On Grief and Reason - Jaiden Pugh

Brodsky's argument is that Robert Frost writes very dark literature and that from reading Frost that he himself has become darker in terms of writing style. Brodsky says that from the outside Frost seems like he perceives the world around him positively, but when one dives deeper into his work that his literature is dark. He is also comparing American and British Poets in order for the audience to see the differences in each. He supports this argument by analyzing pieces of Frost’s work from his viewpoint. He breaks them down by stanza then goes and analyzes the lines and finally each word and the connotations. I do not buy his argument because on page 230 he even says that he is analyzing the poem in a slated way in order for it to seem a certain way. In a real analysis, you analyze each word for what it is worth not changing or altering the meaning in order for it to fit your analysis. One thing that strikes me from the article is his effort he put into going word by word and explicitly explaining why each work was placed where it is and why the rhyme scheme is the way it is. Another thing that strikes my interest is his interpretation of the poem, ‘Come In.” I remember my class talking about what the poem meant and stood for and we got on the topic of vampires and how they cannot come in unless invited. I think his analysis of Come in is very clear, cut and to the point, whereas my class we took it far left and was going to an analysis that was more comical. One thing that confuses me is why Brodsky compared two poets. I think we all know that there are differences between American poets and British poets. I did not understand the point he was trying to make. I also do not understand why he chose those specific poems to analyze or what his point was going to prove. This essay adds to our understanding of Frost’s work. After reading this essay we can understand a new viewpoint on Frost. New criticism is heavily employed in the essay within the first couple of pages around the time the author is speaking about Frost and the many accomplishments and his life and effect on literature. Structuralism which analyzes the structure of literature in terms of content is also employed in the middle and towards the end of the essay.