Robert Frost is one of the most popular American poets of all time. His highly accessible work made him famous in his lifetime and has since solidified his place in American literary history. Read more about Robert Frost.
Some of Frost’s most famous poems include Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Mending Wall, The Road Not Taken, and Fire and Ice.
Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ is about the choices and opportunities in life. The poem highlights the sensation of regret that accompanies all the roads that a person doesn’t take.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Robert Frost aka ‘nature boy’ penned down this lovely poem, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ in 1922, subsequently published with his long poem, ‘New Hampshire’.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
‘Birches’ is one of the most famous, admired, and thoughtful Robert Frost poems. The poem profoundly describes something simple, an ordinary incident, in elevated terms.
When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay
‘The Freedom of the Moon’ by Robert Frost is a poem about humanity’s freedom. It uses beautiful figurative language to define the human experience.
I've tried the new moon tilted in the air
Above a hazy tree-and-farmhouse cluster
As you might try a jewel in your hair.
‘To Earthward’ by Robert Frost contemplates the speaker’s connection to the earth. As he’s aged, he’s sought out more painful experiences in order to feel the same as he did in his youth.
Love at the lips was touch
As sweet as I could bear;
And once that seemed too much;
I lived on air
‘A Time to Talk’ by Robert Frost is a poem abut the importance of friendship. Nothing should get in the way of greeting a friend one truly cares about.
When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
‘Mending Wall’ by Robert Frost explores the nature of human relationships. The speaker suggests there are two types of people, those who want walls and those who don’t.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
‘Desert Places’ by Robert Frost is a dark poem that uses a snowstorm to depict universal human loneliness and the inevitable return of depression.
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.
‘Tree At My Window’ by Robert Frost celebrates the speaker’s love for nature. He focuses in on one specific tree outside his window that’s meant a lot to him.
Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on;
But let there never be curtain drawn
Between you and me.
‘The Wood-Pile’ by Robert Frost is a beautiful, image-rich poem. It details a speaker’s journey through the woods and his discovery of a woodpile.
Out walking in the frozen swamp one gray day,
I paused and said, 'I will turn back from here.
No, I will go on farther—and we shall see.'
‘Gathering Leaves’ is a profound poem that delves into the themes of man versus nature, productivity, and change.
‘A Late Walk’ by Robert Frost references the idea that sometimes it really is too late in the year to walk around outside. There, one will find dying plants, hibernating animals, and an unavoidable cold.
‘A Line-storm Song’ by Robert Frost is an image-rich poem that depicts love. The speaker engages with its ups and downs while encouraging his lover to do the same.
‘A Prayer in Spring’ by Robert Frost is a poem that asks for peace in the face of a busy, endlessly stressful world. The speaker is looking for peace for himself and those around him.
Frost’s ‘A Question’ is a powerfully emotional poem. In it, the poet paints a picture of suffering, pointing to the fact that life itself is filled with scars of the soul and body.
‘Acquainted with the Night’ by Robert Frost is a personal poem that deals with themes of depression. It’s told, perhaps, from the poet’s own perspective.
‘After Apple-Picking’ by Robert Frost begins with an apple-picker’s thoughts after a day of work. The poem goes on to explore themes of life and death.
‘An Old Man’s Winter Night’ by Robert Frost is a thoughtful poem about an old man’s solitary life. The speaker explores the aging process and presents winter darkness as a comfort rather than a fear.
‘Bereft’ by Robert Frost is a beautiful poem that exemplifies a speaker’s loneliness. He uses natural imagery to depict the changes in his life and how he feels about the world.
‘Blue-Butterfly Day’ by Robert Frost beautifully describes the movements of a flock of butterflies. He uses them as a way of describing the cycle of life and death.
‘Carpe Diem’ by Robert Frost is a poem that encourages the reader to live in the present and comments on people’s tendency to focus on the past and the future instead.
Robert Forst depicts two different types of men in ‘Christmas Trees,’ one who wants to buy Christmas trees and the other who debates selling them.
‘Departmental’ by Robert Frost is a clever poem that presents a satire of ant society. It suggests that the control and compartmentalization in the ant world would not work, or should not work, in human society.
‘Design’ is one of Robert Frost’s more contentious poems. It was written as a response to the traditional depiction of God as a benevolent, all-powerful being who created humankind in his own image.
‘Directive’ by Robert Frost is about the relationship between the past and the present. It is a very well regarded poem that has been described as “dismaying” and “gratifying.”
‘Dust of Snow’ by Robert Frost is a simple tale of how a speaker’s mood was changed by a snowfall. A love of nature is enough to elevate the speaker into a happier state of mind.
‘Fire and Ice’ by Robert Frost explores a universal interest in the apocalypse. It has always been a phenomenon capable of capturing people’s minds.
Lovers of Robert Frost’s poems will find ‘Flower-Gathering’ a thoughtful and comforting addition to his “walking” poems.
‘For Once, Then, Something’ by Robert Frost focuses on the elusive nature of truth. Frost presents readers with the story of a man who finds himself looking through a well from the wrong side.
‘Going for Water’ by Robert Frost depicts a simple errand in joyful, uplifting language. The poem suggests that any task, no matter how annoying, can be enjoyed if one is outside.