotional. The narrator’s use of “So” and “No more to build on there” reveal that even the narrator is unable to find any explanation for why such a young boy had to die.
In the last line of the poem, the narrator enters a state of complete detachment, almost as if indifference is the only way to cope with the boy’s death. Just as soldiers on the battlefield must ignore the bodies around them and continue to fight, the people of this New England town have nothing to do but move on with their lives.
Nature as a Central Character in Frost’s Poetry
Frost places a great deal of importance on Nature in all of his collections. Because of the time he spent in New England, the majority of pastoral scenes that he describes are inspired by specific locations in New England. However, Frost does not limit himself to stereotypical pastoral themes such as sheep and shepherds. Instead, he focuses on the dramatic struggles that occur within the natural world, such as:
- The conflict of the changing of seasons (as in After Apple-Picking)
- The destructive side of nature (as in Once by the Pacific)
Frost also presents the natural world as one that inspires deep metaphysical thought in the individuals who are exposed to it (as in Birches and The Sound of Trees). For Frost, Nature is not simply a background for poetry, but rather a central character in his works.
Finding Truth in Everyday Life and Reality
Frost is very interested in the activities of everyday life, because it is this side of humanity that is the most “real” to him. Even the most basic act in a normal day can have numerous hidden meanings that need only to be explored by a poetic mind. For example, in the poem Mowing, the simple act of mowing hay with a scythe is transformed into a discussion of the value of hard work and the traditions of the New England countryside.
As Frost argues in the poem, by focusing on “reality”—the real actions of real people—a poet can sift through the unnecessary elements of fantasy and discover “Truth.” Moreover, Frost believes that the emphasis on everyday life allows him to communicate with his readers more clearly; they can empathize with the struggles and emotions that are expressed in his poems and come to a greater understanding of “Truth” themselves.