Tuft of Flowers By Robert Frost

The Poet

The Poem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwWYDwo0EGk

●  The poem begins with the poet doing farm work. Turing grass that has already been turned by another farmer.

●  The image of a keen blade caused by the dew is followed by the image of a leveled scene.

●  There is repetition in the third couplet as the poet looks and listens for the farmer who has gone

before him. ●  The fourth couplet stresses the loneliness of farm work.

●  The last word of the fourth couplet emphasises one of the main themes of this poem: A Sense

of Being Alone. ●  This sense of being alone, despite others being present, is a key concept in this poem.

●  What does it feel like to be lonely? Click here

Analysis of Poem

●  The poet is thoughtful and slightly depressed by what he observes before the appearance of the butterfly.

●  The appearance of the butterfly interrupts the farmer from contemplating his loneliness.

●  The butterfly who is seeking “yesterdays delight” becomes a symbol of memory and change.

●  The poem explores “questions that have no reply”. Frost uses the farming scene to explore

questions of loneliness and fellowship. ●  The butterfly draws the poets attention to a tuft of flowers.

●  The Tuft of Flowers becomes a symbol of what unites the poet and the unseen mower. Both

have a love of beauty and nature. ●  The poem emphasizes the spiritual Connection between the poet and the mower.

Analysis of Poem

●  Although the poet is still physically alone, the kindred spirit of the mower, revealed through the tuft of flowers left uncut means the poet is not really alone.

●  The poet and the mower are both glad in their own ways and are united in the fellowship of

nature. ●  The poem leads to a concluding message which is given in the final piece.

●  The message is that men are always working together, even when they are not physically

together.

Analysis of Poem

Tone

Until he makes this connection, he feels lost and unhappy and cannot settle down to the task ahead. The work of a poet is largely alone, but depends to a certain extent on the work of other poets who have gone before and who have led by example. Later the poet feels connected to the other farmer and feels less alone towards the end of the poem.

Theme

“The Tuft of Flowers” explores our need to belong and to have a sense of community. The poet works alone but it is important for him to feel a connection with the other farmer who started the day’s work. Until he makes this connection, he feels lost and unhappy and cannot settle down to the task ahead. The work of a poet is largely alone, but depends to a certain extent on the work of other poets who have gone before and who have led by example.