Robert Frost's Themes in "Out, Out"

Christopher Register

Robert Frost is one of America's greatest poets of all time.

His works are filled with deep meaning that's camouflaged by a variety of plots, settings and characters.

Frost's book MOUNTAIN INTERVAL features "Out, Out."

"Out, Out" comes from a line in the play "Macbeth" which occurs after Macbeth finds out his wife is dead.

He says,"Out,out," followed by a few lines about life.

The theme in "Out,Out" is obscure when first read but after sifting through the surface, a theme of rural life, loss of childhood and the continuity of life begins to appear to the reader.

In many of his poems Frost includes many aspects of rural life. In "Out,Out" Frost describes the rural setting with five mountain ranges,

awkward stuff.....
????"sweet scented sticks of freshly cut wood"
and great sunsets.

Growing up fast and taking on a larger responsibility at a young age is common in rural areas. The young siblings in "Out, Out" both had some what big responsibilities for their age. Frost shows this by stating,"His sister stood beside them in her apron to tell them "supper." (Frost.scrwed uP}
This shows that the little girl is the one cooking for the family or at least helping a great deal in the kitchen. The young boy is using a buzz saw that should only be used by adults to cut stove length pieces of wood.
"Stove-length sticks of wood" (Frost pg. 651) are another thing that ties this poem to rural life. Wood burning stoves were used in rural areas to heat homes and cook food.

The main theme of the poem is the loss of childhood. The children in this poem are already too busy with everyday life to enjoy being a youngster.

Frost depicts the loss of childhood indirectly by having the young boy's hand cut off by a buzz saw. Even though the loss of childhood is described by this tragic event, "He saw all spoiled," (Frost p. 651) is a clue to the reader that he has realized life as a child was over as well as his dream.

"Don't let them cut my hand off. The Doctor when he comes. Don't let him, sister!" (Frost, pg. 651) TEACHER SEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ "cHECK HOW to cite posts"

"The boy's biggest problem here is not saving his hand but saving his life.
Symbolically, he is also begging his sister to let him stay in the realm of childhood."
(Moran 23)

The girl's childhood is all but gone as well because she is young and already had to cook supper for the rest of the family.

"While kids pretending to be adults are often viewed as cute, this boy's dabbling with adulthood proves deadly..." (Moran 15)

Frost shows the continuity of life as well as how life is very valuable and how life can be taken away at a moment's notice without any warning at all; even the life of an unsuspecting child.

In the end of the poem, the boy dies from the injuries he suffered from the buzz saw to his hand.

"The matter of fact summation,'And they, since they/were not the ones dead, turned to the affairs" is a truth so cold one wonders Frost can speak it." (Poetry Criti pg. 227) some problem with citation

"Frost is showing that life goes on for the living and to not let something like death break you all apart..." (Kushner 30)

"The living can only 'build on' from there" (Kushner 30)

"Out, Out" is a poem that must be read between the lines. On the surface it is just like any other tragic poem but when you dig into it a little deeper, it is more than that. It is Frost's theme of rural life, loss of childhood and the continuity of life that is ever present.

Frost with his New England settings and camouflaged meanings will captivate young and old alike for years to come. (THE PROFESSOR WILL FAIL YOU IF YOU SAY THIS AS YOUR CONCLUSION!!!!!!)