Reluctance Many humans give up before even trying something. However there are also those who will fight endlessly showing great reluctance to accepting an end that he/she have no chance of winning. The poem “Reluctance” is told from the first person point of view and describes the change in seasons which the speaker is unwilling to accept. This behavior of reluctance reveals a human characteristic that the writer chooses to emphasize. In the poem “Reluctance” by Robert Frost it is emphasized that humans should be reluctant to accepting change with unfavorable endings even if it is difficult as not doing so may lead to an empty life. Frost’s use of an extended metaphor induces the emphasis of reluctance by comparing seasons to love. Frost …show more content…
The poem itself is called “Reluctance” thus the poem is probably related to the unwillingness to do something and it is in this case unwilling to adhere to the seasonal change. The title gives us a very basic opening to the topic but does not explore why it is important but the title compels readers to begin analyzing about reluctance right away displaying its significance. Furthermore, the contrast between the first stanza and the third displays the darkness enshrouding giving up. The first stanza use of imagery creates a relaxing and joyous scene in “I have climbed the hills of view and looked at the world, and descended” (3-4). The imagery shows he has reached the top of the world or is at a great point in his life and is very positive but then it ends as readers move further into the poem since he has “descended”. However in the third stanza it says “the dead leaves lie huddled and still no longer blown hither and thither” (13-14). This line is a scene of emptiness and gray. Life is gone and it gives an aura of boringness. The contrast against the first stanza shows how his life feels meaningless and unsatisfying which builds up to the importance of reluctance since one should not “bow and accept the end” (23) before even trying to change a situation for the
The overall theme of the poem is sacrifice, more specifically, for the people that you love. Throughout the poem color and personification are used to paint a picture in the reader's head. “Fog hanging like old Coats between the trees.” (46) This description is used to create a monochromatic, gloomy, and dismal environment where the poem takes
The narrator’s changing understanding of the inevitability of death across the two sections of the poem illustrates the dynamic and contrasting nature of the human
branching off of the trees that are darker in color. Frost uses juxtaposition to show the contrast of the darker trees amongst the white bark. The bark of birch trees can vary in color, white to darker ones such as black. Although the ones he specifically describes are the darker birches, which helps develop the connection to stressful times. The birches being that darker color shows the imagery of bad times and now in this line he puts forth a possible hypothesis claiming that a boy has been swinging on them.
Life does not stop for anybody, it continuously moves in a cycle of growing up and eventually dying; such as a puppy that loses its youth and becomes mature. In Mary Oliver’s lyric poem “Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness” and Robert Frost’s lyric poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, both authors demonstrate how life has its ups and its downs. The speaker of Oliver’s poem encourages us directly to “let us go on, cheerfully enough” (18), even though we don’t want things to change; it is bound to happen. On the other hand, Frost’s poem suggests indirectly that although things will process through cycles and we will have to go through lost; something will always be gained. Both authors convey their theme largely through symbolic imagery.
During a poetry unit, many high school students have read the words, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” These are the opening lines to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, a famous poem included in his collection Mountain Interval. The poem starts with the narrator walking in the woods and seeing two roads split from each other. He has to decide which road to take since this decision will forever shape him as a person. The speaker must recognize what can be gained and lost by each individual road and the choice to follow it.
Referring to the winter solstice, it is shown that natural events do still occur, though the things that remain are small and go largely unnoticed. In the third stanza, the seasons continue to change, shown by the grass “waking in the ground, / Soon it will rise and blow in waves-“ (11-12). This personification
Also in line 19, the word “autumn” appears, and it gives the image of the fall of life, and a time that is near death. Even more, “shroud” which is used to describe people’s heart, originally means a piece
Dana Gioia’s poem, “Planting a Sequoia” is grievous yet beautiful, sombre story of a man planting a sequoia tree in the commemoration of his perished son. Sequoia trees have always been a symbol of wellness and safety due to their natural ability to withstand decay, the sturdy tree shows its significance to the speaker throughout the poem as a way to encapsulate and continue the short life of his infant. Gioia utilizes the elements of imagery and diction to portray an elegiac tone for the tragic death, yet also a sense of hope for the future of the tree. The poet also uses the theme of life through the unification of man and nature to show the speaker 's emotional state and eventual hopes for the newly planted tree. Lastly, the tree itself becomes a symbol for the deceased son as planting the Sequoia is a way to cope with the loss, showing the juxtaposition between life and death.
Matthew Ferguson English 102 Professor June 7, 2015 The Road Not Taken Thesis Statement: We come to countless decisions in life, and there are issues we have to let chance take command. I. Introduction a. Thesis Statement i. Robert Frost ii. Lyric poem iii. Choosing the road II.
Throughout life, people are often faced with many decisions. Some of these decisions are easy to make, while others are excruciating, as they can be life altering. From a Christian’s perspective, however, people never have to make these decisions alone. God promises that he will never abandon his people, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (New International Version, Deuteronomy 31:6).
Did you know that two of Robert Frost 's kids died from influenza? Maybe that is why he wrote poems about life. There is one about being innocent at a young age. The others are about growing up and making decisions and death. Robert Frost has so much enthusiasm about life in his poems.
The final ending of the world is in question to many individuals. In the short poem, “Fire and Ice”, by Robert Frost, he outlines a familiar topic, the fate of the world’s destruction. In nine lines, Frost conveys the contradiction of the two choices for the world’s end. Frost uses symbolism to convey the meaning of fire and ice as symbols for human behavior and emotion. This poem revolves around two major symbols.
The scientific study of the mind of a persona provides readers with a new key to the understanding of character. There are those who say that critics using the psychoanalytic approach treat literature somewhat like information about purchasers in therapy. Actually, I tend to believe that psychological approach is the best method for analyzing "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I have tried to examine, what are the obvious and hidden motives that cause character 's behavior and speech? How purposeful is this information with regard to the character 's psychological condition?
He implies this sense of darkness as a way of “fun” as he describes acres of land and houses being reduced down to “..only dirt..wet or dry..” (line 24). The meaning is misunderstood as the “...blady carouses” contradict the importance of the land with the final line, “...you can hang or drown at last..” (line 28). The reader comes to the realization after the last line of the stanza is that the writer was trying to warn him of the things that may possibly burden him later.
The poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost states that in life we come upon many decisions, and there are points where we have to let fate take the lead. “The Road Not Taken” uses two paths as a symbol of a life decision. To understand this poem you have to have understanding of life’s meaning. The author helps us better understand the message by his use of tone and literary devices such as metaphors and symbolism. In this poem we come to realize that life is a combination of decisions and fate.