Innovation In Tradition:a Study Of Robert Frost’s Writing Techniques

Robert Frost (1874-1963), widely read and constantly anthologized, is one of the most famous American poets in the20th century. In his ninety-year life journey, all kinds of glories came to him. Robert Frost persisted in the art of traditional poem and innovated on that basis. He gained honor and respect in modern American literary world by his particular innovation and theory.This paper will aim to discuss Frost’s constant innovation in writing while sticking to tradition; and the reasons will be explored. The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter investigates how Frost elaborates his ideas:"the colloquial is the root of every good poem"(Paton113). Frost develops his modernity by using simple and clear colloquialism, by means of which his poetry enjoy the "complexity beyond simplicity."1Chapter Two examines how Frost develops the theory of metaphor in a peculiar manner which displays his favorite poetic theory of "the pleasure of ulteriority" and "a clarification of life."2Starting from the changes of the meaning of "metaphor," by expounding the relations between metaphor and text, sounds and form in Frost’s poems, the chapter further illustrates Frost’s metaphor. The third chapter addresses Frost’s "sound of sense." Frost proposes his creative theory "sound of sense," and he believes that every syllable, word and sentence in the poem should have its special meaning and sound effects. With careful choice of diction, harmonious meter and musical rhyme, his poem is vivid and wonderful. Chapter Four summarizes the main factors contributing to Frost’s innovation from the aspect of social background and literary thought.The Conclusion makes an over-all assessment of Frost’s poetry, drawing the conclusion that by standing on the shoulders of many great literary predecessors, Frost persisted in innovation and succeeded in realizing his ambition:to write "a few poems it will be hard to get rid of"(Barry5). Moreover, his distinctive contribution in the development of English poetry is significant not only to contemporary literature but also to the study of later poets.