DESGIN

Design

Robert Frost

 

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth--
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth--
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.

 

Robert Frost

 Robert Lee Frost was an American poet.  He was born on March, 1874,  his works were published in England before they were published in United States.  His works were well known for its realistic style and simple life style.  Robert Frost’s works were based with the rural setting of 20^th century England.

 He won his first Pulitzer Prizes for “A Poem with Notes and Grace Notes, “collected Poems”, and “A Further Range in 1937.  In 1934 he spent winter months in Florida.  In 1940 he became the owner of a 5 acre plot in Florida and spent his rest of his life there.  He was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works.  He became poet laureate of Vermont on 22 July 1961.

Frost died in January 29^th, 1963 due to prostate surgery.  He was buried at the Old Bennington Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont. 

Summary of the poem

The poem “Design” by Robert Frost explains the design of the creator and HIS creations with death and chaos.  It begins with the spider which climbs up to claim its prey, the moth which is found on a top of a flower. With this incidence the poet explain the creation which has been designed by God.

Sonnet

 A Sonnet is defined as arranged set of verse form of Italian origin.  It consists of 14 lines.  They are five-foot iambic and rhymes according to the pattern of the verse.

Characteristics of Sonnet

·         All sonnets have two main parts such as problem and solution, question and answer or proposition and reinterpretation. 

·         It contains 14 lines.

·         It could be separated into four sections.

·         The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG.

·         Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter with stressed and unstressed syllables.

 “Design” is a fourteen line sonnet, divided into two stanzas.   The first part contains eight lines which is known as octet and the second part is six lines which is known as sestet.   Robert Frost follows the Petrarchan rhyme scheme.

Detail Analysis

“I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth--
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth--
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.”

The poem beings with the first person narration. “I found a fat dimpled white spider, taking rest on a white heal all flower.  The spider was holding a white moth like a white piece of tight satin cloth.  The both images of death and blight were composed for a purpose to start the morning, like the ingredients of a witches’ soup as a snow white spider, a flower look like a foam and a soft wings of the dead moth which is like a paper kite being carried away by the spider.

 Thus Robert Frost describes the natural process of white spider which is climbing onto a white flower with the dead moth as it is its prey.  This makes the speaker to think of life as a brutal act and the influence of the super power over the universe with a clever pattern of life to move.  There is another twisted view to this design, the supreme power (God) is no more exists in the pattern and the people are alone and tasting the power of darkness and evil.

The poem starts with a first person narration to explain the experience of the poet and the readers could enjoy the beauty of the nature as visual images in “a dimpled spider, fat” and white heal blight (plant), colors are used such as white symbolizing purity and linking the action of the spider as pure one, for the spider acts as per its nature and its design cannot be changed. Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth, the witches’ broth, flower like froth and dead wings like paper kites are some good expressions to enjoy the Similies from the poet

“On a white heal-all, holding up a moth” – Ironically the poet says the “heal all” plant cannot heal the dead moth.  The action of the spider would be seen as an evil action.  But it cannot be blamed, as its nature is to hunt its prey.

Death, blight, spider and white satin cloth juxtapose or compare as they contrast each other.

The comparison of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. Is called anthropomorphism. Dimpled spider is a good example where the human character is seen in the spider.

Alliteration can be seen in “Flower like a froth”

Thus this Octave opens with a different atmosphere so as to enjoy the nature but very soon it turns opposite to that and makes the readers to think deeply with agony and pain.

 

“What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.”

These lines start with a series of questions.  They are very much thoughtful.  The questions focus on how the innocent little flower in white whereas the heal-all flowers in blue.  What made the spider to climb up onto the heal all, and steer the moth in the night.   Whatever the design could be, but the occurrence of the scene is quite scary to those who witness it.  The natural process of nature is trivial but thoughtful and so full of darkness to frighten to those who have seen it.  the poet gives an ending by expressing the reality of life.

“Design of darkness to appall?—“the poet compares (metaphor) the designs as the darkness of evil created by the Almighty.  “Darkness and design are good examples for alliteration.

“Brought the kindred spider to that height,”  the poet brings out the human quality of kindness in human.  Anthropomorphism is used to bring out the human quality.

The tone of the poem quite deep thinking of the design of life in a serious, ironic way.

The color of the spider and moth and the flower is white which links symbolically and refers to purity and holiness.

The sonnet is fourteen lines separated into two parts. The first part is octave which contains eight lines and second part is sestet with six lines.  The rhyme pattern follows as ABBAABBAACAACC.

The end of the poem questions the pattern of God. The poet thus wonders if there is any such sort of designs exists.  The life itself is a small thing to wonder at the creator of the design.