robert_frost

RobertLeeFrostUnofficialPoetLaureateoftheNationTheModernPeriodinAmericanLiterature•Strictlyspeaking,themodernperiodofAmericanliteraturestartswiththeWWI,stretchesthroughtheGreatDepressionandendswithWWII.ThehistoricalbackgroundoftheAmericanliteraturebetweenthetwoWorldWars•The20thcenturybeganwithastrongsenseofsocialbreakdown.ThetwoWorldWars,especiallytheFirstWorldWar(1914--1918),becametheemblemofallwarsinthe20thcentury,whichmeansviolence,devastation,bloodanddeath,andmadeabigimpactonthelifeoftheAmericanpeopleandtheirliterarywritings.•Withallthesewarsthewholeworldhadundergoneadramaticsocialchange,atransformationfromordertodisorder.Americainthisperiodwascharacterizedbyeconomicboomandmaterialprosperitybutsocialchaos,spiritualwasteandmoraldecay.•TheimpactofMarxism,FreudianismandEuropeanmodernartonAmericanmodernliterature:Betweenthemid-l9thcenturyandthefirstdecadeofthe20thcentury,therehadbeenabigflushofnewtheoriesandnewideasinbothsocialandnaturalsciences,aswellasinthefieldofartinEurope,whichplayedanindispensableroleinbringingaboutmodernismandthemodernisticwritingsintheUnitedStates.RobertFrostwasagreatpoetwhowasbornonMarch26,1874inSanFrancisco,California.WhenFrostwastwoyearsold,hismotherfledtoLawrence,Massachusetts,togetawayfromherhusband,whowasadrunkard.Shestayedthereuntilhersecondbabywasborn,Jeannie,Robert'ssister.ThentheywentbacktoSanFranciscoonatrain.Afewyearslater,Robert'sfatherdied,sotheytookthebodytoLawrencetobeburiedinthefamilycemetery.Bythetimehewas11,RobertFrosthadcrossedtheU.S.threetimes.LifeAfterthisroughbeginning,Robertwentontobecomeagreatpoet.HemarriedElinorWhiteandhad2kids.Robertneverintruthhadanyjobs,exceptbeingapoet,buthepublishedmanypoemsinhislifetime.RobertFrost(l874-l963)RobertwonfourPultizerawardsandreadTheGiftOutrightattheinaugurationofJohn.F.Kennedyin1961.HediedonJanuary29,1963ofaheartattack.Hewas88yearsold.RobertFrost(l874-l963)HisWritingRobertFrostwasthemostpopularAmericanpoetfrom1914tohisdeath.Hisverse:atfirstterrifying→laterfilledwithmoresunshineFrost’sachievementwasfantastic.Frost’spoemsareNewEnglandinthesetting,andarecharacterizedbythefamiliarspeakingvoice.Thesubjectscomefromdailylifeofordinarypeople.Frostwroteruralpoetryinthepastoraltraditionasawaytounderstandmodernlife.FeaturesProfoundmeaningsarehiddenunderneaththeplainlanguageandsimpleform.(1)Hispoemsmostlywroteaboutnature(influencefromWordsworthandEmerson)andNewEnglandlandscape.(2)Deceptivelysimplestyle(reasonforpopular)(3)Symbolism(showhispoems’deepmeaning)(4)Hewaslikelytochoosetraditionalformsforhispoem,butthethemesofhispoemsaremostlymodern.(Inhispoems,traditionalelementsandmodernelementsmingletogether.)•Inonesenseatleast,RobertFroststoodconsciouslyasidefromtheModernistendeavorofhistime:hedidnotseemparticularlyenthusiasticaboutexperimentationinform.Instead,helearnedfromthetradition,especiallythefamiliarconventionsofnaturepoetryandofclassicalpastoralpoetry,andmadethecolloquialNewEnglandspeechintoapoeticexpression.•Apoemsoconceivedthusbecomesasymbolormetaphor,acareful,lovingexplorationofreality,inFrost'sversion,amomentarystayagainstconfusion.ThematicconcernsGenerallyFrostisconsideredaregionalpoetwhosesubjectmattersmainlyfocusonthelandscapeandpeopleinNewEngland.Thesethematicconcernsincludetheterrorandtragedyinnature,aswellasitsbeauty,andthelonelinessandpovertyoftheisolatedhumanbeing.Frostwrotemanypoemsthatinvestigatethebasicthemesofman'slife:theindividual'srelationshipstohimself,tohisfellow-man,toworld,andtohisGod.NatureinhispoetryHispoetry,byusingnatureasastorehouseofanalogyandsymbol,oftenprobesmysteriesofdarknessandirrationalityinthebleakandchaoticlandscapesofanindifferentuniversewhenmenstandalone,unaidedandperplexed.TheRoadNotTakenIntroduction•ThisisamuchquotedpoemofFrost.ItwasincludedinMountainInterval,thefirstcollectionofpoemspublishedafterFrostreturnedtoAmerica.ActuallyitwaswritteninFebruary,1915,justbeforehewasabouttogoback.HehasalreadywonahighreputationinLondonwhereashisfriend,EdwardThomas,wasinvolvedinthefirstWorldWar.FrostwasverysorrowfulandthusrecalledhisexperiencefouryearsageinaNewHampshireforest.Tworoadsdivergedinayellowwood,AndsorryIcouldnottravelbothAndbeonetraveler,longIstoodAndlookeddownoneasfarasIcouldTowhereitbentintheundergrowth;森林叶黄，林中岔路各奔一方我一人独行，无限惆怅不能把两条路同时造访良久伫立，我朝第一条路眺望路转处惟见林森草长Thentooktheother,asjustasfairAndhavingperhapsthebetterclaim,Becauseitwasgrassyandwantedwear;Thoughasforthat,thepassingthereHadwornthemreallyaboutthesame,我再把另一条探望一样美丽，一样坦荡但或许更令人向往虽然两条路都曾有人过往但这条芳草萋萋，更少人踏荒AndboththatmorningequallylayInleavesnostephadtroddenblackOh,Ikeptthefirstforanotherday!Yetknowinghowwayleadsontoway,IdoubtedifIshouldevercomeback.那天早晨落叶铺满道上落叶尚无脚踩的痕伤啊，且将第一条留待他日寻访明知道路尽穷处又是路重访此地怕是痴想IshallbetellingthiswithasighSomewhereagesandageshence:tworoadsdivergedinawood,andI--Itooktheonelesstraveledby,Andthathasmadeallthedifference.那以后岁月流逝，日久天长有一天长叹一声，我要诉讲：林中两条岔路彷徨我选择了行人更少的一条路人生从此全然两样。Summary•Lines1---5:Oneday,thespeakerasatravelermetwithachoiceofroadsattheentranceofaforest.Althoughhewantedsomuchtotrybothroads,hehadtochooseoneonly