Reluctance
By Robert Frost
Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping
Out over the crusted snow,
When others are sleeping.And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question ‘Whither?’Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
Summary of Reluctance
- Popularity of “Reluctance”: The poem ‘Reluctance’ was written by Robert Frost, a great American poet laureate, author, and critic. This poem is interesting and superb composition. It was first published in 1912 and was later included in A Boy’s Will. The main focus of the poem is on a protagonist who has returned home after successfully completing a series of remarkable adventures. To his surprise, the signs of the dead season have altered the stunning view of his hometown. The universal thematic strand in the poem contributed to the writer’s accolades and recognition.
- “Reluctance” As a Representative of Sorrow: This poem is an expression of sorrow. The writer, who has traveled extensively throughout the world, now finds himself on the way back home, experiencing a range of emotions that come with being a traveler. He marks the end of his journey after visiting exciting and beautiful places across the world. His excitement turns into sadness when he finds the signs of winter on his doorstep. His mood is greatly affected by the presence of the dead leaves, the snow that has developed a crust, and the flowers that have lost their vitality, leaving him feeling gloomy and sad. The dull and lifeless plain brings him heartache and sudden shock as he has never expected to encounter a welcome home like this. Although he is aware of the cyclical nature of the world, he persists in his refusal to sit back and wait for the joyous season. Instead, he desires to keep exploring the beautiful world.
- Major Themes in “Reluctance”: The conflict between head and heart, the transient nature of weather, and human emotions are the poem’s central themes. The poem captures and reflects upon the myriad emotions experienced by a traveler who has encountered and embraced the profound treasures of sheer ecstasy. His eyes have witnessed glories and bounties of nature. Yet, when he finds a path back home, his heart gets filled with sadness. The unexpected lifeless winter mocks the way he traces his way back. As an adventurer, he ignores the sorrow this season brings to the earth and goes with the drift of things.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Reluctance
literary devices function as mechanisms that writers employ to ensnare readers and decipher the covert messages within their poetic compositions. Robert Frost used various literary devices in the poem. The analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “The flowers of the witch hazel wither” and the sound of /e/ in “Was it ever less than a treason”.
- Alliteration: Alliteration means the use of consonant sounds in the initials of the successive words, For example, the sound of /l/ in “The last lone aster is gone” and the sound of /th/ in “those that the oak”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /th/ in “No longer blown hither and thither” and the sound of /k/ in “The heart is still aching to seek”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “I have climbed the hills of view”, “And the dead leaves lie huddled and still” and “And let them go scraping and creeping”.
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet used this device in the second stanza of the poem. For example,
“The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping.”
- Rhetorical Question: A rhetorical question is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. Robert Frost posed rhetorical questions at the end of the poem to put emphasize his point. For example, “And bow and accept the end/Of a love or a season?”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “Fields and the woods” stand for happy season whereas, and “dead leaves” symbolize the arrival of winter.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Reluctance
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Robert Frost used end rhyme in this poem such as “reason/season”, “wended / descended” and “sleeping/creeping”.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABCBDB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
- Sestet: A sestet is a six lined stanza. Here, each stanza is sestet.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising six lines.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines from The Reluctance are useful to add when talking about the conservation of nature.
“Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.”