Poetry Project by

Literary Terms- Poem One

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:08:45 UTC

1. Personification, when a nonhuman object is given human characteristics, is used in this poem. Frost states, "But I had the cottages in a row/
Up to their shining eyes in snow." (Frost, Lines three and four). The cottages are given the human quality of eyes. This figurative language allows the author to portray a quality in a more interesting way.
2. The point of view in the poem is first-person, when the narrator is a character in the work. Frost writes, "And I thought I had the folk within," (Frost, Line five). With this point of view, the reader can see the author's thoughts and motives.
3. Imagery, descriptive language used in literature to recreate sensory experiences, is found all throughout this poem as well. The author writes, "I had a glimpse through curtain laces/ Of youthful forms and youthful faces." (Frost, Lines seven and eight). The reader understands and imagines the vision that author portrays. This adds to the author's tone as well.
4. Anaphora, deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive verses, is found in the middle of the poem. Frost states, "I had the sound of a violin; I had a glimpse through curtain laces," (Frost, Lines six and seven). The repetition of "I had" represents the things that Frost wants to have forever. This repetition places emphasis on this.
5. Symbols are used in the poem. Symbols are things that stand for something beyond itself. The largest symbol is the winter. Frost states, "I had for my winter evening walk," (Frost, line one). The winter represents the author's sadness and despair, because there is no growth during this season. Symbols add many different layers to the poem.
6. Diction, also known as word choice, is pivotal to how the reader interprets the poem. For example, the author writes, "I had such company outward bound." (Frost, line nine). By choosing these words instead of simpler words, this shows the complexity of the author's thoughts. He can express himself so greatly with just a few words. (S.S.)

Poem One

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:09:27 UTC

"Good Hours"

By Robert Frost (published in 1915)

I had for my winter evening walk—
No one at all with whom to talk,
But I had the cottages in a row
Up to their shining eyes in snow.

And I thought I had the folk within:
I had the sound of a violin;
I had a glimpse through curtain laces
Of youthful forms and youthful faces.

I had such company outward bound.
I went till there were no cottages found.
I turned and repented, but coming back
I saw no window but that was black.

Over the snow my creaking feet
Disturbed the slumbering village street
Like profanation, by your leave,
At ten o’clock of a winter eve.

Robert Frost (1874-1963) By Sarah Saxe and Summer Woods

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:09:34 UTC

Biography

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26,1874. When he was eleven years old, his family and him moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. In middle school and high school, he became interested in reading poetry and writing it. After high school in 1892 he enrolled at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. After, he went to Harvard University in Boston. Unfortunately, all the years of college never ended with a formal college degree. Frost experienced many jobs, until he published his first poem, "My Butterfly" in a newspaper in 1894. He married his fellow co-valedictorian in 1912. They lived on a farm for a bit. They moved to England in 1912. There, he became acquainted with Ezra Pound, who helped Frost promote his poetry. Frost returned to America in 1915. By that time he had published two full-length collections. These were "A Boy's Will" and "North of Boston". He has released many poetry books by the 1920s. He was a consultant in poetry from 1958 to 1959 for the Library of Congress. Frost's literature is usually about life and landscape of New England. He used to be traditional poet, but has switched to a modern one. Frost's poetry has become more and more popular throughout his life and he become a celebrity in people's eyes. The beloved poet died on January 29, 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Paragraph- Poem Two

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:12:13 UTC

The poem is about the expression of gratitude to God's blessing. It talks about asking God for happiness in everything. Happiness in that exact moment, happiness with everything around us, and happiness in other people. In the end, it says that the reason for God's creation is love. The poem is split into four stanzas with four lines in each stanza. There is a pair of couplets in every stanza. The theme is about the expression of God's love. We have to have faith and trust in God no matter what happens, and we ask for his guidance. "so he is also always aware of the distinction, the ultimate separateness, of nature and man." (Poetryfoundation.org) Frost mentions the separateness of nature and humans in his poem. He uses that as an inspiration. "He took his family to England, where he could "write and be poor without further scandal in the family"." (Poetryfoundation.org) Frost was in a low at this time in his life. He wanted to become happy and be thankful for his situation. This poem reflects his thoughts he had in real life and he transferred it to his poetry.

(S.W.)

Poem Two

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:12:56 UTC

"Prayer in Spring"
By: Robert Frost (published in 1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

Literary Terms- Poem Two

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:13:06 UTC

1. Couplet, a pair of rhyming lines written in the same meter, is used in the poem. For example, "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;/And give us not to think so far away," (Frost, line 1-2) The words day and away rhyme. He continues this pattern throughout the whole poem. It makes it easy to read it.
2. Simile- a figure of speech that compares two things that are basically unlike but have something in common. "Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,/ Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;" (Frost, lines five and six) The author is comparing the orchid flower to a ghost since both are white and they stand out.
3. Imagery- descriptive language used in literature to recreate sensory experiences. "And make us happy in the happy bees,/ The swarm dilating round the perfect trees."(Frost, lines seven and eight) The author is describing the activity of the bees and what the trees look like. It helps paint a picture in our minds.
4. Aphorism- general truth or observation about life. "For this is love and nothing else is love,/ The which it is reserved for God above" (Frost, lines 17-18) Frost is making a general truth that only a particular love is reserved for God.
5. Point of view- perspective from which the story is told. "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;/ And give us not to think so far away"(Frost, lines 1-2) The author made the perspective be personal between him and the reader. He is referring to himself and the reader throughout the poem.
6.Speaker- the voice that "talks" to the reader. "And make us halt in the darting bird" (Frost, line one) Frost is directly talking to the reader through the poem.
(S.W.)

Paragraph- Poem One

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:13:19 UTC

The meaning of the poem is that the author is lonely and he finds comfort by walking the streets and seeing the young families in the cottages. He wants to be in their shoes. The author feels that he is a burden if he disturbs the peaceful, sleeping families once they have turned off their lights. The poem is split into four stanzas, and each stanza has a pair of couplets. The theme is beauty in others and isolation of an individual. Historically, Frost may have gained inspiration to write the poem from the death of his son. An article states, "Elinor and Robert Frost had six children: son Elliot (1896-1904, died of cholera)," (New World Encyclopedia staff). Cholera tore apart families all across the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, including Frost himself. An article from Harvard states, "Because 19th-century transformations in industrial, urban, political, and cultural life were intimately connected with discussions of proper public health practices and causes of disease, attempts to explain epidemic cholera involved every part of society." (Harvard). This poem has a unique theme and shares an interesting story to all readers.

(S.S.)

MLA Citations

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-02 21:13:47 UTC

"Cholera Epidemics in the 19th Century." Open Collections Program: Contagion, Cholera Epidemics in the 19th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. .

Frost, Robert. "Good Hours." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 17 Feb. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. .

New World Encyclopedia Staff. "Robert Frost." Robert Frost - New World Encyclopedia. New World Enclopedia, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. .

"Robert Frost." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 02 Feb. 2017. Web. 04 Apr. 2017. <
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/robert-frost>

"Robert Frost." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.
<https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/robert-frost>

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-03 00:10:49 UTC

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-06 04:47:35 UTC

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-06 04:48:23 UTC

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-06 04:57:01 UTC

sarah_359565 — 2017-04-06 04:58:31 UTC