birches poem essay

Birches Summary & Analysis by Robert Frost

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

Robert Frost wrote "Birches" between 1913 and 1914, eventually publishing it in The Atlantic Monthly 's August issue in 1915. The poem was later included in Frost's third collection of poetry, Mountain Interval . Consisting of 59 lines of blank verse , the poem features a speaker who likes to imagine that the reason ice-covered birch trees are stooped is that a young boy has been climbing them and swinging to the ground while holding onto the flexible treetops. This, it eventually becomes clear, is something the speaker once did as a child, and this turns the poem into a nostalgic celebration of youthful joy while also juxtaposing childish spontaneity with the more serious, mundane realities of adulthood.

• Read the full text of “Birches”

The Full Text of “Birches”

1 When I see birches bend to left and right

2 Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

3 I like to think some boy's been swinging them.

4 But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay

5 As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them

6 Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning

7 After a rain. They click upon themselves

8 As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored

9 As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

10 Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells

11 Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—

12 Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away

13 You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.

14 They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,

15 And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed

16 So low for long, they never right themselves:

17 You may see their trunks arching in the woods

18 Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground

19 Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair

20 Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.

21 But I was going to say when Truth broke in

22 With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm

23 I should prefer to have some boy bend them

24 As he went out and in to fetch the cows—

25 Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,

26 Whose only play was what he found himself,

27 Summer or winter, and could play alone.

28 One by one he subdued his father's trees

29 By riding them down over and over again

30 Until he took the stiffness out of them,

31 And not one but hung limp, not one was left

32 For him to conquer. He learned all there was

33 To learn about not launching out too soon

34 And so not carrying the tree away

35 Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise

36 To the top branches, climbing carefully

37 With the same pains you use to fill a cup

38 Up to the brim, and even above the brim.

39 Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,

40 Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.

41 So was I once myself a swinger of birches.

42 And so I dream of going back to be.

43 It's when I'm weary of considerations,

44 And life is too much like a pathless wood

45 Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs

46 Broken across it, and one eye is weeping

47 From a twig's having lashed across it open.

48 I'd like to get away from earth awhile

49 And then come back to it and begin over.

50 May no fate willfully misunderstand me

51 And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

52 Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

53 I don't know where it's likely to go better.

54 I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,

55 And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

56 Toward  heaven, till the tree could bear no more,

57 But dipped its top and set me down again.

58 That would be good both going and coming back.

59 One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

“Birches” Summary

“birches” themes.

The Joy of Childhood

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

The Tedious Reality of Adulthood

Death, Spirituality, and Escape

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “birches”.

When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay As ice-storms do.

Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—

Lines 12-16

Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves:

Lines 17-20

You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.

Lines 21-27

But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows— Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone.

Lines 28-32

One by one he subdued his father's trees By riding them down over and over again Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer.

Lines 32-40

He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.

Lines 41-47

So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It's when I'm weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig's having lashed across it open.

Lines 48-52

I'd like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return.

Lines 52-56

Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better. I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward  heaven,

Lines 56-59

till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

“Birches” Symbols

Swinging from Birch Trees

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

“Birches” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Personification

Juxtaposition, “birches” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Many-colored
• The inner dome of heaven
• Pathless wood
• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Birches”

Rhyme scheme, “birches” speaker, “birches” setting, literary and historical context of “birches”, more “birches” resources, external resources.

The Robert Frost Farm — Read about Robert Frost's legacy in New England – where he swung from birches as a boy—and the farm  that bears his name!

Robert Frost Reads "Birches" — Hear the poet himself read "Birches" in this old recording.

Birch Swinging — Check out this video of somebody demonstrating how to swing from a birch tree.

The Poet's Life — For more information about Robert Frost, take a look at this brief overview of his life and work. 

Frost and the "Sound of Sense" — Learn more about Frost's thoughts on "sound of sense," a term he used to describe the significance of sound in poetry, especially when applied to straightforward but impassioned language.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Robert Frost

Acquainted with the Night

After Apple-Picking

Desert Places

Dust of Snow

Fire and Ice

Home Burial

Mending Wall

My November Guest

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

The Death of the Hired Man

The Oven Bird

The Road Not Taken

The Sound of the Trees

The Tuft of Flowers

The Wood-Pile

Everything you need for every book you read.

“Birches” by Robert Frost

Introduction, main ideas of the poem, importance of the poet’s claims.

