This thesis is not a general survey of Frost's poems, but a specific study
of the constant blancing between alternatives in his poetry,
concentrating on the analysis of his representative balancing between the
romantic and the realistic, isolation and communication, escape and
responsibility to illustrate that Frost's constant balancing between
alternatives not only is a distinctive and imoirtant feature of his
poetic world but also leads to the momentary stays against confusion,
whereby we may obtain wisdom in many of his poems.
Chapter I gives a general introduction to Frost's style, the pastoral
background of jis poetry, and what's most important, his constant
balancing between alternatives. Im Chapter II we see that Frost's
attitude toward nature and man is neither excessivery romantic nor
extremely realistic; rather, he keeps on balancing the two extremes.
And through his characteristic balancing berween the romantic and the
realistic, he reveals to us that although nature is indifferent, inhuman
and diminished, man can still make something of it and that through
incessant pursuit of knowledge and truth and courageous struggle with
adverse circumstances, man, though limited, can achieve not merely
success but integrity and dignity. Chapter III deals with the balancing
between isolation and commmunication. Both isolation and communication
are essential to us. By isolating ourselves from others, we cone to
confront our real self. Meditate on the true meaning and valus of our
existence, and assert our individuality; however, excessive isolation
leads, at its best, to egocentrism; at its worst, to lonely madness. By
communicatingwith others, we can not only transcend our unbearable
loneliness and isolation but also have a better understanding of each
other so that we can cooperate more closely to achieve success and
harmony in life; notwithstanding, extreme communication without any
isolation will only induce the loss of selfhood and individuality.
Only through the balancing between isolation and communication can we
have a happy life and a peaceful world. Chapter IV discusses the
relationship between escape and responsibility. It is true that temporary
and recreative escape can not merely prevent us from avoidable
difficulties, dangers and pressures but make us fresh, vital and
confident again; however, the fulfillment of responsibilities enriches
and colors our life as well as brings benefits to our society. Our wish
to escape is counterbalanced by our sense of responsibility, and the
real purpose of temporary and recreative escape is to renew us so that
we may return to the world to fulfil more responsibilities. It is only
by balancing escape and responsibility that we keep ourselves wise,
integral and whole. After investigating the three representative kinds of
balancing between the romantic and the realistic, isolation and
communication, escape and responsibility, I conclude in Chapter V that
the constant balancing between alternatives is not merely a distinctive
and important characteristic of Frost's poerty, which we should pay
attention to if we wish to have clear comprehension of it, but also what
all of us need because, though it cannot offer any fixity and stability
which are impossible to achieve in this dynamic world of complexity and
multiplicity, yet it can give us momentary stays against confusion which
will enable us to go through life serenely and successfully.