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Poet: Robert Frost
Poem: The Span Of Life
Volume: Collected Poems, Henry Holt & Co.
Comment 9 of 9, added on November 30th, 2007 at 11:18 PM.
the poem is really an exposition of sound's effect on poetry--in the phrase "barks backwards," all of the syllables are not only stressed, but are hard to say. this is intential as the cacophony is meant to slow the rhythm and break it down, thus paralleling how the old dog has slowed down. moreover, the part describing the pup is euphonious as it appeals to the ear and easily slips off the tongue, reflecting how the pup is fast and full of life. frost does a stunning job of reflecting the meaning of the work through the actual sound of the words.
Charlotte from United States
Comment 8 of 9, added on April 4th, 2007 at 8:28 AM.
The first time i got to know Frost was in one of my poetry lectures in colledge ,the spirit of his poems is imprinted forever in my mind.In fact this poem reminded me of the notion of time around which all his poems revolve.The poem is a deep contemplation upon this amasing creature that turns our dreams into ashes and because of it we can never go two paths till the end ,it is only way .
brahim from Morocco
Comment 7 of 9, added on April 11th, 2006 at 8:28 AM.
The poem is very much about the span of life--the title plainly tells us this--but what makes this poem a classic is the sound of the two lines. Read them aloud and listen. Not only is Frost describing the two ages of the dog (young and old), he has also captured the sound of those two periods of life with the slow, grumbling of the first line juxtaposed with the fast, flitting sound of the second. It is literally impossible to read the first line quickly, and yet the second races from the lips without a break. Paramount Frost.
P. Timothy Ervin from Japan
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Comments
the poem is really an exposition of sound's effect on poetry--in the phrase "barks backwards," all of the syllables are not only stressed, but are hard to say. this is intential as the cacophony is meant to slow the rhythm and break it down, thus paralleling how the old dog has slowed down. moreover, the part describing the pup is euphonious as it appeals to the ear and easily slips off the tongue, reflecting how the pup is fast and full of life. frost does a stunning job of reflecting the meaning of the work through the actual sound of the words.
Charlotte from United States