Robert Frost is generally considered the leading American poet of his generation. He is identified almost exclusively with New England, as most of his poetry attempts to capture the essence of rural life in the New England states. He describes the new desert and the people of the region with great insight and wisdom. Frost is also praised for his use of dialogue and native New Englanders' wit. Frost has been described as quaint and old-fashioned (Cox 4), a true Yankee poet. However, critics such as Malcolm Cowley argue that Frost should not be considered exclusively an American poet. Frost was virtually unknown before his three-year stay in England. This sojourn had a great influence on Frost's career, making him a sensation in literary circles abroad and ensuring his success in America (Cowley 3). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Frost's early life was unremarkable. He was born in San Francisco in 1874. At the age of ten he moved to New England, which remained his true home for the rest of his life. He married Elinor, a high school classmate, and they had four children. Although Frost wrote poetry, few were published. The Frost family settled on a small farm in Derry, New Hampshire, where Robert taught at a local school. Although his chances for promotion looked promising, Frost was unhappy with the direction his life had taken. He wanted to write and in 1912 he decided to abandon his teaching career to devote himself to poetry. Frost began late as a serious poet. At the age of 38 he was going nowhere as a poet and was forced to reevaluate his life. He submitted material to several magazines, only to have them rejected. One newspaper, to Frost's dismay, had kept an unpublished poem for three years (Weintraub 301). He realized that he needed to leave Derry if he wanted to make a living as a writer, and discovered that he had the means to do so. His grandfather's will left him an annuity of $800, nearly the amount of Frost's annual teaching salary. The Frost family, if they budgeted carefully, could attempt a move, at least on a temporary basis. The Frosts discussed a suitable location. Robert considered joining a friend in Vancouver, but Elinor preferred England. Robert is said to have flipped a coin for the final decision; the coin chose England (Thompson 388-390). England turned out to be the logical choice. For many Americans who aspired to the arts, London was an excellent place. The area had "a sentimental charm, a psychic value, a professional practicality" (Weintraub 4). Frost could draw inspiration from the English environment and had a better chance of making profits abroad. London publishers often took risks on newcomers with potential. Until Frost could establish himself, he could support his family without making great personal sacrifices. The cost of living in London was relatively low and Frost's small income could be stretched over several years (Weintraub 301). Although he regretted leaving New Hampshire, Frost wanted to sever his old ties and experience new things. Frost later wrote, "'I had no letters of introduction; I knew no one in England. But I felt obliged to lose myself among strangers, to write poetry without further scandal to friends or family'" (qtd in Gerber 26). Frost's first home in England, "The Bungalow", was located in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Frost spent a lot of time exploring the suburbspastoral care of the area. He found the English countryside very different from his familiar New Hampshire environment. Frost delighted in noting those differences, and some of his poetry reflects his response to his new home, particularly "In England": Alone in the rain I sat today on top of a roadside gate, and a bird flew approached with silent beak, And a watery breeze kept blowing cold From the hill behind me... For the breeze was a watery English breeze, always fresh from one of the seas, and the country life the English lead in the wood beech and clover mead is never far from sailing. The Bungalow's most important contribution to Frost's life was the reawakening of his interest in his earlier writings. Frost had brought a trunk of his old poems to his new home and one night he decided to look at them again. He initially had no purpose in mind for the manuscripts and "wasn't sure he was making anything more than a game" (Thompson 396). However, as Frost reread the poems, he began to see the possibility that some of the grouped texts suggested the thoughts of a young man struggling to find his own direction (Thompson 396-397). The result was Frost's first volume of poetry, collected under the title A Boy's Will. The book contained a sequence of 32 poems that spanned seasons and moods, from desperation and withdrawal to aspiration. Frost wanted to establish certain relationships for the reader, so he placed a short gloss under each title on the index pages (Weintraub 303). Frost finally felt he could seriously launch his career when he saw the final product. As Frost's home was only 21 miles by train from London, he visited the city often. At this early time, however, he had no literary contacts. Not knowing where to take his volume for publication, Frost approached his only friend in London, a police columnist. This friend took Frost to the offices of David Nutt, a small publisher. Frost learned upon arrival that David Nutt had died, but Nutt's widow offered to look at the manuscript. He accepted the volume. On his next visit to London, Frost accepted the terms of his contract with the Nutt firm. Nutt was given the first option to publish Frost's next four books of poetry. Frost was encouraged by the long-term commitment; his future finally appeared more defined (Weintraub 304). Frost's travels to London allowed him to meet several influential people. In America he had rarely met people who considered poetry a serious vocation; but in London he was surrounded by them (Weintraub 230). At Harold Munro's poetry bookshop, Frost first met the British poet FS Flint. Flint was impressed by A Boy's Will and encouraged Frost to arrange a meeting with Ezra Pound. Pound, also an American, had become the leader of a group of poets known as the Imagistes. Pound was known to have an eye for poetic expression and liked to introduce young poets to the literary world. Like Flint, Pound was pleased with A Boy's Will and promised to publish a favorable review of the volume in Harriet Munro's Poetry magazine (Thompson 410-411). Pound kept his promise, and his review praised Frost for his simple, uncomplicated style. Pound wrote that Frost "'has the good sense to speak naturally and to paint... the thing as he sees it... [H]e is without pretense and without affectation'" (qtd in Gerber 28). The magazine proceeded to denounce the American editors who had neglected Frost and to repeat some statements that Frost had relayed to Pound during their first meeting, including some things that Frost had exaggerated and did not expect – or wish – to see in print. Frost appreciated thereview of