Subject: Re: Winter Solstice
From: John Pearson (jlarsp@atlsky.com)
Date: Mon Dec 27 1999 - 12:53:36 EST
Interesting connection between Frost and Eliot. They generally aren't thought
of together, though they have always been my two favorites, and I was glad to
read in a Frost biography that they met a couple times and had genuine respect
for each other's work. I hope that's true. It's great to have a discussion of
"Stopping By Woods" (the first poem I memorized 20 years ago) on the Percy
list. Frost always dismissed the suicide stuff as nonsense in this poem. I
think it may even have upset him. Like Ken, I've always seen it as much more
of an affirmation. The desire to go on, to keep doing good work, to fight
through the malaise of the modern world--if that's not stretching it too far.
The Frost bio I read also had a great story about the writing of "Stopping by
Woods." Frost had been up all night struggling with one of his long poems,
with little progress. He took a break in the pre-dawn night, giving up, and
walked outside and Stopping by Woods more or less came to him in its final
form. I'm sure I'm missing details as its been years since I read the book,
but that's how I remember it.
Sorry this post is a few days after the discussion, but I was gone for
Christmas and down with the flu. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.
Peace.
-- John Pearson Chicago, ILKen Armstrong wrote:
> > > > Yes, there is weariness in the last stanza.What comes to mind is that > > life is suffering. Everybody struggles. > > When I think of this last stanza in Frost's poem Stopping By Woods, I > think of Eliot's lines in The Dry Salvages: "Where is there an end of it, > the soundless wailing/the silent withering of autumn flowers..." answered > with "There is no end of it, the voiceless wailing,/No end to the withering > of withered flowers,/To the movement of pain that is painless and > motionless..." Like Eliot's answer, Frost's repeated line seems to me an > affirmation. There is nothing of "suicide" in it; it is an acknowledgement > of our condition of existing between orders, with no destiny to be at home > in this world. I believe it is the affirmation of this truth that gives it > its resonance. > > Good wishes to all Percy listers in _these_ momentous days! > > Peace, > > Ken Armstrong
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