Robert Frost: Life and Works

Chetana Jadhav Warkad

Woods are lovely dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

These famous lines from ‘stopping by the woods on a snowy evening’ have been written by an American poet Robert Lee Frost. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed poets of the 20th century, he was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California, United States (US). Many of his poems were set against the backdrop of American, especially New England, rural life. New England is a region comprising six states in the northeastern US. He is called ‘A New England Poet.’

Frost is highly regarded for his deep understanding of human nature leading to brilliant dramatic monologues or dramatic scenes in poetry.

In 1912, he moved to England and settled there. While in England, Frost established a friendship with the poet Ezra Pound who helped to promote and publish his work. He had published two full-length collections, ‘A Boy’s will’ in 1913 and ‘North of Boston’ in 1914 and his reputation was established. In 1915, Frost returned to the US. By the 1920s, he was the most celebrated poet in America.

In ‘Mending Wall’ he insists: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The poem ‘Fire and Ice’ begins with - “Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.” Here, he compares fire with human passion that can be destructive and ice with hatred or indifference of man also equally destructive.

‘The Road Not Taken” is a poem on the benefit of free thinking and not following the crowd. - “Two roads diverged in a wood and I I took the one less traveled by,” he says.

Robert Frost won the Pulitzer Prize four times. He also got the US congressional gold medal. He became poet laureate of Vermont USA. He lived and taught for many years in Massachusetts and Vermont and died in Boston in January 29, 1963.

(The writer is teacher, New High School, Karmad).