Symbolism and Metaphor in Frost

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the symbolism of nature and trees employed by Robert Frost in his poems "After Apple Picking" and "Birches." The paper discusses the ways that these poems focus on trees for their duality. The paper discusses the narrator's choice of language and the metaphors that he uses in describing the trees and nature within the poems.

From the Paper:

"Moreover, in "Birches" trees symbolize formidable physical and spiritual strength. The birches are especially powerful even in their limber flexibility. Whether bowed by ice or by a playful boy, the birches "seem not to break" even though the "never right themselves" (lines 15; 16). Boughs also bend but do not break in "After Apple Picking": "I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend." The innate strength of trees is a metaphor for the narrator's innate ability to hang on to the ladder even as his concept of reality shifts and sways."

More papers on Symbolism and Metaphor in Frost:

• Poem Review # 115460 : "Robert Frost's Poetry"
• Comparison Essay # 106305 : "Nature in Robert Frost's Poetry"
• Comparison Essay # 102521 : "Imagery in Winter Poems"

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