‘The Wood-Pile’ by Robert Frost describes a speaker’s journey through the woods to a strangely placed, and abandoned, woodpile.
The poem begins with the speaker stating that he is making his way through a frozen swamp. He isn’t sure the journey is a good idea, but he is committed to making it. He soon comes into contact with a...More
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.
Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime and is the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America's rare "public literary figures, almost an artistic institution." He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named poet...More
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.
Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime and is the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America's rare "public literary figures, almost an artistic institution." He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named poet laureate of Vermont.
In Contemporary Literary Criticism, the editors state that "Frost's best work explores fundamental questions of existence, depicting with chilling starkness the loneliness of the individual in an indifferent universe."
Book Summary
‘The Wood-Pile’ by Robert Frost describes a speaker’s journey through the woods to a strangely placed, and abandoned, woodpile.
The poem begins with the speaker stating that he is making his way through a frozen swamp. He isn’t sure the journey is a good idea, but he is committed to making it. He soon comes into contact with a frightened bird which seems at once interested in who he is, and terrified that he’s going to try something. The speaker has no desire to harm this creature and wishes he could convey that fact to the bird.
His attention is soon drawn by a pile of wood, abandon, leaning against a tree. It has clearly been there fr a long time. The speaker can’t understand the man who would spend all day cutting it and then choose to leave it in that spot, far from any home it could warm.