It should be of the pleasure of a poem itself to tell how it can. The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom. The figure is the same for love.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A poem should delight and end in wisdom, mirroring the same pattern as love.
- In plain terms
- Poems start with joy and finish with insight, like love does.
- What can you take from it?
- Seek both pleasure and understanding in creative work.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a poem both enjoyable and wise?
- Does love follow a similar arc?
Another view
The comparison to love may oversimplify poetic diversity.
More from Robert Frost
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
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Permalink to quote #107 He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.
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