Robert Frost: A Terrifying Poet in "Desert Places"

Lance LaMotte

Mr. McElveen

American Literature

31 January 2012        

“Desert Places”: Terrifying or Not?

            As Lionel Trilling stated, Robert Frost is truly a terrifying poet. To be terrifying, in the poetic spectrum, is to consistently present readers with descriptions of fear, hopelessness, and solitude in environments with a relatively high degree of danger or desertion. Consistently providing these elements in their poetry builds a reputation of having works with terrifying content. Frost, in his poem “Desert Places”, establishes his identity as a terrifying poet through meeting these criteria.

            Part of the support of Robert Frost being a terrifying poet is because of his evocation of personal emotion. While reading, there was an actual person in a realistic situation, making the reader imagine, in his or her mind, about how they would conduct themselves in a situation as presented in the poem. However, the most fearsome part of this poem is the reality. For example, a poem fixed around a plot of fantasy type activities is not realistic, and in no way evokes emotion or thought from the reader of being in a situation relative to the one in the story they are reading, because it is not real and cannot happen. The realism in “Desert Places”, being a snowy field at night with trees surrounding it, is a situation that some individuals may have experienced already on a ski trip or whatever it may be. Thus, part of Frost being a terrifying poet reigns in his ability to instill realistic fear in the readers and ignite thoughtful emotions.

            The setting is a major role in this poem in terms of making Frost “terrifying”. The speaker says that the character is alone, in a snowy field, with night falling quickly. He is alone, and woods surround the large, snowy field. The animals in the woods are not out, but are hiding, smothered in their lairs. From this observation it can be claimed that the conditions of the environment were too dangerous, even for animals that live in nature and experience weather like this on a regular basis. The title, “Desert Places”, presents that feeling of desertion and isolation. Not only alone, but also alone in a snowy field in the winter with “but a few weeds and stubble showing last” (Line 4). Winter represents death, and the few weeds sprouting out from under the thick layers of snow symbolize life, but moreover how death reigns over life in this situation. Again, fear rears its ugly face through the setting Frost has provided the poem with.

            The second stanza starts to dig deep and unearth more concepts of fear. “The woods around have it—it is theirs” provides that this place belongs to nature and is not fitting for a human being (Line 5). Survival is not guaranteed in the environment where no individual should set foot, such as in this place where nature is thriving with no mercy nor concern for any human beings that wish to wander about. “The loneliness includes me unawares” portrays how the isolation rendered the speaker oblivious to the surroundings, unable to respond in the natural manner (Line 8). Another possible interpretation of this line is that nature is unaware of the speaker. Unaware of the presence of the human, the loneliness continues as it has for ages, with the speaker making no difference to nature.

            The third stanza is completely about feeling deserted. “Lonely” appears in different forms throughout this stanza five times. Being completely about isolation and completely about lack of expression instills fear of being alone. The road ahead of the speaker is described as being “…no expression, nothing to express” (Line 12). Just snow, a pinch of life, nightfall, and trees surrounding him appear expressionless to the speaker. All of the descriptions develop the idea of being lonely, another connection the reader can make because isolation and desertion are terrible feelings individuals are often burdened with.

            The last stanza turns the tables. “They cannot scare me with their empty spaces” shows that whatever process he is involved in, whether it be punishment or a disastrous adventure, is not the source of his fear (Line 13).  The fear is coming from his own creation of his own places of isolation, coming from the mind. The mind is often known as the most dangerous place for a person, and this is completely true. Plots are developed, emotions are hidden, and feelings are restrained all in the mind, with the ability to show none of these effects on the physical appearance of the person. The speaker’s own problems are the source of his discomfort and fear, not the dark, snowy environment with relatively no signs of life. From the descriptions, the speaker may be gradually becoming insane, or losing his mental stability at the least. The mind fosters the growth of good and bad ideas, but they technically should not be the sole source of fear for an individual. The situation is terrifying, but to be completely “unaware” is not normal.

            Robert Frost has successfully asserted himself as a terrifying poet in “Desert Places”. The setting has a significant role in providing the fearsome atmosphere of snow, dark, and isolation. Because of how realistic the situation is, the reader can draw connections and place themselves in the position of the speaker. The chance of survival for a human in conditions as harsh as the ones described is negligible, and this is where fear is instilled in the readers, making the poem terrifying. Isolation and hopelessness prevail, and fear is eminent. Because of the conditions that Frost provided of danger and desertion in a place where life is but a mere consideration, resembled by a few weeds sprouting through the thickened layers of snow, he is a terrifying poet.