An Analysis Of Robert Frost's The Gift Outright

The American poet Robert Frost had once been invited to President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and was to speak in front of thousands of citizens and politicians with a poem he had written for the occasion. The poet had stood before the crowd, wearing a slightly impatient expression as he brought out his papers to read (Bloom 1). The sunlight that day had been harsh, and that did nothing to aid the old man in his attempt to read the blinding white paper. Swifts gusts of wind did not help the situation as well as the papers failed to stay still long enough to be read (“Robert Frost 1874-1963”). After minutes of waiting with bated breath, the vice president took the initiative and lent his hat to Robert, holding it above the man’s head to block …show more content…
Robert, fed up by this point, waved the vice president away, shoved his papers to the side, and recited “The Gift Outright” by heart instead (“Robert 1874-1963”). Despite fearing that he had failed, Robert held himself proudly as he waited for the inevitable sounds of disapproval. The unanticipated display from the famous poet stunned fans for a moment as he finished his poem, but soon the crowd was applauding and cheering at such a wonderful moment. Robert, shocked, stood there for a moment to soak in the unexpected praise before leaving the stage with a breath of relief (Bloom 2). In his early life, Robert Frost was a perplexed and unruly child who held strained relations with most of his family because of his lack of financial security. The to-be poet was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California (“Frost, Robert Lee” 391). His birth place was chosen by his father William Frost, who had pursued a journalist career in the wild town. The man was impetuous, and preferred “a rationalistic approach to life’s questions.” Robert’s mother Isabelle Moodie, on the other hand, was only in the town because her husband was. She