The poetic legacy of Robert Frost, as one of the foremost American poets of the 20th century, is rich and imbued with images and vivid stories. As an example, his poem “Birches” can be analyzed as a work that captivates the reader with its philosophical ideas about eternity and love. The ability to describe nature with the power that is subject to Frost makes the poet a great master of the artistic word and allows asserting about his rich inner world. The purpose of this work is to analyze “Birches” from the standpoint of the key message that the poet puts into the content. The poem in question gives an impetus to the philosophical reflection on the power of love and individual experiences to understand why the impressions of the past shape the personality and determine one’s worldview characteristics.

The analysis of the poem in question allows highlighting the main motives that explain Frost’s desire to describe personal experiences and thoughts about the power of love and its influence on life. The style he adheres to gives him an opportunity to express the ideas comprehensively. Firstly, according to Gale (2016), the blank verse principle is a poetic form that simplifies storytelling and contributes to conveying thoughts without an emphasis on rhyme. Such a tool helps Frost concentrate on the essence of the poem. Secondly, the method of avoiding reality, which reinforces the philosophical implication, makes it possible to create the illusion of spatial reasoning when the poet covers not only the current moment but also other temporal dimensions. In “Birches,” Frost (1969) writes as follows: “You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.” This stanza invites the reader to open wider boundaries of reality and draws him into reasoning both in the context of earthly life and beyond it. Gale (2017) notes that such an approach is a symbolic tool for expanding the scope of consciousness. As a result, the poet embraces different dimensions for his philosophical analysis.

The theme of love touched upon in the poem is the leitmotif, despite the fact that its direct mention is at the end of the poem. According to Frost (1969), “Earth’s the right place for love,” and this thesis reveals the context of the events described. As Parini (2015) states, all of Frost’s works may be described as attempts to comprehend love and help people not to lose it in the challenging world. Not a single person who has experienced this great feeling can deny its power. Therefore, the poet insists that, although “life is too much like a pathless wood,” the connection with the past and experienced feelings should not be lost (Frost 1969). The temporal dimensions presented in the poem, particularly childhood and adulthood, are intertwined, which creates a unity of images and the inseparability of different periods from each other. This approach to assessing human nature allows the poet to emphasize that life is not long and carefree. Challenges that a person faces on one’s way can weaken or upset. However, the power of love that everyone is able to experience can soothe and empower.

The descriptions of birches with their ice-covered branches are the personification of human maturation. Frost (1969) writes as follows: “They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load.” This image of trees that lean to the ground and freeze under the influence of external forces is comparable to human feelings that harden over time due to the difficulties and anxieties of real life. However, as Sharhan (2017) notes, the key idea is not why these trees tend to the ground but how one can revive them and shake off the ice. The poet argues that while returning to his childhood, he could swing birches and experience the solemn feelings of freedom and lightness (Frost 1969). In real life, the image of trees describes people who, as they get older, lose their carelessness and open love and turn to stone in difficult living conditions. However, no one should forget that the true power of love can melt any ice and revive a person’s essence in the same way as a child swinging on a birch does. Thus, references to nature are the tools of comparison that Frost utilizes successfully.

Life experience seen as one of the drivers of human feelings is also involved as an important element that determines the degree of love that an individual can feel. The poet himself states that his riding on birches evokes only positive emotions, and he dreams of repeating this experience: “It’s when I’m weary of considerations” (Frost 1969). He realizes that while returning to childhood and abstracting from daily routine and worries, a person can control one’s destiny and experience the same vivid feelings as before. Love, as one of the strongest manifestations of spiritual nature, can sparkle with new colors if a person allows oneself to forget about adulthood as a restriction and perceive the world positively and gaily. Despite the fact that, as Parini (2015) remarks, Frost grew up in a materially-minded family with a serious father, the poet has managed to retain the memories of the most vivid moments of his childhood. This experience conveys the main message of “Birches,” which is the importance of remembering how love can inspire a person and break the ice in the heart due to the awakening of deep feelings.

The importance of Frost’s ideas expressed in “Birches” is justified by the shift of social interests and values ​​in favor of materiality and financial well-being. Love, as one of the strongest feelings, began to lose its significance under the influence of selfish goals that drive the actions of modern people. Today, when humanity has achieved great results in the development of the technological industry, the capitalist form of consciousness dominates over the ethical one. In such conditions, love recedes into the background and gives way to convenience and profit. This, in turn, creates obstacles to normal human interaction based on adherence to the principles of morality. Moreover, constant tension felt in the endless pursuit of well-being complicates life and leaves an imprint on the way of thinking, which transforms and becomes rational but not creative. All these factors hinder what Frost discusses, in particular, the ability to enjoy the pleasure that is available to everyone. Therefore, the value of the poem’s central idea can be explained from the perspective of its potentially positive influence on the way of thinking to release one’s consciousness from unnecessary worries and concerns.

