An Analysis of the Images in The Wood-Pile

作者：焦慧琳

来源：《校园英语》 2019年第5期

【Abstract】Robert Frost is one of the most popular American poets in the 20th century. His poems derive from the life of the countryside and have a lot in common with the poets in the nineteenth century, but in contrast he has less modern style. The remarkable feature of his poems is to use images commonly found in life to

express thought-provoking philosophical ideas. An analysis of decayed images in The Wood-Pile is intended to help readers better understand Robert Frost’s poems.

【Key words】Robert Frost; decayed images; nature; wood-pile

【作者简介】焦慧琳(1996.02-),女,山东日照东港人,山东师范大学外国语学院,硕士在读,研究方向:学科教学英语。

1. Introduction of Robert Frost

Robert Frost is one of the most famous American poets in twentieth century who claims to be satisfied with the use of “old forms to express new content”. And he had sensitive insights into life and thus he was used to using images easily seen in real life to suggest profound meaning. His poems are attractive to a large range of readers, because they can be appreciated in so many ways. But for many reasons, he won the recognition of his poems in the second half of his life.

2. The feature of images in Robert Frost’s poems

The selection of images has close relation with Robert Frost’s life experience. He used popular language, familiar rhythm and daily life images and symbolism to describe the moral trend of the quiet countryside in New England. His description of nature often contains profound, symbolic, and even metaphysical meanings.

Robert Frost was used to using images of nature such as “road” and “woods” to express profound meanings. As in “The Road Not Taken”, the image “road” is used to represent the choice in life. Scholars believe nature is an important way of expressing the poet’s inner thoughts.

3. Decayed images in The Wood-Pile

“The Wood-Pile” mainly describes the feelings of the poet when he was

strolling in a marshland one day. One day, the sky was dark and the poet came alone to a frozen marshland. First entering the swamp, he felt lonely, desolate and fearful. He wanted to go home. But then he completely rejected this thought, he wanted to move forward and go inside the swamp. When people first arrive in a new place without knowing what will happen, curiosity often promotes people to move forward to find out. The hero in his poem is such an emotional change. A bird

suddenly appeared, it was alert, and the poet was always separated by a tree. Later,

the poet discovered a pile of firewood. This pile of firewood has caused a series of thoughts of the poet.

Frost used “frozen swamp” “gray day”“hard snow” and “tall slim trees” as images, highlighting the desolation and ridiculous atmosphere. With words filled with faint grief and endless contemplation, it gives the reader a feeling of depression. Make people unconsciously think of the rough life of the poet. The bleak environment reminds the poet of his difficult life. Had been repeatedly

refused to accept his work, and he has lived with his family for a difficult time living with potatoes. Endless sadness flooded his heart.

The “wood-pile” is a tragic image in the poet’s eyes. The wood-pile cannot show its own value in the burning, but is abandoned in the snow, turning decay. This is the real description of the poet. Love writing but cannot be recognized. Nothing is more tragic than this. But the decay of the woof-pile fed nourishment to the surrounding creatures. It also revealed that even if a poet cannot be

recognized, he must express his value through other means that is to continue writing and to devote life’s creation to readers.

Frost’s rough life made his poems show sad emotions, but he used his poems to dispel his sadness. That is the reason why under such a melancholy emotional atmosphere and painful mood, Frost can still discover other roles of decayed “wood-pile”. With tenacious perseverance and passion for poems, he spent a

lifetime of difficulties. With his thoughts, he created an eternal poem for people.

4. Conclusion

It can be seen the road of writing was not smooth, there are many difficulties such as not being recognized, but Robert·Frost still sticks to his heart. He gathered courage, dispelled grief through creating poems and he was determined to create famous poems for people. He is like wood-pile, using a passionate emotion to influence the ruthless real world, and devoting his whole body and mind to his readers and the world around him.

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