Philosophy in Robert Frost’s Poems

PhilosophyinRobertFrost’sPoemsByzeroNov5th,2008AQuestionWhatisphilosophy?Philosophyreflectionofdifferentcivilizationgivespeopledifferentinstructionsthestudyofwisdomandtruthagreatercalmandserenityofmind，agreaterclearnessandevidenceofknowledgelessdisturbedwithdoubtsanddifficultiesthanothermen.PurposesofPhilosophyAwakenyourawareness;Makeyouwonder;Makeyoulookforyourself;Seeandappreciatetheunknownswithinandbeyondtheknown.Philosophyisadialogue—withourselves，withtheworld，witheverything.GeneralIntroductiontoPhilosophicalPoetryofRobertFrost“Apoembeginsindelightandendsinwisdom.”---RobertFrostBeginwithasceneoreventandendwithphilosophy;Containwisesayingsandreflectionsonmoral,practical,andmetaphysicalprinciples;Advocatemoderationthroughtheestablishmentofenlightenedrulesaboutlife;Achievewisdomthroughindependent,personalindividualreflection;Signalamoveawayfromtheexternaltointernalworld;Themodeisalwayspoignantandpessimistic.PhilosophicalPoetryCharacteristicsFrost’sapproachesinhisphilosophicalpoemsRhymeandMeterSimplicityinVocabularyMetaphorImageryandSymbolIronySimileRepetitionRhymeandMeterRhyme，meter，andthepoeticthemesinterplayintheorganizationofapoem.Thethemedeterminestheuseofrhyme，andalsorhymeandmetercontributetothethemeofthepoem.Asreadersenjoythemusicaleffectthroughthemetricalrhythmitismucheasierforthemtograspthedeepmeaningofthepoem.Sometimesrhymeandmetersarealsothereflectionofthepoet’ssentiment.SimplicityinVocabularyMostofhispoemsareshortanddirectontheinformallevelwithsimplediction.Heusedcolloquiallanguageandfamiliar,conventionalrhythms.Theprofoundideasareoftendeliveredunderthedisguiseofplainlanguageandsimpleform.FrostusesPlainlanguageofruralNewEnglanders，andgracefulstyle，whichisusuallytheshort，traditionalofformsoflyricandnarrativetoexpressprofoundmeaningsandphilosophyoflife.MetaphorMetaphorasapoeticdeviceishelpfultoexpressthethemeofapoemandmakethephilosophyinitsdeepermeaningpenetrating.Thephilosophy，maybeoriginallyabstractanddifficulttounderstand，butittakesonafamiliarandlucidformwithmetaphor.Poetryissimplymadeofmetaphor.ForRobertFrost,thenaturalworldisasourceofmetaphor.Heoftenusedmetaphortoexpresshisphilosophyoflife.ImageryandSymbolImageisthesoulofpoetryaslanguageisthebodyofpoetry.HeisskillfulinusinglargenumbersofimageryandsymbolsinhisPoetry.Theimagesacquireasymbolicresonanceandsuggestbroadermeanings.RobertFrostisapoetofNewEngland.HispoetryisfullofthelandscapeofNewEngland，whichservesasimagery:forest，snow，runningwater，pools，woods，roadways，houses，walls，stars，birds，flowers，insects…eachofthesecreatingfullyconvincingscenes.Imagerycanbeusedasacentralsymbolthatcarriesthetheme.IronyFrost’suseofironyconveysonemeaningbywordandsyntax，andanotherbythetoneofvoiceitindicates.Frost’sironyisusuallytrickybecauseitissosubtle.Frost，asanexpertinusingirony，preferstalkinginparables，inhintsandinindirections.TypesofPhilosophicalThemesPhilosophyConcerningMenandNaturePhilosophyConcerningMenandMankindPhilosophyConcerningMenandSocietyPhilosophyConcerningMenandNatureRobertFrostisapoetofnature，asheseesnatureasastorehouseofanalogyandsymbol.Eachpoemstrikesachordsomewhere，eachpoembringsusclosertolife，andmakesusappreciatelife’ssimplepleasures，andseethewondersofnatureinbirds，flowers，fruitsandstreams.Frost’sconcernwithnaturereflectsdeepmoraluncertainties，andhispoetry，forallitsapparentsimplicity，oftenprobesmysteriesofdarknessandirrationalityinthebleakandchaoticlandscapesofanindifferentuniversewheremanstandalone,unaidedandperplexed.ExamplesNothingGoldCanStayFireandIceAfterApple-PickingBirchesPhilosophyConcerningMenandMankindManasanindividualE.g.TheSilkenTentManasasocialmemberE.g.TheDeathofaHiredManMendingWallPhilosophyConcerningMenandSocietyAccordingtoPlato“…Withinasociety，eachindividualhashisorherownnaturallyestablishedrolefunction，servingtomaintainthestabilityandunityofthecommunityasawhole.Atthepersonallevel，analogously，eachdesire，solongasitisgovernedbyreason，hasaroleintheindividual’soveralllife.”(Peterfreund8).ExamplesTheRoadNotTakenStoppingbyWoodsonaSnowyEveningDesignConclusionRobertFrost’spoemsaresimpleatfirstsight:soreadinghispoetry—orsomeofhispoetry—canbeahighlyennoblingandrelaxingexperience.Butthepoettendsto(orunconsciousshowsus)witandwisdom，peaceandharmony，serenityandjoy，whichdemandusfordeepreading，andnottostayonlyatthesurfacethatthepoemshows.李莹