The ability to understand how past experiences shape the human personality and define the boundaries of consciousness is valuable in view of an opportunity to draw the necessary conclusions and change the worldview. According to Sharhan (2017), closeness to nature is a factor that drives experience and determines how the environment influences consciousness. Although Parini (2015, 69) remarks that “one must be careful when using poems, which are constructs of the imagination,” Frost’s images convey the essence of his ideas explicitly. In pursuit of happiness, a person forgets about one’s past and carelessness, which, in turn, allowed expanding the boundaries of morality and ethics. Today, people tend to be guided by rational judgments, which can be effective and reasonable. Nevertheless, despite the existing bias in values, a personal background is essential for understanding what emotions simple and understandable feelings evoke. Love, despite the complexity of its manifestations, is one of the most vivid markers that reflect emotional moods. Thus, the discussion of the topic of experience and its role in human life is a useful incentive to reduce the negative impact of current challenges and concerns on the worldview.

Robert Frost’s poem “Birches” is filled with philosophical discourse about the power of love and the importance of past experience as a stimulus that determines the attitude towards the world. The evaluation of this work allows highlighting the main approaches used by the poet, in particular, the blank verse method to focus on the poem’s content and the personification of images. Birches that are compared to human lives help reveal the key point: as they grow up, people forget about the joy of life and vivid feelings, for instance, love. The importance of understanding these aspects is explained by the shift in values ​​in favor of material goods and an opportunity to find peace of mind due to the assessment of life experience.

Frost, Robert. 1969. “Birches.” Poetry Foundation. Web.

Gale. 2016. A Study Guide for Robert Frost’s “Birches.” Farmington Hills: Cengage Learning.

Parini, Jay. 2015. Robert Frost: A life . New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Sharhan, Ala H. 2017. “Accessing Pastoral Ideologies in R. Frost’s ‘Birches’ via Lexical Tools in Terms of Galperin’s Classification: A Stylistic Study.” Journal of Basra Researches for Human Sciences 42 (4): 372-385.

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Critical analysis of Frost’s “Birches”

In the poem “Birches” we come across Frost’s desire to withdraw from the world as also his love of the earth as symbolized by the boy’s game of swinging birches. The central thought of this poem is that the poet dreams of becoming a swinger o birches once again in his life as he was during his boyhood.

Frost’s central subject is humanity, and aliveness because it expresses living people. Other poets have written about people. But Robert frost’s poems are of the people and somewhat different. People in Frost’s poem work, walk about, and converse, and tell their tales with the freedom of common speech. “Birches” is among Frost best-known piece and has acquired wide popularity. What places the poem on a distinctly high level of appeal is the true and broad humanity running throughout the poem . In the background of the swinging birches, the imaginary boy’s behaviour and utterances acquire a philosophical depth and wisdom.

In “Birches”, the poet is weary of considerations that his life involves but he does not want to escape from his life on earth. He wants to become a swinger of birches at least for the time being. It is not the feeling of escapism that forms the central thought of “Birches” but love for the earth. Although the poet may like to withdraw from the cares and anxieties of the life on the earth, he cannot entertain the idea of relinquishing the earth forever. Frost was no mystic and perhaps no poem is more expressive of his thought than Birches. Elizabeth Jennings has pointed out, ‘in Birches he declares “Earth the right place for love,” and goes on to describe his own preponderance for the immediate tangible world, and his ability to manage without too much consideration of transcendental things.

Climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more. But dipped its top and set me down again.

The way in which the theme is rendered is dramatic. The sudden shifts in the imagery and the warmth of the humanly element in it give the poem a dramatic force and intensity. However the poem cannot be describe as a dramatic monologue , despite the dramatic the theme is treated here in elaborate canvas. “Birches” is one of those poems in which we find a sustained movement of sense, feeling and rhythm from beginning to end. Brower has rightly remarked about “Birches” and “The Census-Taker” ‘Frost offers a sure standard of achieved form in poetry of talk in an extended nature lyric Birch or in a country walker’s narrative like “The Census-Taker”.’ The evolution of feeling and reflection in these poems is carried forward unerringly through masterly variation of blank verse rhythm . Both poems start from vivid perceptions of natural or at least country things and both dramatize a person discovering new meanings or new puzzles in that situation.” The poem “Birches” begins in the tune of easy conversation.