Pound, although he complained to a friend that Pound had exaggerated (Weintraub 306-308). Other early reviews of A Boy's Will were much less favorable. The book had been published on April 1, 1913 and the first news arrived quickly. On April 5 the Athenaeum published a cautious review, saying in effect that Frost's poems were fine but nothing extraordinary. Later that week the Times Literary Supplement approved of Frost's individuality but criticized the dark endings of his poems, singling out in particular the last stanza of "The Trial by Existence" (Thompson 414-415). Frost was naturally disappointed. Frost's luck, however, changed. In September 1913, three new reviews of A Boy's Will were published, and one of these appeared in the Chicago Dial. These made up for previous unfavorable reviews by praising Frost for his combination of observation, emotion and element of surprise. More recent critics have also written of the poems' simplicity and charm, which they said surpassed most contemporary poetry (Thompson 425-426). Frost began to emerge from his obscurity in both England and America. The positive reviews were a great relief to Frost, who had begun compiling a new volume. After hearing of the acceptance of his first manuscript in 1912, he had begun writing short stories and dramatic dialogues. Most of these were character studies, written in blank verse (Thompson 428). Others were meditative lyrics, inspired by longing for his farm in Derry. Among the latter are examples of Frost's best writing: "Mending Wall," "Swinging Branches," and "After Apple-Picking" (Thompson 432-433). Frost had never intended to live in England for more than a few years, and the title of his second book clearly demonstrates his intentions to return to America. Frost believed that North Boston had potential for success at home (Weintraub 315). His reputation as a poet depended on critical opinion regarding his last volume; this was the turning point where his career would be made or broken. Fortunately, Frost made some important friends before the book was published. His new acquaintances recognized the quality of Frost's poetry and did everything in their power to introduce audiences to North Boston. Frost needed a new circle of friends at that time, because he was gradually distancing himself from the Imagistes. Pound had reviewed Frost fairly and enthusiastically, but the personal relationship between the two men was strained. Much of the problem lay in Pound's haste to talk about Frost's poetry before anyone else and in Pound's attention to some younger poets. Frost felt alternately harassed and ignored. He also resisted Pound's attempts to turn him into an Imagiste, as Frost was trying to cultivate his unique style. Frost resented Pound's bullying and realized that a lasting friendship was impossible under the circumstances (Weintraub 311). Frost eventually showed up at Wilson Gibson's door with manuscripts of poetry that he intended to publish north of Boston. Gibson liked them and introduced Frost to his friend Lascelles Abercrombie, a Georgian poet. Gibson and Abercrombie convinced Frost to look for a cottage in Gloucestershire, where Abercrombie lived "under the thatch" as Frost had dreamed of doing (Thompson 439-440). Frost agreed to join Abercrombie as soon as he could sublet his house. Frost had difficulty finding a tenant during the fall and winter, but this further stay in Beaconsfield and London proved fortunate (Weintraub 317). In February 1913, Frost met and befriended a man named Edward Thomas. Thomas was unknownas a poet, but was considered a superior writer and critic of poetry. Before meeting Frost, Thomas believed his life was going nowhere. Frost managed to bring Thomas out of his depression and encouraged him to write poetry. Following Frost's advice, Thomas soon achieved modest success as a poet. Thomas was a frequent guest at the Frosts' home, and the two men remained best friends during Frost's stay in England (Sergeant 107). Not long after his introduction to Thomas, Frost purchased "Little Iddens", a cozy cottage in Herefordshire. . Compared to The Bungalow, Little Iddens seemed like a “fairytale house” (Thompson 447). The cottage was primitive, but the idyllic setting and Frost's friendships made up for the austerities (Weintraub 319). The cottage was surrounded by orchards and sloping meadows, a lovely place to take long walks with Thomas and gather ideas for future poems. North of Boston reviews appeared throughout the summer of 1914 and were consistent in their praise. Of course, Frost's friends had a lot to do with the initial news. Thomas wrote the first London notice for the English review. Abercrombie reviewed the book in The Nation, while Gibson's review in The Bookman called North of Boston "the most challenging book of verse that has been published for some time" (qtd in Weintraub 321). Pound, who was not particularly troubled by Frost's refusal, made his own favorable comments in Poetry. More importantly, American critics agreed with the British reviews. On both sides of the Atlantic, Frost was praised for his lyrical simplicity, his "sound of sense" (Thompson 457). North Boston won a prominent American reader, Mrs. Florence Holt of New York. She persuaded her husband to contact Mrs Nutt and discuss publicity rights. After some tough bargaining, the Henry Holt firm became Frost's American publisher for the rest of his life. Frost's American foothold was secure (Weintraub 322). The timing of Frost's success was key. England had been involved in the First World War and Frost had great concerns about remaining. On August 20, 1914, he wrote to a friend: "'The war is an unfavorable wind for me. For the moment it puts an end to the thought of publishing any more books. Our game is up... So we may go home." ...'" (qtd in Sergeant 139). Frost realized that he could not remain in England much longer if he wanted to continue as a career poet. He and his family were invited to stay with the Abercrombies until Frost could earn enough to pay for the risky journey back to the United States. The winter months at "The Gallows" were pleasant there Frost wrote "The Road Not Taken," which seems to describe the impulse that had brought him to England: I should say it with. a sigh Somewhere, ages and ages: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... took the one less traveled, and that made the difference To earn money for his return journey, Frost sold several poems at Monro for poetry and drama, including "The Smile," "Putting in the Seed," and "The Cow in The Apple Hour." Gallows and contained a reference to Abercrombie's elms. England had been propitious to Frost's writing, and he had a stack of masterful new verse to bring home and publish in America. His growing income and reputation signaled that it was time to leave and pursue his career in the United States (Weintraub 361-362). Despite his success, Frost returned to New England in 1915 with some doubts about his abilities. Much of his reputation was built on poems, 1979.