Comparison of Dylan Thomas' Fern Hill and Robert Frost's Birches

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Recommended: Use of nature in poetry

Comparison of Dylan Thomas' Fern Hill and Robert Frost's Birches

Poets often use nature imagery to comment on the relationship between

humans and the natural environment surrounding them. Traditionally,

this relationship is portrayed in a positive manner as it places

emphasis on the concept that nature is representative of beauty;

consequently, embracing this representation will enlighten the human

experience. The facets of that relationship are represented within

Dylan Thomas' "Fern Hill" and Robert Frost's "Birches". Both poets

invoke an image of nature that is picturesque, serene and innocent in

order to convey a message that one can have a fulfilling life if they

focus on the beauty that exists within the primary world. Conversely,

Coleridge's "Dejection: An Ode" contains a different interpretation of

what one's relationship with nature should involve. The speaker feels

that a simple appreciation of beauty is insufficient; one must

identify with that beauty through the soul in order to be enlightened.

Despite the fact that "Fern Hill" and "Birches" initially appear to

express satisfaction about the value of superficial human experiences,

when analyzed in conjunction with "Dejection: An Ode", the meanings of

these two poems are altered. Frost's "Birches", Thomas' "Fern Hill"

and Coleridge's "Dejection: An Ode" all convey different levels of

dejection upon initial examination; however, when contrasting the

expressions of the speaker and the imagery patterns of the poem, these

levels of dejection become increasingly ambiguous.

The relationship between the...

... middle of paper ...

...rly, all three

poems contain elements of dejection at one point; however, the

presence of that dejection is tested in Coleridge's case, and

increased within the Frost and Thomas poems. It is incredibly ironic

that the one poem that was an ode to dejection turned out to be the

most positive of the three.

WORKS CITED

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Dejection: An Ode." The Broadview Anthology

of Poetry.

Eds. Herbert Rosengarten and Amanda Goldrick-Jones. Peterborough:

Broadview P, 1993. 183.

Frost, Robert. "Birches." The Broadview Anthology of Poetry. Eds.

Herbert

Rosengarten and Amanda Goldrick-Jones. Peterborough: Broadview P,

1993. 410.

Thomas, Dylan. "Fern Hill." The Broadview Anthology of Poetry. Eds.

Herbert

Rosengarten and Amanda Goldrick-Jones. Peterborough: Broadview P,

1993. 632.

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