When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.

Some critics like Alvarez deny Frost the title of “nature poet” and would regard him as rural or country poet. Undoubtedly Robert Frost’s poetry has an agrarian bias to is the poetry of a countryman for the countryman. “He is a country poet, whose business is to live with nature rather than through it.” He wishes to carry us off to agrarian world from the choking modern city. He is essentially a poet of pastures and plains, mountains and rivers, woods and gardens, groves and bowers, fruits and flowers, seeds and birds. To him “Wood are lovely, dark and deep and Earth’s the right place for love:

I don’t know where it’s likely to go better. l’dlike to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more But dipped its top and set me down again.

Frost has a tendency to philosophize but is free from didacticism . It has been explained by Lewis in these words, “He is a serious moralist as well as a serious artist But his peculiar intimacy with nature prevents him from being openly didactic: He teaches, like nature, in parables: sometimes merely presenting a picture, a mood , a narrative , and leaving you to draw your own conclusions, never permitting himself more than the tender, humorous sort of comment we find at the end of ‘Birches’:

I’d like to get away from earth a while And then come back to it and begin over. may no fate wilfully misunderstand me And half grand what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.

The language used is usually simple and clear. Some of its lines have epigrammatic force and terseness. The poem is remarkable for the poet’s mastery over blank verse too. The poem is written in a very simple and clear language and conversational style . Some of its line shaves epigrammatic force and terseness.

The poem consists of a series of beautiful pictures of nature and of man, and each sketch is hit off in a few happy touches, and is complete in itself. The swinging of the birches tossed by the ice-storms, and looked on at by a boy, in the early hours of the day, till

the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells. Shattering and avalanching ont he snow-crust- Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.

makes a genuine appeal. It is a striking picture of nature and of man rendered in terms of prominent imagery , an imagery that combines both fact and fancy. The second picture in the poem is that of the trees with “their trunks arching in the woods”. The ruffled atmosphere of the swinging birches is compared here to-

girls on hands and knees that throw their hair. Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.

There is a striking between the images, arching trees and the girls in disheveled hair, and each image renders the other more prominent. In the main the poem seems to be narrative or descriptive in intent. The philosophical statement at the end of the poem serves as finale to a series of picture which are significant for their shrewd turns.”

C.D. Lewis makes the following comment on its rhythm – the upward and downward movement of the rhythm fully reflects the going upto and coming down of the swinger of birches. But when the poet moralizes the rhythm becomes slow.”

About the imagery of the poem Prof. Saxena writes “The crystal ice becomes heaps of broken glass which is compared to the inner dome of heaven. The arched trees are transformed into girls on hands and knees – the girls who throw their hair before them over their heads to dry in the sun. The country boy ‘whose only play was what he found himself’, riding and subduing his father’s birches becomes the mature poet. One has just to quote a few lines to show the vividness and power of Frost’s imagery :

Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust Such heaps of broken glass away You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen

Frost does not see the country with the eyes of the carefree vagabond or the city stick romantic who finds it as charming and refreshing as a new mistress. He has for it rather the understanding, slightly quizzical look a man given the wife of him bosom.

It is no spirit of nature which sends Frost’s rain or wind; he neither sees in the natural world the pervading spirit Wordsworth saw…. the mountain is not a personality as it is for Wordsworth in the “Prelude” and in other poems” Frost did not idealize or glorify the objects of nature. He saw them as things with which and on which man acts in course of the daily work of gaining a livelihood. He rarely makes his lessen or his philosophy of nature as overt and obvious as Wordsworthian simplicity of style in his descriptions of Nature. In his poem Birches, we find Frost’s capacity for minute description and accurate description at their best and the opening lines of the poem are a characteristic example of the same. He gives here a smile, concrete description of the “habits” of birches and the changes wrought upon them by wind and ice storms. Young boys who swing on them.

When I see briches bend to heft and right Across the linesof straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging does’t bend them down to stay. Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain They click upon themselves As the breezae rises, and turned many-coloured As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells

Frost’s accuracy of description is, accompanied by delicacy of feeling aid imagination.. In the words of Untermever, “Birches”, one of Robert Frost’s most widely quoted poems, beautifully illustrates the poet’s power, the power to blend observation and imagination. He begins in tone of easy conversation:

When I see briches bend to left and right Across the lines of starighter darker trees…

and them, without warning or change of tone , the reader is arrested by a whimsical image, and the fact turns into a fancy. “I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. Fact and fancy play together throughout the poem . The crystal ice becomes heaps of broken glass. “You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.” The arched trees are transformed into girls on hands and knees “That how their hair before them over their heads to dry in the sun.” The country boy, whose only play was what he found himself, “riding and subduing his father’s birches, becomes the mature poet who announces:

Earth’s the right place for love; I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.

