Birches

By Robert Frost

What the heck does it mean?

Man walking through the woods and sees trees with ice

Imagines little kid swinging on the branches

Makes him want to escape and swing on the trees

Themes

Live life on edge because life is short. Things never stay the sameLife is full of risksIts up to you if you want to live or not

Structure

Blank verseIambic pentameterDoesn’t follow any

regular styleIs awkward in style

Symbolism

Boy- is just imaginary and a younger version of himself

Tree- is a symbol of lifeSnow- hard times in life

Tone

Negative MelencholySad Yet light

Diction

The poem first starts off negative

Ice stormsWinterBroke Down PainsFallenDragged

StraighterSunnyTruth SummerConquerLoveHeaven

Words to know!!!

Brim- the edge or over flowSubdued- is to conquer or to bring under

controlCrazes- drive insaneEnamel- a coating on metalWeary- tired and exhaustedBracken- a wide spread weedy fern

Line 3: The speaker imagines a boy has bent some birches out of shape.

Lines 23-27: The imaginary boy lives in a "pastoral" world, meaning that he is closely tied with animals and spends most of his time happily playing in nature.

Lines 28-32: The boy is also a metaphor for the rugged, American individual. He has struck out into the land that is his by birthright and conquered anything there was to conquer. This individual often stands as a metonymy for America's Manifest Destiny towards the continent (and world).

Lines 33-40: The boy learns moderation and sensitivity towards his natural environment. His mastery of nature does not create a large "footprint."

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Bio

Robert FrostMarch 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963

Born in San Francisco William Prescot Frost and Isabella MoodieRaised in a city but loved rural lifeDad died when he was 11Mom died of breast cancerLife filled with tragedy

Started writing poetry in high school

At first his poems were about city life and loss

Later they became more in touch with nature

Became teacher in 1911

Quiz Where was Robert Frost born?What year did he become a teacher?What’s the meter of the poem?Name two of the themes.What is the rhyme scheme?What did the poem mean to the poet?What is the meaning of the whole poem?List some negative words.What did the boy in the poem symbolize?What did the tree symbolize?