Symbolism In Frost's The Tuft Of Flowers By Robert Frost

In my opinion, Frost’s statement about his poetry does accurately reflect his poems as they all contain both a literal and a metaphorical meaning. This can clearly be seen in al of Frost’s poems that I have studied which include, “The Tuft of Flowers”, “Mending Wall”, “The Road Not Taken”, “Out, Out- “, “Spring Pools” and “Aquatinted with the Night”. In all six of these poems a message is conveyed both directly and indirectly. Frost uses everyday, ordinary people, living normal lives as the subject in his poetry and his poems are vividly descriptive, but they go beyond the mere description, exploring important moral and philosophical issues. They may appear as simple and straightforward, but it can take many re-readings and a deeper analysis …show more content…
Frost’s poems, including “The Tuft of Flowers”, need to be interpreted beyond the surface level of the subject matter in order to fully understand and appreciate them. Everything in the poem is literal but also metaphorically represents something else in life. The “bewildered butterfly” is confused, flying “round and round”, searching for the flower that was “yesterday’s delight”. This reflects memory and the search for happiness. The butterfly gets the poet to think about the situation, “I thought of questions that have no reply.” Instead of returning to the ordinary, daily tasks needing to be done, the butterfly captures his attention and draws him to, “The Tuft of Flowers.” The butterfly unites the speaker with the mower who has been and gone, “and I must be as he had been – alone.” If the butterfly had not appeared the speaker may not have noticed the “tuft of flowers” that had been left earlier by the mower which symbolises the mowers kindness and love for the beauty of nature. The butterfly’s search for the resting flower mirrors the poet’s search for companionship. The main theme of the poem is fellowship and, in my opinion, this is reflected in the underlying message which is that you are never really alone, even though at times it may seem like you are. …show more content…
The darkness is not only the actual darkness but the inner darkness and loneliness the speaker feels. It is one of the few Frost poems, the only one I have studied, that has an urban setting. It is ironic as urban cities are generally associated with community and togetherness not loneliness and isolation like the speaker in the poem feels. The speaker is a solitary, uncommunitive figure walking through the deserted city streets at night. No connection is made between the speaker and any other person, they are just referred to as “the sound of feet” and “an interrupted cry”. This is a deeply personal poem as “I” is repeated seven times. Throughout his life, Frost suffered from depression, loneliness, and isolation, he knows how they feel and they can relate to this poem. It is a gloomy poem that explores isolation and loneliness in the darkness of the night which is symbolic of the darkness in the speakers hear and