In Desert Places, Robert Frost uses the parallel structure of sentences to stress the importance of sound judgment in life. The first line, I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, makes it clear that he has a long way to go before his journey is over, but also implies that he wants to complete this journey as soon as possible so that he can rest after doing all he wanted to do in life.
One of the most well-known poets in history, Robert Frost wrote many poems about his experiences traveling and exploring the United States, including Desert Places (1923). This poem deals with the theme of isolation and explores how isolation can result from both internal factors, such as self-imposed punishment and external factors, such as geographic location. Let’s have a look on Desert Places by Robert Frost Analysis.
Description and Analysis of Desert Places
The poem Desert Places by Robert Frost is, in a nutshell, about how an individual deals with his past mistakes and shortcomings. More specifically, it describes how one can overcome the pain caused by these failures through rationalizing or reminiscing about them. In other words, you can manage your experience of your past just as you manage that pain—you need not be a slave to either experience or emotion if you decide to take control of them instead. This is evident throughout almost every line of Desert Places – and it makes for some compelling poetry.
The poem begins with the description of falling snow that how it covers the places so quickly. The writer passes by a field and gets amazed while looking at the snow-covered part of the earth. It covered almost all the area, except some weeds and stalks. The surrounding woods now belong to the snow-blanketed landscape. All the animals in the woods are out of sight because of the heavy snow falling.
The whole scenario is fantastic, but it gives the writer a strange feeling of loneliness. He feels detached, lonely, and lost in the middle of human civilization. He feels so engrossed in that quiet place; it reminds him of the people who talk about the emptiness of outer space or the part of the universe uninhabited by human civilization. He feels lonely even in the presence of living creatures.
Central Themes in Desert Places
Natural beauty, man versus nature, and loneliness are the major themes in the poem. On the one hand, the writer shows how nature spellbound us. It provides us with various delightful incidents to fuel our minds and soul. The speaker of the poem gets amazed by the display of falling snow. He expresses his utmost joy, like how the snow gives the earth a new color and form.
However, it creates distances among the living creatures at the same time. The speaker feels lonely as the snowfall and darkness erase virtually all signs of human life. The writer conveys a profound message through this poem that when we feel lonely and scared, even the pretty things around us lose their importance.
Techniques Used in Desert Places
The Poem Desert Places is filled with many different literary techniques that give it its tone and overall meaning. The first of these techniques is personification. The poem addresses nature, making it a person who can feel and suffer just like any other human can. This helps to give the reader a feeling of dread because they are aware that nature has feelings, just like them. The second visible technique is imagery; the writer has used this device to captivate the reader’s mind. I hope this article, Desert Place by Robert Frost Analysis has covered almost all important points the writer has discussed in this poem.
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