Analyzing the Theme of Death in Robert Frost's Poems

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Robert Frost Robert Frost is one of the most unique American writers of the twentieth century, although, it is hard to consider him a modern poet. There is more than meets the eye in his three famous poems, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “The Wood-Pile” and “After Apple Picking”. Frost uses the theme of death to provoke deeper thoughts for the readers. He also uses New England’s nature to paint pictures in the readers’ minds so they can imagine that they are actually within the imagery of the poem. Lastly, Frost utilizes many symbols throughout all three poems that give different meanings depending on readers’ interpretations. These three aspects, as well as many others, are prevalent in many different literary movements and this is why Frost is considered as having his own way of writing. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “The Wood-Pile” and “After Apple Picking”, Robert Frost uses the theme of death, the motif of New England nature and several symbols to portray his own Frostian way of writing. The theme of death is present throughout many of Frost’s poems. Many critics interpret “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” as a meditation on death. They infer that the man feels an invitation from the woods to final submission and rest. The woods, being "lovely, dark and deep," represent the allure of death and even suicide ("Stopping"). In the poem, it is “the darkest evening of the year” (Line 8). This means that it is the winter solstice and the woods are very alluring for him to just lie down and let the winter and the cold take him. The poem "conveys the insistent whisper of death at the heart of life" (“Robert Frost” 6). The last two lines, “And miles to go before I sleep,” is repeated. This is explaining how even though death is constantly whispering to the speaker, he has much to do before he dies. One critic states that, "One

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