The Pasture - Robert Frost 5p3a2w

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Biography of Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost, b. San Francisco, Mar. 26, 1874, d. Boston, Jan. 29, 1963, was one of America's leading 20th-century poets and a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. An essentially pastoral poet often associated with rural New England, Frost wrote poems whose philosophical dimensions transcend any region. His poetry is thus both traditional and experimental, regional and universal. Frost's importance as a poet derives from the power and memorability of particular poems. Robert Frost mainly focused on the issue of nature.

Frost always presented

himself as a New Englander and therefore was interpreted as a nineteenth century Transcendentalist. Frost shared with Emerson and Thoreau the belief that everybody was a separate individuality and those collective enterprises could do nothing but weaken the self Frost avoided movements simply because they were right or left sided and involved group undertakings. 2. ANALYSIS “THE PASTURE” by Robert Frost I’m going out to clean the pasture spring; I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away (And wait to watch the water clear, I may): I shan’t be gone long – You come too. I’m going out to fetch the little calf That’s standing by the mother. It’s so young It totters when she licks it with her tongue. I shan’t be gone long – You come too.

2.1. PARAPHRASE He (the farmer) says to his wife that he is going out to clean the pasture spring. As a farmer who lives near the pasture, he needs to keep the spring clean because it is the source of fresh water where he and his family depend on. He must stop to rake the leaves away because the water flow may be blocked by them aand the water freshness can be polluted. It also requires a little time to make sure that the work is done. It means that the water will soon be clear after the farmer throw away leaves floating on the water. Before he goes out to do the work, a guest visits his house. He says to his guest that he has to do something but it won’t be long. He asks the guests to wait for him a moment. He then explains that he wants to fetch the little calf which is standing by its mother. He thinks that the calf is too young to roam outside. Although its mother has licked it to help clean its moist body, it still totters. So, it needs the owner’s help beside its mother’s care. 2.2. DEVICES OF POEM 2.2.1. RHYME Rhyme is the repetition of the identical or similar stressed sound or sounds. In frost’s poem the pasture, in the first stanza the rhyme occurs in the second line and the third line which are the words away and I may. In the second stanza, similar to the first, the rhyme occurs in the second and third line which are the words young and tongue. 2.2.2. RHYTHM Rhythm is the reccurences of the same stress or tone in a line to create the word or atmosphere. 2.2.3. TONE Tone is the attitude or the speaker described through the poem. So, the tone of this poem is obedience to God.

2.2.4. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE This poem is full of symbols. The symbols lie in: ♦

Pasture symbolizes the world

♦

To clean the pasture spring means to purify the heart and soul from sin.

♦

Leaves symbolize the sins that lie inside the heart.

♦

Wait to watch the water clear means wait until the clear from sins.

♦

To fetch the little calf means to guide the people who still have weak

faith. ♦

The mother symbolizes God

♦

It totters when she licks it with her tongue means God will send his

messenger to guide the ordinary people. So, God will not directly give enlightenment to them. 2.2.5. IMAGERY The poem shows the process of purifying human hearts from sin. 2.3. THE ”I” OF THE POEM The “ I” of the poem is preacher because he invites people to follow the way that is considered true. 2.4. GENERAL IDEA The general idea of this poem is invitation for people to follow the God’s way. 2.5. INTERPRETATION This poem is about a preacher talking of the right way to become God’s servant. He asks people to purify their heart from sin before they become His servants. It needs time to make the heart clean. He says that his duty is to guide people who still have weak faith for he is the servant of God. He realized that people with weak faith as a weak little calf that still need other assist besides from his mother (God). He will be there stand by the people and watch them until they can purify their hearts. REFERENCES: Raharjo, Hendarto. 1994. Introduction to English Literature. UNS PRESS, Surakarta.

ANALYSIS OF ROBERT FROST’S POEM THE PASTURE

Submitted as the fulfillment for Subject Poem Analysis Lectured by Drs. Mugiyatno, Msi

Arranged by: Nanang Syafi’I

C 0300007

Nurul Huda

C 0300008

Ahmad Thomy H

C 0300013

Arso Danardono

C 0300018

Yandi Setyawan

C 0300065

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND ARTS UNIVERSITY OF SEBELAS MARET SURAKARTA 2003