Poetry Paper
Poets use imagery to convey meaning, feelings, and emotions. The contemporary poet best know for his use of imagery is Robert Frost. The Road Not Taken, opened the eyes of poetic readers and critics to Frost's artistic creations. He uses forms of language such as diction and syntax to capture and move the reader. When read literally Robert Frost's Birches is the speakers observations of the birch trees in a calm New England setting. The speaker sees the permanent bend of the trees from frequent ice storms and the climbing of a playful boy. The speaker appreciates the trees, as they are a part of his comforting surroundings. He would prefer the branches to be bent by a boy for the trees hold a place in his heart and he does not want their pain and destruction to be in vain. In line 41 the speaker's voice changes. It becomes reflective as he remembers his time as a boy swinging through those same birches. If the branches must be bent and swayed, his wish is for it to be done by a boy so that enjoyment may be gained. From lines 41- 59 the speaker reflects. He wants to be back in his time of childhood swinging through the same trees, bending the same branches, and listening after and ice storm as the branches "click
This passage once again plays out like a movie. A man leaves all his troubles behind and climbs the same birch tree only this time he is climbing to heaven, love and happiness. There is no dark forest around him. When I see birches bend to left and right Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away (Lines 10-12) As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. (Lines 7-9) There is a drastic change in the point of view of the poem in line 41. The speaker stops talking of the boy that he is watching and begins talking of his own boyhood. This change allows the reader to find another meaning to the poem. As he is reflecting the trees take a different shape. Line 48 says, "I'd like to get away from earth awhile." By earth he means life. He would like a break from his life and the obstacles he has encountered along the way. He blatantly says "And life is too much like a pathless wood" in line 44. This "pathless wood" is his uncertainty in his future. Regressing to boyhood where he could climb the birches and care not about what is bending beneath him. Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells A feeling of happiness is elicited in lines 49-56:
Some common words found in the essay are:
Poetry Poetry, Frost's Birches, Robert Frost, Frost Road, , robert frost, reader's mind, diction syntax, cracks crazes, birch tree, branches bent, breeze rises, dark forest, meaning poem, line 41,
Approximate Word count = 1150
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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