Robert Frost

RobertFrost(1874--1963)LifeandWritingCareerwasborninSanFrancisco,buthecameofNewEnglandstockHisancestorsforninegenerationslivedinMassachusetts.Whenhewas10yearsold,hisfatherdied.movedbacktoNewEnglandwherehismothertaughttoearnaliving.Frostenteredcollegetwice,onceinHarvardUniversity.Afterhegotmarried,hedidvariousjobsinordertosupportthefamily.Hetaughtandfarmedfor12years.TheFrostfarm,wherethefamilylivedfrom1900-1911NatureandruralsurroundingsbecameforFrostasourceforinsightsintodeeperdesignoflife.Heoncesaid:Literaturebeginswithgeography.Frost'smanuscriptofapoemfromABoy'sWill(1915)FrostinFranconia,N.H.,1915LifeandWritingCareerThenhemovedtoEngland,wherehepublishedhisfirstbookofpoems:ABoy’sWillattheageof39.Secondcollectionofpoems:NorthofBostonThecollectioncontainssomeofFrost'sbest-knownpoems:'MendingWall,''TheDeathoftheHiredMan,''HomeBurial,''AServanttoServants,''AfterApple-Picking,'and'TheWood-Pile.'Thepoems,writtenwithblankverseorlooserfreeverseofdialogue,weredrawnfromhisownlife,recurrentlosses,everydaytasks,andhisloneliness.1914In1912FrostsoldhisfarmandtookhiswifeandfouryoungchildrentoEngland.ItwasfollowedbyNORTHBOSTON(1914),whichgainedinternationalreputation.ThecollectioncontainssomeofFrost'sbest-knownpoems:'MendingWall,''TheDeathoftheHiredMan,''HomeBurial,''AServanttoServants,''AfterApple-Picking,'and'TheWood-Pile.'Withthegreatsuccess,hewentbacktoU.S.AandsettledonaNewHampshirefarm.ContinuedhispoetrywritingandbecameaprofessoratHarvard.Hismainworksinclude:MountainInterval(山间)，West-RunningBrook(西流的小溪)Intheclearing(林间空地)awardedPulitzerPrizeforfourtimes1920Hiswifediedin1938andhelostfourofhischildren.Twoofhisdaughterssufferedmentalbreakdowns,andhissonCarol,afrustratedpoetandfarmer,committedsuicide.Frostalsosufferedfromdepressionandthecontinualself-doubtledhimtoclingtothedesiretobeawardedtheNobelPrizeforliterature.Afterthedeathofhiswife,FrostbecamestronglyattractedtoKayMorrison,whomheemployedashissecretaryandadviser.Frostalsocomposedforheroneofhisfinestlovepoems,'AWitnessTree.'Atsixmonths’oldFrost’sfamilyRobertandElinorFrostatPlymouth,NewHampshire,1911KnownastheFrostHouse,thishousewasoriginallybuiltforMassachusettsAgriculturalCollegepresidentHenryGoodell.ThelocalpapersnotedthatthisStickStylehomewasthemoremodernofhousesin1875withhotandcoldrunningwaterandafurnace.Frost’scemeteryFrost’stombTheRoadNotTakenTheRoadNotTakenbyRobertFrostTworoadsdivergedinayellowwoodAndsorryIcouldnottravelbothAndbeonetraveler,longIstoodAndlookeddownoneasfarasIcouldTowhereitbentintheundergrowthThentooktheotherasjustasfairAndhavingperhapsthebetterclaimBecauseitwasgrassyandwantedwearThoughasforthat,thepassingthereHadwornthemreallyaboutthesameAndboththatmorningequallylayInleavesnostephadtroddenblackOh,Ikeptthefirstforanotherday!Yet,knowinghowwayleadsontowayIdoubtedifIshouldevercomebackIshallbetellingthiswithasighSomewhereagesandageshenceTworoadsdivergedinawoodAndItooktheonelesstraveledbyAndthathasmadeallthedifferenceAndboththatmorningequallylayInleavesnostephadtroddenblackOh,Ikeptthefirstforanotherday!Yet,knowinghowwayleadsontowayIdoubtedifIshouldevercomebackIshallbetellingthiswithasighSomewhereagesandageshenceTworoadsdivergedinawoodAndItooktheonelesstraveledbyAndthathasmadeallthedifference黄叶林中分出两条小路，可惜我一人不能同时涉足，我在路口伫立良久，向着其中一条翘首极目，直到它消失在丛林深处。但我选择了另一条路，芳草待踏，分外幽寂同样显得诱人、美丽，虽然这两条路是如此相似，都几乎没有旅人的足迹。那天清晨落叶满地，两条都是未经脚步践踏的小径，呵，留下一条路等下次再走但我知道路径延绵没有尽头，恐怕一走就再难回首。也许多年后在某地，我回首往事轻声叹息，两条道路分散在树林里——而我选择的那条更少人迹，从此决定了我人生的迥异。Themes:无限美景在险峰世上本没有路，走的人多了变成了路。路漫漫其修远兮，吾将上下而求索。“人，最宝贵的是生命。生命对每个人只有一次。这仅有的一次生命应当怎样度过呢？每当回忆往事的时候，能够不为虚度年华而悔恨，不因碌碌无为而羞耻；在临死的时候，他能够说：‘我的整个生命和全部精力，都已经献给了世界上最壮丽的事业为人类解放而进行的斗争.”Structure:eachhasarhymeschemeofabaabina1925lettertoCristineYatesofDickson,Tennessee,askingaboutthesigh,Frostreplied:ItwasmyratherprivatejestattheexpenseofthosewhomightthinkIwouldyetlivetobesorryforthewayIhadtakeninlife.FireandIcebyRobertFrost-1923FireandIceFire—desireIce—hateMendingWallMendingWall1.Whatkindsofwallscanyouseeinourdailylife?2.Whatarewalledoutandwhatarewalledin?3.Doyouagreethat“goodfencesmakegoodneighbors.”?Thestrengthof'MendingWall',oneofFrost'smostoftenquotedpoems,restsuponacontradiction.Itstwofamouslinesopposeeachother.Thepoemmaintainsthat:'Somethingthereisthatdoesn'tloveawall.'Butitalsoinsists:'Goodfencesmakegoodneighbours.'Thecontradictionislogical,fortheopposingstatementsareutteredbytwodifferenttypesofpeopleandbothareright.Mancannotlivewithoutwalls,boundaries,limitsandparticularlyself-limitations;yetheresentsallbondsandishappyatthedownfallofanybarrier.In'MendingWall'theboundarylineisuseless:'Therewhereitiswedonotneedthewall.'And,toemphasizethepoint,thespeakeraddsplayfully:'HeisallpineandIamappleorchard.MyappletreeswillnevergetacrossAndeattheconesunderhispines,Itellhim.'Somereadershavefoundfar-reachingimplicationsinthispoem.Theyhavefoundthatitstatesoneofthegreatestproblemsofourtime:whethernationalwallsshouldbemadestrongerforourprotection,orwhethertheyshouldbeletdown,sincetheycrampourprogresstowardunderstandingandeventualbrotherhood.Otherreadershaveread'MendingWall