Once when the snow of the year was beginning to fall,
We stopped by a mountain pasture to say ‘Whose colt?’
A little Morgan had one forefoot on the wall,
The other curled at his breast. He dipped his head
And snorted at us. And then he had to bolt.
We heard the miniature thunder where he fled,
And we saw him, or thought we saw him, dim and grey,
Like a shadow against the curtain of falling flakes.
‘I think the little fellow’s afraid of the snow.
He isn’t winter-broken. It isn’t play
With the little fellow at all. He’s running away.
I doubt if even his mother could tell him, “Sakes,
It’s only weather”. He’d think she didn’t know !
Where is his mother? He can’t be out alone.’
And now he comes again with a clatter of stone
And mounts the wall again with whited eyes
And all his tail that isn’t hair up straight.
He shudders his coat as if to throw off flies.
‘Whoever it is that leaves him out so late,
When other creatures have gone to stall and bin,
Ought to be told to come and take him in.’

Analysis, meaning and summary of Robert Frost's poem The Runaway

23 Comments

  1. hyne lee says:

    nyc poem i like it,,,,,,,, it really hurts for me,,,
    nycccc,,,,, keep it up more poems…..to make….

    😛

  2. dlaney says:

    i love this poem. i did a project on it in my literature class, and it truly spoke to me,

  3. adrian s. garito says:

    The reason why I think Robert Frost wrote this poem to tell kids to feel
    strong and don t runaway from your problems and face them even though they
    are scary problems or troubles ever since I read this poem it changed the
    way i face my fears and my problems or I should of say my troubles that is
    why i think Robert Frost wrote the poem “The Runaway”.

  4. grace says:

    this poem really speaks to me

  5. Kat Snaxs says:

    nice poem i love it it tells the troubles of kids who runaway

  6. mayjoy c. canumay says:

    I like your poem bec. your poem relates my life and i like it very much and guest what when i read your poem i cried and i realize that my life is like a colt………….

  7. jasmine toledo says:

    i doubt if even his mother could tell him,”sakes, its only weather……
    first i dont understand but iread many times until i understand it one by one…..
    then one time i’ve realyze that run away was not easy todo….

  8. jasmine toledo says:

    i doubt if even his mother could tell him,”sakes, its only weather……
    first i dont understand but iread many times until i understand it one by one…..
    then one time i’ve realyze that run away was not easy todo….

  9. cupcake says:

    at first, i dont understand this poem.. but after many times of reading this, i got to understand that each of us whether young or old has fears.it may be simple or complicated, but sure there,s a way for us to overcome them.. and when one finds it difficult to understand, either we run away or we choose to face it.. and what happens is that many choose to runaway not knowing it would only make the situation worse. so in this cases, we need someone who can guide us, someone who can motivate us, and someone to remind us that life isnt always a happy ride. and whatever happens, running away is not a good choice, so we must be able to correct ourselves and follow the right path,.. just like the colt who chose to come back…

  10. higgins says:

    i think robert frost is not cool enough to wear mittens..and this poem is about a dog eating rather stale and slightly damp bread

  11. Charlene says:

    I think when Robert Frost wrote this poem, he was painting a picture of how young people get scare and never stop to think about their next move but to runaway. They do this because they think their parents don’t know.All in all, when too much problems takes place the young ones runaway from them or you can say their fears.

  12. matthew says:

    this is a great poem. i relly liked is

  13. chung seb says:

    Robert Frost is such a great poet. at the end of this poem when he talks about someone should have taken him (the runaway) in, i think hes trying to say that everyone needs someone to take care of them, especially babies, like the runaway colt. and hes afraid of the snow, i think, because hes afraid of trying or facing new things. the unknown is scary. this is a great poem and write a comment back about what you think this poem means

  14. liz says:

    I absolutely love this poem. Frost is one of my all time favorites. I remember reading this growing up and loving it. I can recite it completely from memory. as for who he’s talking about…kim…he is probably talking about a runaway. Go figure!

  15. rachel says:

    I find the whole rhyme scheme very unusual. I also agree that th poem stresses th eimportance of staying with your family while you are young. I sure could’nt have made it without my family! Go Robert Frost!

  16. Sarah says:

    I think that this poem is telling about our instincted to run away from what we don’t want to face/ or things that scare us. And maybe that running is all you can do some times, you may not have time to stop and think that it might not be that bad.

  17. melissa says:

    many people think that this poem is talking about a child beingafraid. i think that it is how your fear is everywhere and that you can’t get away from it, and that the things you fear aren’t nessesary the same things other people fear.

  18. sheril says:

    i agree with the person above me that he was trying to show the importance of staying with your family when your still young.

  19. Sharnisha says:

    The reason why I think Robert Frost wrote this poem to tell kids to feel strong and don t runaway from your problems and face them even though they are scary problems or troubles ever since I read this poem it changed the way i face my fears and my problems or I should of say my troubles that is why i think Robert Frost wrote the poem “The Runaway”.

  20. kim says:

    who is robert frost talking about in his poem the runaway?

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