Out Out Robert Frost Analysis

Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out-” is a powerful piece of writing that tells a sad story about a young boy’s tragic accident. Published in 1916, this poem has touched many readers with its raw emotion and vivid imagery.

In this post, we’ll break down the poem, look at its different parts, and try to understand what Frost was trying to say.

Before we jump in, let’s take a moment to think about why this poem matters. Have you ever had a day where everything seemed normal, but then something unexpected happened that changed everything? That’s what “Out, Out-” is all about. It shows us how quickly life can change and how fragile our everyday routines can be.

The Poem’s Title: A Nod to Shakespeare

Let’s start with the title, “Out, Out-“. If you’re wondering why it sounds familiar, you’re not alone! Frost borrowed this phrase from William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”. In the play, after Macbeth learns about his wife’s death, he says:

“Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.”

By using this title, Frost is hinting at some big ideas right from the start. He’s comparing life to a candle that can be snuffed out quickly and unexpectedly. This sets the tone for the whole poem, preparing us for a story about how short and unpredictable life can be.

The Setting: A Slice of Rural Life

Now, let’s paint a picture of where this story takes place. Frost describes a scene in rural Vermont, where a young boy is working with a buzz saw to cut firewood. Here’s how the poem begins:

“The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood, Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.”

Can you imagine this scene? It’s a regular day on a farm. The air is filled with the smell of fresh-cut wood, and the sound of the saw fills the yard. This everyday setting is important because it shows us that tragedies can happen even in the most ordinary moments.

The Characters: A Boy and His Family

The main character in this poem is a young boy. We don’t know his name, but we know he’s doing a grown-up job:

“And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled, As it ran light, or had to bear a load. And nothing happened: day was all but done. Call it a day, I wish they might have said To please the boy by giving him the half hour That a boy counts so much when saved from work.”

This part tells us a lot about the boy. He’s young enough that half an hour of play time means a lot to him, but he’s also old enough to be trusted with dangerous work. This mix of childhood and adult responsibility is a key part of the story.

The boy’s sister is also mentioned briefly:

“His sister stood beside them in her apron To tell them ‘Supper.'”

And we know there are other family members around, even though we don’t see them directly:

“And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.”

These characters help us understand the boy’s world and the impact of what happens to him.

The Turning Point: The Accident

The heart of the poem is the moment when everything changes. Frost describes the accident in vivid detail:

“At the word, the saw, As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, Leaped out at the boy’s hand, or seemed to leap— He must have given the hand. However it was, Neither refused the meeting. But the hand!”

This part is both powerful and painful to read. The saw seems to come to life, almost as if it has a mind of its own. But Frost also suggests that maybe the boy wasn’t being careful enough. Either way, the result is the same – a terrible accident that changes everything in an instant.

The Aftermath: Shock and Loss

After the accident, things happen quickly:

“The boy’s first outcry was a rueful laugh, As he swung toward them holding up the hand Half in appeal, but half as if to keep The life from spilling.”

This reaction might seem strange at first. Why would the boy laugh? But it’s actually a common response to shock. The boy can’t quite believe what’s happened to him.

Then, the full impact of the injury becomes clear:

“Then the boy saw all— Since he was old enough to know, big boy Doing a man’s work, though a child at heart— He saw all spoiled.”

This moment is heartbreaking. The boy realizes that his life will never be the same. The phrase “big boy doing a man’s work, though a child at heart” reminds us again of how young he really is.

The End: A Stark Reality

The poem ends abruptly, just like the boy’s life:

“Little—less—nothing!—and that ended it. No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.”

This ending is shocking in its simplicity. One moment the boy is alive, and the next he’s gone. The last line, about the others turning to their affairs, might seem cold. But it’s also a sad truth about life – the world keeps turning, even after tragedy.

Themes: The Big Ideas in “Out, Out-“

Now that we’ve walked through the poem, let’s look at some of the big ideas Frost is exploring:

The Fragility of Life

The main theme of “Out, Out-” is how fragile life is. One moment, everything is normal. The next, a life is lost. This idea is summed up in the title’s reference to the “brief candle” of life.

The Loss of Innocence

The boy in the poem is caught between childhood and adulthood. He’s doing a man’s work, but he’s still a child at heart. His sudden death is a harsh end to his innocence.

The Indifference of Nature and Society

Frost shows nature and society as indifferent to the boy’s fate. The saw is described almost like a living thing, but it has no real care for the boy. Similarly, the people around him quickly return to their lives after his death.

The Dangers of Child Labor

While Frost doesn’t directly criticize child labor, the poem clearly shows its dangers. A young boy doing dangerous work leads to tragedy.

Literary Devices: How Frost Crafts His Message

Frost uses several literary devices to make his poem more powerful:

Personification

The saw is described as if it were alive: “The buzz saw snarled and rattled” and “As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, / Leaped out at the boy’s hand”. This makes the saw seem more threatening and adds to the tension in the poem.

Imagery

Frost uses vivid imagery to bring the scene to life. We can almost smell the “Sweet-scented stuff” of the wood and hear the saw’s “snarl and rattle”.

Symbolism

The buzz saw can be seen as a symbol of industrial progress and its dangers. The setting sun symbolizes the end of the boy’s life.

Irony

There’s a bitter irony in the fact that the accident happens just as the workday is ending and the boy is about to be called in for supper.

Understatement

Frost uses understatement to powerful effect, especially in the poem’s ending. The simple phrase “And that ended it” conveys the finality of death without dramatic language.