Though Frost is regarded preeminently as a poet of nature, man holds a more important place in his poetry than nature. He himself was conscious of the fact when he said, ‘I guess I’m not a nature poet have written two poems without a human being in them.” Contrasting Frost’s attitude towards nature with that of Wordsworth’s Murion Montgomery has rightly pointed out, From the publication of “A Boy’s Will down” to the present time Frost has indicated a realization that man can serve important part of this Universe.

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Robert Frost: Poems

"birches" - how the trees become a vehicle of transcendence for frost avani mittal 12th grade.

The poem 'Birches' was written by Robert Frost in his forties. Being at such an age, Frost desired to relive his childhood and the comfort it provided, but he also wanted to live and experience old age. Just like the birch trees, Frost also swings from wanting to go back to his childhood momentarily and then returning to Earth to live the rest of his life, because as much as he looked forward to the future, he also wanted to let go of his present weariness and go back to being as carefree, reckless and adventurous as a child.

Frost's poem begins with a description of the birches laden with snow on a 'sunny winter morning.' The birch trees are bent by the weight of the of snow and ice storms, but the poet prefers to imagine that it was a boy swinging birches that caused the trees to bend and not the 'truth', breaking in with all her 'matter of fact’ and thus shattering his imaginings. The poet prefers here his own plausible explanation of the bent birches rather than a real one. Hence it is at the very outset that Frost conveys how human it is to transcend the realities of life by transporting oneself into the realms of imagination - not fantasy!

The poet creates an image of a boy- an innocent, lonely boy, 'who went out and in...

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by Robert Frost

When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees , I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain . They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow -crust— Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves: You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows— Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter , and could play alone . One by one he subdued his father’s trees By riding them down over and over again Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer. He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig’s having lashed across it open. I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love: I don’t know where it’s likely to go better. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

Summary of Birches

• Popularity of “Birches”: Robert Frost, a great American poet wrote ‘Birches’. This poem is known as one of the best literary pieces, for its themes of natural beauty and memory. The poem revolves around the beautiful, birches trees that are bent toward the ground. It also tells about the speaker ’s past experiences associated with those trees. Its popularity, however, lies in that it deals with the subject of a carefree life.
• “Birches” As a Representative of Natural Beauty: The poet illustrates how the dark and bending trees catch his attention. When he glances those birches bending left to right in the forest, he thinks that the boys swinging caused bends in their branches. Later, he realizes that these bends might also be caused by ice-storm as the weight of ice forces them to bend toward the ground due to the pressure. Although he imagines both situations, he prefers the first one recalling his memory of how he used to swing on the trees from side to side and from the earth up to heaven. He uses his active imagination to make readers feel the joy of swinging on birches trees. Also, he compares his life with a pathless wood and desire to get an escape into those carefree days of childhood. Therefore, he dreams about swinging in the birches to get away from the pains of life.
• Major Themes in “Birches”: Nature, memory, and childhood are the major themes of this poem. The poem speaks about the poet’s encounter with those beautiful trees. It illustrates how he associates two different ideas while looking at the bent branches of those beautiful trees. The beautiful widespread bends in the branches remind him of his beautiful past days. Also, he imagines how natural calamities can transform the actual appearances of the objects . He desires to be the swingers of birches as he was in his childhood.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Birches”

literary devices are tools used to convey emotions, ideas, and themes in a poem or a story . With the help of these devices, the writers make their texts more appealing to the reader. Robert Frost has also employed some literary devices in this poem to capture the beauty of birches trees. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been stated below.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /a/ in “Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—”.
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /l/ in “Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells”.
• Personification : Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. For example, in line sixteen, “So low for long, they never right themselves”. As if the trees are human and can correct their postures but not they are not willing to do that.
• Anaphora : It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, “As the” in the first stanza of the poem is repeated to emphasize the point.
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound if /c/ in “As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel” and the sound of /b/ in “When I see birches bend to left and right”.
• Simile : Simile is used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. For example,

“Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair.”

• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “When I see birches bend to left and right”, “To the top branches, climbing carefully” and “And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk.”
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought or clause that does not come to an end at a line break ; instead, it moves over to the next line. For example,

“And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig’s having lashed across it open.”

• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate a statement for the sake of emphasis. For example,

“Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust.”

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Birches”

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem

• Stanza : A stanza is a set of lines or verses in a poem. ‘Birches’ is a single stanza long free- verse poem with fifty lines without any stanza break.
• Free Verse : Free Verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter . This is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below can be used for children when discussing ‘life’ in rural areas. The description would help them understand the blissful life of those areas.

“I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward  heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again.”

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When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust-- Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves: You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows-- Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone. One by one he subdued his father's trees By riding them down over and over again Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer. He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It's when I'm weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig's having lashed across it open. I'd like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better. I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

From The Poetry of Robert Frost by Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem. Copyright 1916, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1934, 1939, 1947, 1949, © 1969 by Holt Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Copyright 1936, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1953, 1954, © 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 by Robert Frost. Copyright © 1962, 1967, 1970 by Leslie Frost Ballantine.

More by this poet

A line-storm song.

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift,    The road is forlorn all day,  Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,    And the hoof-prints vanish away.  The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,   Expend their bloom in vain.  Come over the hills and far with me,    And be my love in the rain. 

Not to Keep

They sent him back to her. The letter came Saying... and she could have him. And before She could be sure there was no hidden ill Under the formal writing, he was in her sight— Living.— They gave him back to her alive— How else? They are not known to send the dead— And not disfigured visibly. His face?—

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road And slows his horse to a meaning walk, I don’t stand still and look around On all the hills I haven’t hoed, And shout from where I am, What is it? No, not as there is a time to talk. I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground, Blade-end up and five feet tall,

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Birches — General Characteristic Of Birches Poem

General Characteristic of Birches Poem

• Categories: Birches Robert Frost

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Published: Nov 8, 2019

Words: 2759 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read

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Birches by Robert Frost, Essay Example

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Relationship of Man and Nature in Birches by Robert Frost

‘ Birches’ is one of the poems written by Robert Frost in the early 20 th century. Referring to Frost’s early poems sometimes seems challenging due to their nature the thematic intentions by the poet when he wrote the poems. ‘Birches’ is a poem that Frost wrote mainly to bring to the readers the concept of science in the society. In order to do this well, Robert Frost used other themes such as nature in relation to human in the poem. In the early days of 19 th century, Robert Frost was mainly concerned with ensuring perfection of what he referred to as “the sound of sense” (Fagan 37). In the poem ‘Birches’, the relationship between man and nature has been well illustrated either directly or using certain literary devices such as symbolism and irony. This paper examines the aforementioned theme as depicted in the poem.

Nature is one of the elements predominantly featured in ‘Birches’ and the poem include certain moments of encounter or interaction between a natural object or human speaker. The first three stanzas of the poem depicts nature as related to people. The persona says, “I like to think that some boys have been swinging them. But…” (Frost; Line 3-4). In this excerpt, the persona refers to the birches that have been bent to the right and left.  Birches are nature in the making but the fact that they swung is an indication of some level of human influence in them. The persona tends to find out the existing connection or relationship between the birches and the boys. Birch is a broadleaved hard wood tree that is deciduous in nature. Their ending is not natural and is seen to be influenced by human. In this case, the poet has employed the use of birches as symbolism to elaborate on how nature and human relate.

Like many other poems by Robert Frost, ‘Birches’ focuses on the act of discovery and Frost ensures demonstration of how human-nature engagement leads to self-discovery, knowledge and growth among people (Fagan 69). For example, the persona talks of climbing the birch tree towards the end of the poem to remove stiffness of the tree branches for other uses. “Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground ” (Frost; Line 28-29). Here it is evidenced that Frost engages the readers of his poem to understand how human gained nature helped people gain knowledge during his time. In particular, he depicts the existence of an important relationship between nature and man.

Despite the fact that human depended on nature to make some beneficial discoveries, Frost makes it clear to the readers that nature is not concerned with human’s achievement, discoveries or miseries. In short, between nature and man, only man is aware that nature benefits him and not vice versa. He uses personification to show how ice affects trees. “ Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning. After a rain, they click upon themselves ” (Frost; Line6-7). In essence, he tries to show the readers that ice affects the comfort of birches, and the birches are not concerned with the human interests but their own.

As stated before, nature is a crucial theme in most of Frost’s poems. He describes the origin of human knowledge using nature. His poems reveal that science originated from the interaction between nature and man. The poem, ‘Birches’ is one of the poems showing the relationship between human and nature as described above.

