A Line-storm Song
By Robert Frost
The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift,
The road is forlorn all day,
Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,
And the hoof-prints vanish away.
The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,
Expend their bloom in vain.
Come over the hills and far with me,
And be my love in the rain.The birds have less to say for themselves
In the wood-world’s torn despair
Than now these numberless years the elves,
Although they are no less there:
All song of the woods is crushed like some
Wild, easily shattered rose.
Come, be my love in the wet woods; come,
Where the boughs rain when it blows.There is the gale to urge behind
And bruit our singing down,
And the shallow waters aflutter with wind
From which to gather your gown.
What matter if we go clear to the west,
And come not through dry-shod?
For wilding brooch shall wet your breast
The rain-fresh goldenrod.Oh, never this whelming east wind swells
But it seems like the sea’s return
To the ancient lands where it left the shells
Before the age of the fern;
And it seems like the time when after doubt
Our love came back amain.
Oh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.
Summary of A Line-storm Song
- Popularity of “A Line-storm Song”: Written by the American poet laureate and Noble prize winner, Robert Frost, this beautiful poem comprising just four stanzas appeared first in a magazine in 1907. Later, when Frost published his collection, A Boy’s Will, he included this poem in it. The poem shows the poet’s strong emotions for his beloved, whom he calls to be on his side in the rain. That is where lies the main attraction of the poem.
- “A Line-storm Song” As a Representative of Call to Love: The poet presents different weathers in these four stanzas but concludes each stanza on a call to his beloved. The first stanza presents the line-storm clouds and rain washing away footprints on the road, making the poet feel the loneliness of the road. Although the wetness is attracting living things, nothing appears to come. Yet, the poet is recalling his beloved to whom he wants to be on his side in this rain. Similarly, the second stanza presents the situation of birds and elves who have stopped singing in the woods. He argues the entire woods is silent in the pervading despair where he recalls his beloved to be with him.
The third and the fourth stanzas present the situation of gales and west winds to show that although almost all the natural things are reactionary and recording their reactions to the stormy weather, what he wants is his love to be on his side despite the fact that she must have enjoyed the weather. This hope of a renewal of love despite stormy weather points to the metaphorical presentation of the poet’s broken relations and his desire to renew them. - Major Themes in “A Line-storm Song”: Enjoyment of weather, desire to repair relations, and wish to love are major themes of the poem “A Line-storm Song.” The poet has beautifully described the stormy weather and its different aspects with the desire and subsequent call for this beloved that she should be by his side. This is his desire to repair relations as he sees that this weather is enjoyable and that both should be with each other to make the most of it. Therefore, to repair relations, her presence is important to make him enjoy it. Therefore, the poet calls his beloved that she should be by his side. That is why he repeats, “And be my love in the rain” which shows how he strongly desires his beloved to be with him and renew relations.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in A Line-storm Song
Robert Frost’s superb dexterity lies in both writing poetry and using literary devices. Some of the major literary devices he used in this poem are as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “And the shallow waters aflutter with wind” and the sound of /o/ in “All song of the woods is crushed like some.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /w/ in “with wind” and “wet woods.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /d/ and /f/ in “The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee” and the sound of /l/ and /t/ in “The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift.”
- Enjambment: It is a device in which the meanings of a verse roll over to the next without having any pause or punctuation mark. This poem shows the use of enjambment, such as;
And it seems like the time when after doubt
Our love came back amain.
Oh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Robert Frost used imagery in this poem, such as “Oh, never this whelming east wind swells”, “But it seems like the sea’s return” and “Oh, come forth into the storm and rout.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet used the extended metaphor of weather to show broken relations.
- Simile: It is a figure of speech for direct comparison to understand the meanings of a thing being compared. For example, the poet used a simile such as the crushing of the songs compared to the crushed roses or swelling of the wind seems to return of the sea.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols, such as storm, gale, wind, valley, flower, and rain to show the stormy weather.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in A Line-storm Song
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal and poetic diction.
- End Rhyme: It means to use rhyming words at the end of the verses. The poet has used end rhyme such as swift/lift, day/way, and me/bee.
- Rhyme Scheme: It means to use end rhyme in a stanza. The poem follows the ABABCDCD rhyme scheme in all of its stanzas.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas, with each having eight verses.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a depressed, optimistic, and desirous tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about weather and love.
Oh, never this whelming east wind swells
But it seems like the sea’s return
To the ancient lands where it left the shells
Before the age of the fern;
And it seems like the time when after doubt
Our love came back amain.
Oh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.