The Rhythm and Sound of “Out, Out-“

Frost was known for his use of everyday speech rhythms in his poetry. In “Out, Out-“, he uses a form called blank verse – unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line with a da-DUM da-DUM rhythm). This gives the poem a natural, speech-like flow.

Listen to how these lines sound:

“The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood,”

Can you hear the rhythm? It’s like someone telling a story, which makes the poem feel more immediate and real.

Frost also uses sound effects to add to the poem’s impact. The repeated “snarled and rattled” mimics the sound of the saw. The harsh consonant sounds in phrases like “stove-length sticks” add to the feeling of danger and violence.

Historical Context: Understanding Frost’s World

To fully appreciate “Out, Out-“, it helps to understand the time when Frost wrote it. The poem was published in 1916, during a period of rapid industrialization in the United States. Child labor was still common, especially in rural areas.

Frost himself grew up in New England and was familiar with the kind of farm work described in the poem. He often wrote about rural life and its challenges. “Out, Out-” can be seen as a comment on the harsh realities of this life, especially for young people.

The poem was also written during World War I, a time when many young lives were being lost. While the poem doesn’t directly reference the war, its theme of sudden, senseless death would have resonated with readers of the time.

Comparing “Out, Out-” to Other Frost Poems

If you’ve read other poems by Robert Frost, you might notice some similarities with “Out, Out-“. For example:

• Like “The Road Not Taken”, this poem deals with a moment of change or decision.
• The rural New England setting is similar to poems like “Mending Wall” and “After Apple-Picking”.
• The theme of nature’s indifference to human concerns appears in poems like “Design”.

However, “Out, Out-” is unique in its stark depiction of tragedy. While many of Frost’s poems have a contemplative or even hopeful tone, this one is unrelentingly grim.

The Impact of “Out, Out-“: Why It Still Matters

More than a century after it was written, “Out, Out-” continues to be read and studied. Why? Because its themes are universal and timeless. We all face the fragility of life and the sudden changes that can alter our world.

The poem also raises important questions about society. How do we protect young people from danger? How do we balance the need for work with the need for safety? These questions are still relevant today.

On a personal level, “Out, Out-” reminds us to value each moment of life. It encourages us to think about what really matters and how we spend our time.

How to Read “Out, Out-“: Tips for Understanding the Poem

If you’re reading “Out, Out-” for the first time, here are some tips to help you understand and appreciate it:

1. Read it aloud: Frost’s poems are meant to be heard. Reading “Out, Out-” aloud can help you feel its rhythm and hear its sound effects.
2. Visualize the scene: Try to picture the farmyard, the buzz saw, the boy. The more vividly you can imagine the setting, the more impact the poem will have.
3. Pay attention to the turning points: Notice how the poem shifts from describing a normal day to the moment of the accident and its aftermath.
4. Think about your reactions: How does the poem make you feel? Sad? Angry? Shocked? Your emotional response is an important part of understanding the poem.
5. Consider the big questions: What is Frost saying about life, death, and human nature? Don’t be afraid to form your own interpretations.
6. Look for connections: How does this poem relate to your own experiences or to things you’ve seen in the world?

Remember, there’s no single “right” way to understand a poem. Your interpretation is valid as long as you can support it with evidence from the text.

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FAQs About “Out, Out-“

Here are some common questions people ask about this poem:

Q: Is “Out, Out-” based on a true story?

A: While the specific incident in the poem is fictional, it was likely inspired by real events. Frost once said that the poem was based on a true accident that happened to a young boy in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

Q: Why doesn’t Frost give the boy a name?

A: By not naming the boy, Frost makes him a more universal figure. This could be any young person in a similar situation. It also adds to the feeling of the boy’s life being cut short before he could fully develop his identity.

Q: What does the title “Out, Out-” mean?

A: As mentioned earlier, the title comes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. It compares life to a brief candle that can be quickly extinguished. This sets up the theme of life’s fragility that runs through the poem.

Q: Is Frost criticizing child labor in this poem?

A: While Frost doesn’t explicitly criticize child labor, the poem certainly highlights its dangers. The tragedy occurs because a young boy is doing dangerous work that might be more suitable for an adult.

Q: Why do the other characters seem so unmoved by the boy’s death?

A: The seeming indifference of the other characters is one of the most disturbing aspects of the poem. It might represent the harsh reality of life continuing after a tragedy, or it could be a criticism of society’s lack of care for individual lives.

Q: What’s the significance of the sunset in the poem?

A: The setting sun serves multiple purposes. It marks the end of the workday, creating dramatic irony as the accident happens just before the boy would have been called in. It also symbolizes the end of the boy’s life.

Q: How does this poem compare to Frost’s other work?

A: While “Out, Out-” shares some elements with Frost’s other poems (rural setting, blank verse form), it’s unusually dark and tragic for Frost. Many of his poems, while often touching on serious themes, have a more contemplative or even humorous tone.

Q: What’s the meaning of the line “He saw all spoiled”?

A: This line represents the moment when the boy realizes the full impact of his injury. “All spoiled” suggests that not just his hand, but his entire future has been ruined by the accident.

Q: Why does Frost repeat “snarled and rattled” when describing the saw?

A: The repetition of “snarled and rattled” serves several purposes. It mimics the repetitive sound of the saw, creates a sense of ongoing danger, and builds tension leading up to the accident.

Q: Is there any hope or positive message in this poem?

A: “Out, Out-” is a decidedly grim poem, but some readers find a positive message in its warning about the fragility of life. It can encourage us to value each moment and to be mindful of safety, especially for young people.