Works Cited

Fagan, Deirdre J. Critical Companion to Robert Frost: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work . New York: Facts on File, 2007. Internet resource.

Frost, Robert. Birches . New York, NY: Henry Holt, 2002. Print.

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An Analysis of “Birches” by Robert Frost

Continue your exploration of Robert Frost poems with an analysis of “Birches”. Follow the link for a step-by-step breakdown on how to analyze a poem .

Here’s a symbolism in the poems of Robert Frost lesson plan . You’re welcome.

“birches” by robert frost.

You want to teach Frost but you’re afraid of an ice cold reception because you don’t have enough time to prepare a great lesson? No worries. These Robert Frost poetry lesson plans are ready to use.

When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay. Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them 5 Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells 10 Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust– Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed 15 So low for long, they never right themselves: You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. 20 But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm (Now am I free to be poetical?) I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows– 25 Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone. One by one he subdued his father’s trees By riding them down over and over again 30 Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer. He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away 35 Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, 40 Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood 45 Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig’s having lashed across it open. I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. 50 May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love: I don’t know where it’s likely to go better. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree, 55 And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches. 60

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My Analysis of Birches: Evidence for an Essay

Imagine having 11 complete poetry units with handouts and lesson plans completed . You don’t need to imagine. These units are teacher ready and student ready. Just print, make copies, and accept accolades from colleagues and students.

My own analysis using the steps for writing a poetry analysis produces the following observations:

• There is no rhyme scheme. The meter is blank verse with variations. The lack of structure mirrors the freedom of youth.
• The poem creates its rhythm through the use of enjambment.
• The poem opens with a contrast: bent birches and straighter, darker trees.
• The short sentence in line five “ice storms do that” jolts the reader and changes the tone from idyllic to harsh.
• The contrast is continued in line 6 with the juxtaposition of ice and sunny .
• Line 9: alliteration of “cracks and crazes” draws the reader’s attention. Cracks and crazes could also represent the wrinkling of old age. Enamel reminds me of teeth and bones.
• I am drawn to the alliteration and assonance in lines 10-11: “soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells shattering and avalanching on the snow crust.”
• Old age metaphor in lines 14-16: “They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, / and they seem not to break; though once they are bowed [nice pun] / So low for long, they never right themselves.”
• Line 23 contains a pivot: “(Now am I free to be poetical?)” The tone of the poem changes once again. Poets see things that aren’t and make them so. It’s not about facts. It’s about beauty. The poem’s rhythm picks up immediately, reflective of the switch from old age represented by ice bent limbs, to youth, represented by swinging from branches.
• Line 29: “One by one he subdued his father’s trees” much in the same way the young supplant the old.
• Line 42: “So was I once myself a swinger of birches” is a combination of alliteration and consonance. It establishes the last stanza as reflective, a personalized message about youth. It marks a change in mood.
• Lines 47-50 states the poet’s desire to begin his life again, much in the same way he begins his poem again in lines 23 and line 42. Form enhances theme.
• The final association of birches is with love beginning in line 55.
• He finishes the poem with an outstanding example of meiosis: “One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.” This is the concluding line to a poem that exults the life of one who is a swinger of birches.

Two-Paragraph Analysis of “Birches” by Robert Frost

The poem pivots in line 24 as the poet imagines that, yes, the birches are bent from a boy swinging on them. The rhythm of the poem speeds up as Frost provides images of youth swinging on birches. Frost uses alliteration in line 42 to change the direction and mood of the poem once again as he reflects on what it would be like to be young again. The only way to do this, he claims, is through love. It is through love that even those who are bent can enjoy a renewal of their spirit, and can “climb black branches up a snow white trunk / Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more” (56-57). He emphasizes the perfect rejuvenating power of love, represented by the birches, via meiosis in the last line: “Once could do worse than be a swinger of birches” (60).

