Regarding Robert Frost's two poems, "Birches" and
"Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening," perhaps you could compare and contrast the
speaker's involvement with nature as he observes it.
For
instance, in "Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening," the speaker's main desire is to
contemplate the beauty of nature, to take a respite from his obligations--"I have
promises to keep"--and simply revel in the peace and beauty of the woods. However, in
"Birches," the speaker does not approach the observation of the trees from an aesthetic
perspective; instead, he is more analytical. The pliable quality of the birches--"I
like to think some boy's been swinging them"--initiates an involved meditation on the
part of the speaker. Unlike the contemplation of nature in the other poem, the
speaker's contemplation is the appreciation of the beauty of the birches is not the
final thing that interests the speaker; rather it is the strange association of the
trees with his reasoning that is most central to "Birches." The tension between what
has actually happened and what the poet would like to have happened is central to this
poem. Thus, the lines
readability="9">
We may as well go patiently on with our
life
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and
sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us
sane
while ostensibly similar
to the refrain "I have promises to keep" have a much different
implication.
Be sure to check out the sites below which
will assist you in more interpretation. And, do not forget that in comparing and
contrasting poems, one always should examine how poetic devices are employed in each
poem.
No comments:
Post a Comment