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.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-coloured
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,
And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed
So low for long, they never right themselves:
You may see their trunks arching in the woods
Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground,
Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.
But I was going to say when Truth broke in
With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm,
I should prefer to have some boy bend them
As he went out and in to fetch the cows–
Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father’s trees
By riding them down over and over again
Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer. He learned all there was
To learn about not launching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It’s when I’m weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig’s having lashed across it open.
I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate wilfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love:
I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.
I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree~
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
Birches
Analysis, meaning and summary of Robert Frost's poem Birches
51 Comments
Leave a Reply
Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Robert Frost better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.
“And life is too much like a pathless wood where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs broken across it, and one is weeping from twigs having lashed across it open.” Why is this image of love filled with such violence?
Wow, i, like many who have or are reading this poem, am reading it for school.
first of all, for all of those people who only see or think Frosts’ poem, Birches has sexual meaning is not really analyzing very well or looking at it. it takes more than that. u can almost read anything and turn it to something sexual.
I believe this poem is about looking back and wanting innocence, fun, happiness and the joys of youth. its not jus about the boy swinging and enjoying life. The birches can symbolize poeple or a person. People grow old and tired not by their youthful and fun experiences but throw hard times. “But swinging doesn’t bend then down to stay. Ice storms do that.”
Birches shed leaves like humans shed youth. both are such beautiful things ” you’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.” also like people.” once they are bowed for so long, they never right themselves.” they jus age.
the narrator says how he’d rather have a boy swinging bend the birches. its shows the signaficance of youth, innocence and happiness. wouldnt you want to grow old by the feel of freedon and happiness instead of by hard times and obsticals of life? no, its not possible but it is a feel good fantasy.
the boy swinging shows the wonderful part of youth that gives u the will power and drive to be brave and andventurous, yet there is always a limit or self protection that is in the mindset. ” “and so not carrying the tree away clear to the ground” even. . .”with the same pains you use to fill a cup to the brim. . .”
At the last part, the narrator goes back to his reality more. He says how he would like away and swing on a birch or get away from reality when life is going nowhere and he is aged and lonely/ ” and one eye is weepiong from a twig’s having lashed it across it open” which can be seen as having ur heart broken or slashed from a relationship or situation. he’d like to go away and come back to start over. he doesnt want every thing to fade away or go away for ever but only to revisit thhe happiness that he once had. ” Earth’s the right place for love,” love, the love of happiness and experiences. going back to that memory but also coming back. you can not live in happiness or memories forever but having them with u in life helps u move on. . .
“one could do worse than be a swinger of branches. . .”
Im doing a project for my one class and one question is “why did he write it?” and I dont know what it is could someone please help me??
This poem definitly contains a great deal of sexual imagery…”could play alone, took the stiffness out of them, hung limp, not launching out too soon, fill a cup, up to the brim” youre kidding youreself if you think Frost put all of these images together out of chance, it represence his childhood innocence and fantasies.
birches…ah birches…even the mention of that tree gets me hot and sweaty, 4 some guy on horse action. i also love the subverted flower. it reminds me of the morning dawn. lol. ps. i would give my right arm 4 a sex toy that was the same shape and rough texture of a birch LOG. who cares if i bleed 2 death??
Im Writing a poetry paper on this poem and found that the main themes of the poem were the joys of innocence and how the old painful memories of the past will not break ou but will never fade completley from your memory
I quite enjoy Mr.Frost’s poetry, this poem is another great example of Mr.Frosts’ talents. I fail to see any sexual context in it at all though…contrary to many posts.
every time i read frost i get taken away, but never too far. In fact i am inside the poem. Swinging from birch to birch. One could do worse!
The poem brought back many happy thoughts of enjoying nature , especially the birch and its significance to canoeing, in the Canadian north . Nature in Canada would not be as rich without the birch.
from reading this poem, i believe that frost finds everday life boring. he would rather make up a story behind why things are the way they are than know the true reason. frost wants more than what is common and usual. he has the proper technique and the correct language to provide that for himself and his readers.
My name is Eden and i have always had a secret fantasy of Robert Frost. Not only does this poem turn me on, but i just cant get the image of MR FROST out of my head. What a HOT-TAY
Great poem, I actually did not think it was about childhood and such, but I thought it was about the ups and downs of life. Strongly recommend reading this poem.
it is prosaic in langage but deep and inwardly poetic. both the tree and man alive in this poem (physical) the observer ‘I’ is frost hiself who likes to investigate the problem of human life. the life time is emphasized here with the starting word ‘WHEN’ in capital where we have to meet with lots of colorful hurdles through which we gain experience and mold ourselves.
I don’t think it has any sexual meaning! This poem is simply about how childhood used to be. When we grow up life is harsh but when your a child you don’t worry about what tomorrow might bring you are worry free. And he just talks about being a child again.
this poem is one of the great poems since it makes us live with the feelings of the poet since he portrait the birches trees and his wish to go back and live the happy moments in climding the trees .so wow!if anyone know how to understand it he will be pleased
this poem gets my juices flowing… to the max! I can’t wait to go home to my hubby and read this to him while fondling his anus… he’s gonna love this… and our gay son can read it and smother his body in vaseline when he comes home from school.
This is one of the worst poems i have ever read. It makes no sence and has absolutely no meening It is verry booring and is a waste of my time. At a poetry lover i know when i see a good poem and this one is shit.
we thought this poem was highly entertaining.it has strong sexuall imagery which we througly enjoyed.(together)AMAZING!!!
This poem made me feel so hot and wet between my legs. I can just imagine riding the birches with Robert Frost. I thought about it for the rest of the day and I couldn’t wait to get home to my vaseline. I read it to my boyfriend naked and we reinacted the poem but it wasn’t his birch that was swinging.
GReat interpretation! the poem shows the life as the birch tree, which explains the effects from many problem. Mr.Frost simulated these effects into nature. What a great poem!