Arguing for Authenticity: A Comparison and Contrast of Two American Modern Poets, Robert Frost and Langston Hughes

In the poem by Robert Frost, you read of a man taking a moment to enjoy the blissful serenity of a quiet snowy evening in the woods. It reflects the enchanted tranquility of the moment. There is no disturbance, no commotion nor a bit of turbulence in the man’s surroundings. Instead, there is a peaceful beauty that he wishes to take a moment and enjoy. This poem takes you into the exact peacefulness of the moment he is experiencing.

“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost is about the loneliness and darkness in his own life. Frost uses the woods in the story as a way to portray his current situation in life. In the poem Frost writes, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep…” (Lines 13-15). Frost describes the woods as dark and desolate which is a metaphor for how he feels in life. He explains how they are far from town and there isn’t anyone near him. This could mean he keeps himself guarded from others to avoid getting hurt or hurting others. In “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” Frost writes, “Between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year” ( Lines 7-8). Frost compares a dark evening with the darkness and sadness in his life, saying that right now he is as depressed as he has every been.

     Langston Hughes and Bob Dylan are two poets from different eras in modern American poetry. Although Bob Dylan is more characterized as a songwriter, I see much of his work as poetry. In this essay, I will discuss Hughes’ poem “Harlem [1]” and Dylan’s “Times They Are A-Changin”’ as commentaries on are culture, but from different backgrounds.

In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost describes a thick patch of woods that are a long way from anything. He does not go into great detail describing them, leaving that to the reader’s imagination. He merely describes them as “lovely, dark and deep.” This lack of detail is to help us focus not so much on all the things that are there, as the things that aren’t. He mentions that the horse must be thinking that this is strange to stop here, with no barn near. The only thing that is nearby is nature. The lake is frozen and the trees and ground are covered with snow. During a snowstorm, sound does not travel very well. It is very muddled and muted. The only sounds that are mentioned in the poem are the bells on the horse’s harness and the wind. So, the rider is stopping to smell the roses. He is taking a break from the world around

Both Robert Frost and Robert Service are literary perfectionists. With all the different work each poet has done, both of the artists can be compared to one another. However, due to their different styles and themes and how both artists decide to communicate them, they are both very much different in the world of poetry. Therefore, this essay highlights the similarities

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a very well know poem by Robert Frost. The poem appears to be very simple, but it has a hidden meaning to it. The simple words and rhyme scheme of the poem gives it an easy flow, which adds to the calmness of the poem. The rhyme scheme (aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd) and the rhythm (iambic tetrameter) give the poem a solid structure. The poem is about the speaker’s experience of stopping by the dark woods in the winter evening with his horse and admiring the beauty of the fresh fallen snow in the forest. Then, the speaker projects himself into the mind of his horse, speculating about his horse’s practical concerns and the horse

Like the Reggae artist Bob Marley sang, “Don’t worry about a thing because every little thing is gonna be alright.” In Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Frost tells the story of a man and his horse who stop in the woods on snowy night to simply admire the beauty of nature as well as presenting the harshness of life. The poem is highly influenced by Frost’s life, and he uses conventional symbols, personification, and tone to show that even when there are obligations and hardships in life, moving on with those problems will help enjoying life.

Poets in American history have struggled over time to create or find a distinct American voice among the many different cultural influences and borrowed styles. Each era of poets contributed to the search in a slightly different way, but it was the modernists that really sought to make poetry new. A group to these modernists, called the expatriates, thought that the only way to obtain a new voice would be to escape any ties with old traditions, and to leave the country that held them captive in an inspirationaless environment. Turned off by America, they left for Europe only to rediscover America, and in turn, contribute enormously to the growth and development of the American voice.

Having considered the case of love the narrator is feeling, it is evident of what is being adored in this poem. The title alone alerts the reader of the place, setting and the basic theme of the story. The woods seem to exhibit a calmness and tranquility that encourages the protagonist to stop his journey and rest and in reality, the wilderness represents madness and darkness in the world. Frost opens the first stanza with the self conscious narrator thinking to himself, “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though”(1-2). The man’s insecurity naturally causes him to be uneasy but the solitude in the woods creates the affection that awes him. Since this story is told from the narrator’s point of view, the reader can now infer that the protagonist is not thinking clearly due to

The poem, “Stopping by Woods…” speaks of a time that the author paused during a trip to simply enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature. During this short stop, he contemplates mortality and his life so far. Frost also cleverly uses the poems form and sounds to enhance the poem, to entice the readers senses, and immerse them in the scene.

Robert Frost's, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" tells a story of a man and his horse who are walking in the woods that are possibly owned by someone the man knows. Snow falls softly from the sky and the woods are silent. He mentions that the horse does not want to stop with him without a reason. The only sound audible is the horse's bell that jingles around his neck. Snow makes a sweeping sound in the wind around them. The man wants to stay and enjoy the peacefulness, but realizes that he must get back to his responsibilities. The theme of this poem is the simplicity of nature and how alluring it can be. To be able to enjoy such a scenery and not have obligations is the man's dream, but reality quickly reminds him of his responsibilities. Frost uses symbols, allegorical meanings, and metaphors to help reveal the theme of his poem; that duties and responsibilities limit people from being able to do the things they love sometimes.

Frost, in his opening line of his poem uses an Imagery sentence, “Whose woods these are I think I know.” (1-2) To point out where he is and as per his knowledge who owns this land. He also mentions that the owner lives in village where civilization lies. Speaker then stated how he wanted to stay with the nature and admire the snow falling and

Frost understood this and used the power of nature to give his poetry the same power and understanding. When reading Frost one can visualize the trees bending, the sea crashing on the beach, the night overcoming the day and one can also understand the feelings of humans trying to cope with these powers. We humans, for one thing, do not like to fell we are helpless. So the next time you read a poem by Robert Frost try to understand the power in his verse and this may help you understand the power of the

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost is a contemporary piece dealing with the typical human desire for escape. Whether this desire is manifested in avoidance of work, school or simply a relief from the mundane repetitiveness of everyday life this want is present in all humans. Throughout this poem Frost depicts and suggests that the "woods" are his means of escape from the "village", from society, and Frost conveys this by his respectful and almost wondrous diction when describing and referring to, the forest and the nature surrounding it. This poem also clearly

Frost, through the narrator, begins his narrative by mentioning that the snow covers the land and everything contained in that space quickly and without reservation or discrimination. He states, “Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast” (Frost, 1936, line 1). As he continues his narration about the landscape he is viewing and about to embark upon, the reader becomes “easily preoccupied with the sense of emptiness and loneliness” (Wand, 2013). The speaker mentions the field being “almost covered smooth in snow” (Frost 1936, line 3) and the reader is made to imagine the blank, baron and lonely state. Frost’s description of the dark and quiet landscape is comparable to death and the nature of this inevitable end of life event. This may be Frost’s idea of how death approaches and the effects and feelings contained within its victims. The mention of all animals being “smothered in their lairs” (Front, 1936, line 6) shows that death is indiscriminate and covers everyone and anything in its path.