As an English major, I love reading pretty much everything. For reasons that are hard to explain, I have always had a soft spot for Robert Frost poems. Others often celebrate his work too, but tend to forget about most of his works. Though I love “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” I think that Frost should be explored more beyond just these two poems. Here is a list of some of my favorite Frost poems and why they’re worth a read.
1. Acquainted with the Night
The speaker in this poem is walking outside (at night, of course) taking note of what he sees. This poem reminds me of the eeriness and loneliness of nighttime, whether it’s the actual nighttime or for those instances when we feel depressed or on the outs with the world.
2. Mending Wall
This poem tells a story of two neighbors that are – you guessed it – mending a wall that divides their property. The neighbor repeatedly says, “good fences make good neighbors,” but the speaker wonders if that is actually true. I always enjoy a poem that makes me wonder why things are the way they are.
3. Out, Out –
People often think that poetry is light, beautiful, and uplifting, but this poem proves that this is completely not true. After a boy accidentally cuts off his hand with a saw, he dies; perhaps even more unsettling is the fact that his family simply moves on without remorse or grief. It’s a rather macabre reminder that the world must go on.
4. Fire and Ice
This is perhaps one of Frost’s better-known poems, often read in classrooms and used in pop culture. A quick reading makes it look like this poem is about the apocalypse, but the more you read it, the more it seems like it’s actually about the passionate and rational sides of man.
5. After Apple Picking
This poem takes place in the time between being awake and falling asleep, which in itself is incredibly interesting. The speaker analyzes his day picking apples, considering new meanings in seemingly ordinary events. It’s cool to think that an ordinary day can still be impactful.
6. For Once, Then, Something
We can all relate to the experience of having a thought on the tip of our tongue and completely losing it. This is the phenomenon described in this poem. The speaker is looking at him/herself in a well and has a thought, but loses it quickly. Since the speaker was looking at his/her own reflection, I think this may be speaking to self-evaluation.
7. Nothing Gold Can Stay
This poem describes the fleeting beauty of nature, like how the sun rises and sets and flowers bloom then die. It’s a reminder of the cyclicity and fleetingness of life – things change. It’s a reminder that many take to heart, like Ponyboy from The Outsiders.
8. Birches
We have all daydreamed at one time or another, so we can relate to the speaker here when he/she imagines children playing amongst some birch trees. Here, Frost explores the blurry line of imagination and reality. It is thought-provoking to consider why we like to play pretend in our heads.
9. Dust of Snow
Though this is a rather short and simple work, I think that there’s still a lot of meaning here. So much joy can be in a day – the nice weather, a cup of coffee, a cozy sweater – but we tend to overlook it. The lesson here is that the small things matter and make life special.
10. Desert Places
The speaker walks past a snow-covered field and reflects on his/her own loneliness. Winter does seem like a dark and lonely time, especially in nature. I think this poem is also talking about the littleness of human life in the context of the universe.
11. Design
The speaker watches a spider eat a bug that is trapped in its web and reflects on mortality. What begins as a simple poem turns into a theology lesson about fate and its implications. I love that these are questions that humanity has always asked, but Frost puts it in a context.
