TOW #5: The Figure a Poem Makes by Robert Frost

                        Written in 1939, The Figure a Poem Makes exemplifies Robert Frost’s reveals of his own perceptions on the aspects a poem should encompass and how those qualities should be viewed by the readers. Backed up by his acknowledged background as a renowned poet in his time, Frost is able to convey many of his opinions: a poem should differentiate itself in the midst of other works, invoke not only entertainment but wisdom that the readers can benefit from, and deliver the parallelism between the writer’s emotions upon writing the poem and the reader’s emotions upon reading it. By methodically listing out his criteria with the use of aphorism, Frost is successful in the delivery of his purpose to his fellow authors.

Frost’s ambitions to educate the audience through his own philosophy is embedded throughout his writing through his uses of aphorism. Utilizing his didactic tone in his belief of the parallel relationship of the reader and the writer, Frost states, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader” (Frost, 177). His short, terse assertion in this aphorism indicates the sheer emphasis of the author’s responsibility to feel the emotion of his writing before expecting the same from his audience. This intimate connection between the one writing and the one reading signifies the importance of the process of understanding what the author is trying to convey. Frost’s decision to use aphorism to deliver his ideas further supports his argument by providing the audience with accepted truths.

All in all, Frost’s educational literary piece on the attributes of a poem is portrayed seamlessly through his use of aphorism and his acclaim in the 1930’s. Frost’s ideas of what a poem should embody as a major poet himself is an indication of his influence on the literature to this day.