This is a fine list. But two of the best-known of his poems — "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "The Road Not Taken" — happen to be very good. I suspect they were disqualified because of their popularity. But that is not fair, either to the poems or to readers. Perhaps you have to have been, perhaps more than once, by yourself in a woods on a snowy evening in a certain mood and state of mind to recognize fully the truth Frost discerned there.
Among the comments:
ReplyDeleteTimothy Steele · Stanford University
Many thanks for reminding us of Frost's "Black Cottage"--a wonderful poem about our history and those who have made it. Because Frost wrote so many excellent poems, any top-ten will leave out masterpieces. To speak only of his lyrics, one might include "After Apple-Picking," "The Oven Bird," "Hyla Brook," "Stopping by Woods," "The Need of Being Verse in Country Things," "Spring Pools," "Once by the Pacific," "Acquainted with the Night," "Desert Places," "Carpe Diem," "Never Again Would Birds' Song Be the Same" -- wait a second: that's another top-ten there!
Reply · 11 ·
· March 14 at 7:39pm
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Mark Richardson [co-author of this piece, and co-editor of the letters] · Professor of English Literature at Doshisha University
You are correct, Timothy Steele. Frost needs his own Top 40.
Reply ·
· March 15 at 9:32am
No "Birches"?!! Here's my homage to that great, great poem: http://christopherguerin.blogspot.com/p/the-argument-from-design.html
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