Introduction
Literary work is inspired by the surrounding environment that allows the artists to represent the elements surrounding human life in a creative manner with hidden messages as witnessed in poetry, music, short stories, and novels. While literature can be deemed as a tool for entertainment, authors of literary work use the platform to communicate the shortcomings of the society, hardships, inspire and advocate for social change. In-depth analysis of the work of given authors such as Robert Frost indicates that the life events that characterize the existence of the given artists influenced the messages in the literature written. This paper will discuss how Robert Frost's life influenced the work of the poet.
Early Life and Education
The early life of Robert Frost established a foundation for a career in poetry. Robert Frost who was born in the year 1874 was able to access education that exposed him to literary material and inspired a career in poetry. While Robert Frost did not secure a recognized college degree, he studied at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire before later joining the Harvard University in Boston (Frost, 16). Robert Frost started concentrating on writing and reading poems while in high school thus influencing the work of the poet later in life. Poetry is founded on precision and experience that allow for the communication of relevant messages using the appropriate literary devices. The school life of Robert Frost ensured that the poet learned the styles and the formats used by the earlier poets before the period towards the end of the 19th century. It was important that Robert Frost studied the work of other poets to form a foundational knowledge which acted as references and grounds for improvements that made Robert Frost a successful poet. While poetry can be represented as a talent, learning the art through schooling ensures that the poems written are responsive to the societal themes and incorporate creativity to appeal to the target audience.
Occupations and Life Experiences
The occupations undertaken by Robert Frost in his life exposed him to the social and professional interactions that informed the messages in his poems. Robert Frost worked as a cobbler, teacher, and an editor of the Lawrence Sentinel media house. While working as a teacher, Robert Frost was exposed to in-depth experience in the literature that enhanced his understanding of poetry. The exposure to life and the educational process inspired Robert Frost's work including the poem 'A Boy's Will' which is structured on a theme of youth and innocence. Also, the interaction with individuals and the observation of the society during Robert Frost's occupational years influenced the poems including the 'Design' that informs on how people can learn from nature. However, Robert Frost notes how nature is mysterious in his poems upon interacting with humanity and the environment while serving in the different occupations. The experience with life while working in the learning environment, editing, and as a cobbler exposed Robert Frost to a platform for the understanding of human life, nature and the representation of the inherent themes in poetry.
Love and Family Life
The love and family life of Robert Frost and the marriage to Elinor Miriam White inspired his work as a poet. The poem 'The Silken Tent' by Robert Frost is themed on love where emotional feelings are expressed in a vivid manner and the ambiance experienced being explained by comparing the woman loved by the poet with the tent. Robert Frost and Elinor Miriam White relocated to England where Frost's poetry career advanced while the wife provided major inspiration (McLane, 104). It is apparent that success in any given career requires utmost support from the social units including the family. Robert Frost's love life provided a support system that inspired work leading to the love-themed poems as well as motivating for the production of works in other themes including community and isolation as witnessed in the poems such as 'The Tuffs of Flowers' as well as 'Mending Wall.' It is imminent that Robert Frost understood the relevance of social attachment from the experience in his life thus influencing the messages in his work.
Relocation to the United Kingdom
Robert Frost's relocation to the United Kingdom in the year 1912 influenced the work of the poet and the success in poetry. While in the United Kingdom, Robert Frost met with influential and contemporary British poets including Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, and Robert Graves (McLane, 108). The renowned poets from the United Kingdom provided mentorship and challenges to Robert Frost thus motivating the poet to aim higher in the poetry profession. Robert Frost was able to learn from the poetry techniques of the British Poets thus influencing the structures of Robert Frost's work in the subsequent poems after 1912. Also, Robert Frost was able to meet and foster a friendship with Ezra Pound, a British poet who promoted and published Robert Frost's work. The life in the United Kingdom influenced the poetry work of Robert Frost by providing access to established poets who motivated and assisted Frost in ensuring that the work met the expectations of the industry during the given period as well as promoting the work. The reputation of Robert Frost was built while in the United Kingdom making him a celebrated poet in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Publication and Success
Robert Frost's inclination towards full poetry publication ensured that the poet's career was successful. The ability of Robert Frost to build a strong reputation in the early stages of the career and life provided a ground that supported subsequent work. Full-length collections published in 1913 known as the 'A Boys Will' and the 'North of Boston' in 1914 established a desired reputation in the poetry industry for Robert Frost. Based on the fact that Robert Frost established an exemplary reputation the early life, by the 1920s, Frost was a celebrated poet in the United States. The publication of the poetry collection 'New Hampshire' in the year 1923, 'A Further Range' in 1936, 'Steeple Bush' in 1947 and the 'In the Clearing' in 1962 received acceptance in the poetry industry based on Robert Frost's reputation established in the early life (Poets Organization, 1). Robert Frost poetry work and success are attributed to the precedence set in the early stages of the poet's career leading to honors and fame in the industry.
Influence of Robert Frost's Life on His Work
Robert Frost's life influenced the work of the poet in that, during the career, the 'Modern Poetry' was gaining dominance. Robert Frost was able to incorporate psychological complexity by infusing elements of irony and ambiguity in the poems. The literary vernacular that adhered to modern poetry language in Robert Frost's works resulting from the reading of literature while in school ensured the poems were accepted by the audience. Also, Robert Frost's exposure during his life to varying occupations and cultures of the United States and the United Kingdom allowed the poet to adopt universal themes in his works. It is evident that the popularity of modern poetry and the exposure of Robert Frost during his lifetime allowed the poet to write poems that appealed universally to the audience of poetry leading to the growth of honor and fame.
Conclusion
The environment of growth, the learning process in the formal and informal institutions, exposure to different cultures, interaction with experienced artists, social and professional support, and creativity allow a poet to develop a successful career. In the case of Robert Frost, it is apparent that the access to education that allowed the poet to understand the foundations of writing poems shaped the path towards a successful career. The teaching career in Robert Frost's life and the working in a media house as an editor created exposure to the social and human aspects that were translated into the themes in the poems. Deducing from the life of Robert Frost, reputation is an important factor in influencing the work and success of a poet. A precedence of acceptance inspires the structure of subsequent poetry works allowing the poet to approach the audience with a pre-determined knowledge of the expectations. Also, it is important to appreciate the importance of interacting with people from different life backgrounds as witnessed in the case of Robert Frost living in both the United States and the United Kingdom that influenced the adoption of universal themes in poetry, allowing for acceptance in varying contexts.
Work Cited
Frost, Robert, Jay Parini, and Michael Paraskevas. Robert Frost. Lake Forest, CA: MoonDance, 2017
McLane, Maureen N. "My Robert Frost." Wallace Stevens Journal. 41.1 (2017): 105-112.
Poets Organization. Robert Frost. (Online). Available at https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/robert-frost. Accessed May 3rd, 2018.