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The Poem by Robert Frost - "Birches"

Updated 16 September 2022

Subject Books

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Category Literature

Topic Birches

Robert Frost wrote a poem titled "Birches" which first appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in August 1915. Along with "The Sound of Trees" and "The Road Not Taken", the poem was included in Frost's third collection of poetry, Mountain Interval, published in 1916. The poem is a lyrical description of the changing seasons.The poem begins by describing the way birches appear in the landscape. In contrast to the straight, linear lines of other trees, birches are scattered to the right and left. The poet imagines a boy swinging between two birches. However, the rational side of the poet knows that the birches' bent form is the work of an ice storm, which cracked their enamel."Birches" is a poem by Robert Frost that describes the natural beauty of the trees. The poet, in a forest, notices a pair of birches bending in the wind. He first thinks that the birches bend because of a boy swinging on them, but then he realizes that the bends are caused by an ice storm. The ice storm bends the branches because of the pressure. The poet then remembers swinging on birches as a child. The poem is a great example of how the author uses an active imagination to create a poem that will have its readers feeling the joy of the birches as they read.The metaphors used in "Birches" are effective and help the reader understand the message. However, it is also possible to read the poem in its literal sense. The language is simple and effective in displaying the message. In addition to this, the poem also uses multiple meanings that help the reader.Birches are an important tree in the Northern Hemisphere. They have a wide distribution in temperate regions, with 40 species. They are often found in lowland habitats and are cultivated for their edible and cabinet-making properties. They are also used in landscaping in some parts of the world.As a child, the act of swinging on birches is a way to escape the adult world. It is a symbolic representation of heaven, the place of free imagination. As a young boy, the act of climbing birches allows a boy to escape the earth for a few moments, yet still remain rooted in the earth.One of Frost's most famous poems, "Birches" has more than meets the eye. The poem was first published in August 1915 in the Atlantic Monthly and later collected in his third book, Mountain Interval, in 1916. Frost's poem is widely regarded for its formal perfection, opposition of the internal and the external world, and dry wit.This poem is a short one, with just fifty-nine lines. It does not use stanza breaks, but is written in iambic pentameter, a form that reflects the author's poetic style. Frost's style is meditative, and this style works well for this kind of poem. Personification The Personification of Birches is an evocative poem with themes of childhood, nature, and memory. It tells the story of a boy who wants to swing on the birches. The speaker uses a variety of imagery to depict his musings on these themes, including a boy's ice-storm and a wishful thought. Throughout the poem, he uses brilliant descriptive passages to show how the elements of nature can transform objects and people.The persona in "Birches" refers to the childlike wonder and joy that children have. The speaker imagines a young boy climbing the birches in the woods and jumping off, drifting back to earth while holding the uppermost branches. This poem celebrates the carefree spirit of childhood, suggesting that the speaker is a child without responsibilities.Alliteration Alliteration of birches is a form of poetic composition that emphasizes the beauty of nature. The birch tree has a beautiful slender trunk that bends in the wind and snow. The poet uses this metaphor to capture the reader's attention. This poem evokes a sense of wonder as the poet describes how the bends of birches resemble the movement of a boy swinging from birch branches.William Carlos Williams uses alliteration to create a memorable image. He uses the birches as a symbolic representation of the poet's childhood memories. The poet then uses nature as a symbol for his life's journey, introducing themes such as imagination and darker realities.Image of conquest Frost's poem "Birches" is set in an idyllic New England landscape, and yet it is a work published during World War I. While the poem shows little sign of war, there are many images of violence and conquest that are present. Frost makes these images visible, and uses the language of conquest to make them more powerful.The poem begins with an image of a boy swinging on a birch. The boy acknowledges that only an ice storm could bend the tree, but contrasts the warmth of the sun and the shattered ice. This imagery helps the reader imagine a child's naive innocence and longs to return to that time.Relationship to girls on all fours "On All Fours" is a follow-up to the critically acclaimed second season of the Netflix comedy Girls. The series has been criticized for making a number of events seem too unrealistic. For example, Marnie wouldn't date a psychotic artist, and Ray wouldn't date a manic young girl. Furthermore, Hannah wouldn't get a book deal if she didn't write a blog. In response to these criticisms, the show has released a sequel, "On All Fours."Themes of the poem The poem about birches opens with the image of a boy swinging among the birches. In fact, the poet argues that it was a boy who bent these trees. However, the real truth is that birches are twisted permanently because of ice storms.The poem reflects the poet's philosophical views on life and the nature of the world. He compares reality and imagination. He also compares the earth and heaven. In order to achieve this, the poet makes use of figurative language. Ultimately, the poem is about the beauty and the pain of life. It shows how the writer relates childhood memories to adulthood. Moreover, the poem deals with the themes of freedom and rebirth.Another main theme in the poem is the tension between the real world and the poet's imagination. Frost tries to transcend the limitations of the real world through his poetic imagination. In this way, he enables the reader to swing back and forth between the two. For instance, in the poem "Birches", the speaker rejects the real cause of bent birches, and instead describes the act of swinging high to heaven and landing back on earth.

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