As I recall, Frost enjoyed walking in the woods at night, which many or most people might consider an eccentric activity. I, too, have enjoyed it. With almost all light gone, my imagination brightens and helps to light the way. I memorized this poem decades ago, and I still "have" it: I can recite it at any time. I'm aware of the common, most popular, seemingly consensus interpretation of the poem as an expression of a death wish, but I tend to resist that. I see walking in the woods at night as a metaphor for the creative act; for entering the unknown, the darkness, hoping to find something new and beautiful. Your analysis has increased my understanding of and appreciation for what I think might be the first poem I ever read, way, way back in grade school. Thanks for that. I will watch it again. I recommend Professor Jay Parini's biography of Robert Frost. Parini is a veritable fountain of knowledge about the poet.
@thenatureofwriting92226 ай бұрын
That's impressive that you can still recite it years later. I used to memorize poems but generally just remember snippets. Agree that the notion of the death wish is at most in the background. Thanks for the kind words!
@JCPJCPJCP6 ай бұрын
I was interested and glad to learn from your video that Frost dismissed the death wish interpretation offhandedly almost as if it were beneath consideration. By now, it seems too easy, a deep, dark secret everyone knows.