Robert Frost, one of America’s most celebrated poets, was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California. His early life was marked by hardship. His father, a journalist, died of tuberculosis when Robert was just 11 years old, prompting his family to move to Massachusetts to live with relatives. The experience of moving from the urban West to the rural East would later shape Frost’s deep connection to the landscapes of New England, which would serve as the setting for much of his poetry.
Frost attended Dartmouth College briefly and later Harvard University but never completed a formal degree. Despite this, he pursued a lifelong passion for poetry and worked various jobs, including as a teacher and farmer. His experiences in rural settings contributed to his work’s distinct focus on nature, everyday life, and the complexities of human emotion.
In 1912, Frost made a pivotal decision to move his family to England in search of literary success. There, he met influential poets like Ezra Pound and Edward Thomas, who helped him establish his poetic voice. His first two collections, A Boy’s Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914), were published to critical acclaim, marking the beginning of his prominence as a poet. These works contained many of Frost’s signature themes, such as rural life, self-reflection, and the use of colloquial language.
Returning to the United States in 1915, Frost’s reputation continued to grow. His poems, often deceptively simple in form and structure, dealt with profound philosophical questions. Works like “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” reflect his ability to explore themes of decision-making, isolation, and the human experience, often set against the backdrop of nature.
Over his long career, Frost received numerous awards, including four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. His later years were filled with public acclaim, though his personal life was often marked by tragedy, including the death of his wife and several of his children. Despite these hardships, Frost remained dedicated to his craft until his death on January 29, 1963.
Frost’s legacy endures not only through his poetry but also through his reflections on human nature, often encapsulated in his observation, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”
