Robert Frost: The American Voice

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Throughout America’s history, writers/poets have contributed to what we now call the American voice. Their novels and poems have shaped Americans’ ideas and events. The American voice is a way for authors to come together and shape future generations of Americans to become “true” Americans. The American voice was shaped by events such as the end of isolationism in America. With this end, teens began to protest the “norms” of America- shaping the American voice of the 1950s-60s. Through the use of themes of individualism and romanticism- as well as pulling from his New England background- Frost creates a voice original to himself that creates the true American personality: poignant and tragic, while quiet and splendid. While pulling from his …show more content…
Frost emphasized the theme of individualism by failing to “create a picture of unity or sense of community” (“Robert Frost 5”) instead he encompasses individualism as a driving theme in his poems. As stated in Frost’s poem entitled “Provide, Provide” he discerns that we should “make up [our] mind to die in state” (Frost 307) implying: it is better to be yourself and alone- than to fall from greatness. In addition, Frost pulls from previous romantic poets in his works, but always put a twist on romanticism to create his own unparalleled voice; such as, in “The Road Not Taken” where it is clearly defined that “Frost’s debt to Romanticism… is readily apparent” (“The Road Not Taken 4”). Lastly, Frost uses nature as a major theme in his poems; yet, he refrains from idealizing nature (like a transcendentalist would). However, he did write many poems about an inclination towards nature and solitude as evident in the poem “The Road Not Taken” in which he created “tension in the poem [during] the individual’s interaction with nature” (“The Road Not Taken 4”). Frost describes the elements of nature as “desolate, deserted trees, [and] the faded earth” (Frost 7) to create a serene and placid picture of Earth. The American voice, therefore, becomes shaped by the calm elements of nature expressed in Frost’s …show more content…
Frost is still read today as he influences many American writers and continues to influence the American voice. Evidently, when one of Frost’s unpublished poems was “discovered and dated to 1918, it was subsequently published in the fall, 2006, edition of the Virginia Quarterly Review” (“Robert Frost 8”). This implies that Robert Frost is still well known and honored to this day. Thanks to Frost, American society has benefitted as he bestowed many exemplary messages for those who later learned from and followed in his footsteps. Frost, indeed, challenged the American voice by adding a twist of his own ironic interpretation; and he did not simply take after anyone else, he naturally promoted the American reputation. In conclusion, Frost taught the American people that even with strife and heartache in life, one can persevere and shape

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