'Out,Out-' Flashcards
“The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard”
Personification of the saw, metaphor for the I.R. Personification of saw makes it seem very dangerous which highlights Frost’s hatred towards the I.R especially for the children who were forced to work. Repetition of this in line 7 emphasises Frost’s hatred. Verb “snarled” is associated with anger//viciousness.
“Lifted eyes could count”
People in the town are so exhausted that they cannot appreciate nature due to society being fixated on work.
“Five mountain ranges”
Beautiful scenery which highlights Frost’s love for nature. Nature will carry on after someone dies. Nature will never cease to exist. Also, romanticised version of country life juxtaposing the harsh reality.
“sunset”
foreshadows the end of someones life.
“day was all but done”
Work is repetitive and insignificant. There was a chance for the boy to go in for ‘supper’
“Call it a day, I wish they might have said”
colloquialism to emphasise age
‘boy’
innocence is emphasised highlighting how Frost strongly disagrees with Child Labour.
‘his sister stood beside them in her apron”
children were used to working highlights the normalcy of child labour.
“leaped out of the boy’s hand”
loss of control - personification of saw uncontrollable saw - boy is helpless against it. metaphor for nature being helpless against I.R due to the power/harm of machinery.
“life from spilling”
metaphor which simplifies blood as life highlighting there is more to life than just existing and doing ‘work’. Human life being fragile against ever-lasting nature.
“must” “however”
tone of uncertainty, has the memory of the speaker been distorted due to trauma of the incident?
“big boy doing a man’s work, though a child at heart” !!!
(place in society and time)
- juxtaposition between ‘man’ and ‘boy’ highlights how unfair and morally wrong it was to have children working. Frost despised the I.R and how it stole the wonders of childhood from innocent children sometimes costing them their life.
“don’t let him” “don’t let him, sister!”
the worthlessness of existence when he cannot work. Emphasises immaturity due to the boy having to grow up quickly. Not concerned about dying but the inability to work and provide for his family
“Little-less-nothing-“
(place in society and life)
- heart beat fading, the ‘boy’ is close to dying. The caesura at the end (-) and end stop line creates a non - chalant tone highlighting that death is insignificant.
“No more to build on there.”
no legacy, no impact and no memory. The boy’s life was insignificant.
