Love and a Question Flashcards
Who is the poet? CONTEXT about him?
- Robert Frost
- American poet.
- A lot of his poems are set in rural environments, most likely inspired by nature surrounding his home in rural New England (place in America.)
- He was influenced by Romantic poets (whose poems were about nature a lot.)
- He was also the son of a farmer.
What poetry collection is “Love and a Question” part of? When was this poetry collection published?
- “A boy’s will”: mainly autobiographical.
- 1915.
What type of form does this poem have?
- Narrative poem: style of a ballad (poem with musical quality.)
- Similar to structure of old folk songs (as if the poem is like an old folk tale –> teaching the poet a lesson.)
What is the rhyme scheme like in this poem? Significance?
- Consistent rhyme scheme –> makes poem feel familiar ie. making the reader feel like this situation has/ could happen to them and they could learn from it.
- Also adds to song-like nature of poem, almost like old-folk song; teaching a lesson.
- Shows security of bridgegroom with his wife.
What is Frost’s purpose with this poem?
- Frost’s purpose is to critique selfish love over selfless love.
- Crittiquing concept of love; suggesting that people apply love in a limited way; only in a romantic manner.
- Critiquing potential deteriments of romantic love, overwhelm you from being able to show compassion to anyone else.
When was the poem published?
- 1915
Significance of title: “Love and a Question?”
- Question = whether man should induldge in selfish love or help others.
Main themes in this poem.
- Romantic love vs love for the vulnerable.
What is the significance of the lack of names for any characters?
- “bridegroom”, “bride”, “A stranger.”
- Offers a fairy tale air to the poem: delivering a moral message to the reader.
What is the significance of the third-person narrator?
- Shows impartiality regarding husband’s decision to turn stranger away, allowing reader to decide for themsleves whether this is moral or not.
How is The Stranger presented at the beginning of the poem?
- Polite
- “green white stick”: similar to staffs held in fairy tales. Is Stranger coming to teach a moral lesson? But also natural imagery - associating the Stranger with purity AND also shows lack of equipment he has/ in the wild.
- “asked with eyes more than lips for shelter”: personification, shows man’s clear desparation.
How is the desertion in setting made clear at beginning of the poem?
- Deserted: “no window light”- no one is watching making it a real moral test for bridegroom. Emphasises that this man is his only hope.
What main imagery is used throughout this poem? Give examples.
- Natural imagery.
- “woodbine leaves littered the yard, woodbine berries were blue.”
- “Blue”: showing the stranger’s feeling of being physically cold but also sadness of not being let in.
-“littered”: symbol of stranger; this is how the bridegroom views the stranger, as litter outside. - Common imagery perhaps mirroring Stranger’s common nature; someone of lower class perhaps, this why he is shown love?
Between what two locations is constrast created.
- Between inside the couple’s country home and the cold barren imagery outside.
- Emphasises the bridgegroom’s priveldge in this situation, critiquing the fact he doesn’t use his priveledge to help others - as he should.
How is the weather described outside?
- “winter was in the wind.”
- Alliteration: creates rushing sound of wind; sympathise for situation stranger is in.
- Metaphor: could be a symbol of the emotional coldness of the bridegroom.
What is the significance of the “bridegroom stepping forth in the porch? “
- Symbol of bridegroom entering the Stranger’s realm; shows that he has the power and control - can come in and out as he pleases but stranger doesn’t; misuse of priveledge?
Significance of dialogue of bridegroom.
- No response from the Stranger, only bridegroom’s dialogue; shows his lack of love and sympathy - not letting the stranger speak.
- Involving stranger in his decision to ultimately reject him, BRUTAL!
Why is “night” repeated many times throughout the poem?
- Shows darkness stranger would have to stay in, emphasising how cruel it is from bridegroom to leave him outside.
How is the bride desribed physically?
- “face rose-red”: shows warmth of the home, contrasts the cold outside. Could also be sexual image.
- “bent over open fire.” Sensual image.Could also be seen as quite romantic/ fairy tale like –> beautiful fanatasy the man is living in/ linking to “old folk tale” nature of poem.
- “thought of the heart’s desire.” She embodies everything the man desires, safety, domesticity. Assonance here dlows down pace –> makes it slow and passionate.
How is the domesticity within the rural country home made clear?
- “open fire”
- “glowing coals.”
- Creates contrast with harsh, barren conditions outside.
- The fire could be a symbol of passionate/ sensual love.
What does the bridegroom wish for his wife?
- “wishes her heart in a case of gold, pinned with a silver pin.”
- “gold” “silver” –> royal imagery/ utmost love he shows for his wife.
- Metaphor: wants to protect his wife/ hold her close to him. Perhaps doesn’t want to let stranger in to protect her? Also wants to protect everything his wife has to offer on their wedding night (sexual but also domestic.)
How is it seen that there is a class difference between stranger and bridgegroom?
- Speaks about how he would give: “a prayer for poor or for the rich a curse.”
- “or” –> not really bothered what he says to the man; just anything to make him leave.
- Shows that he must be wealthy in comparison to stranger. Social class difference couldv’e led to rejection. Frost critiquing this?
What does the bridgegroom decide to do to help the stranger?
- Decides to give him food and money “a dole of bread, a purse,”
- Caesura used to show schedule of actions man is taking, not showing compassion - somewhat robotic.
What night is this poet set in?
- Set on the wedding night of a bride and bridegroom.
How does the poem end?
- Bridegroom doesn’t want stranger to “mar the love of two” ie. on their wedding night so he sends the stranger away.
- The bridegroom “wish he knew” whether his decision was moral or not. He feels guilty. Poem left on uncertain note –> allows reader to decide for themselves whether this was moral or not!
What could the stranger be seen as a symbol of?
- Manifestation of higher power ie. God teaching a moral lesson to the bridegroom.
- “whether or not a man was asked to mar the love of two.”
- “asked” –> stranger is teaching the bridegroom a lesson.
What does it mean when it is said that the stranger is “habouring woe in the bridal house?”
- Stranger would bring his troubles into the bridegroom’s home - ruining the atmosphere of the night.
Significance of man being called a “bridgegroom” rather than just a “groom”
- Shows how connected the man is to his wife. Wife is like a part of him just like she is a part of his name!
What sort of rhythm does this poem have?
- Varying rhythm, reflects uncertainty of briedgroom in his decision of turning the stranger away.
