Overall Evaluation

Robert Frost is worthy of study because he wrote about important lessons in everyday life. This made his writing very easy for people in his time to relate to; in fact, his writing is still easy for people to relate to today. This is because the themes and principles in his poetry are timeless. There is always something that can be learned from his poetry, and there are always life lessons that can be taken away from it.

One thing I personally connected with in the perspective essay I read was that, as Amy Lowell put it, “His imagination is bounded by what he has seen, he is confined within the limits of his experience…” This information seems to be accurate for Frost; many of his poems were written while he was living on his farm in New England and surrounded by nature. Therefore, it makes sense that nature is a reoccurring theme and influence in his poetry, such as in “After Apple-picking” or “Design.”  I can relate to this type of bounded imagination. It is much easier for me to write about events that I have experienced or seen. While some may see it as confining, I think there is great value in writing from personal experience. By doing this, it is more likely that the reader can relate to and understand the writing. For example, I cannot help but wonder if “Home Burial” reflects the tension that grew between Frost and his wife after their oldest child, Elliot, died. By writing about his own experiences, Frost could accurately convey strong emotions through his writing. This is a skill all writers should desire to have, and Frost has left a legacy of writing that can inspire others. He is worth studying because of the important themes he includes in his poetry and the great example he sets for writers today. There was nothing that particularly challenged my faith or worldview.