Product Description
This is the only comprehensive volume of Robert Frost's published verse; in it are the contents of all eleven of his individual books of poetry-from A Boy's Will (1913) to In the Clearing (1962). The editor, Edward Connery Lathem, has scrupulously annotated the more than 350 poems in this book.
Amazon.com Review
Listening to these time-honored poems, it's difficult toimagine the young Frost struggling to find a publisher for hiswork. In fact, he was nearly 40 (and living in England, of all places)when A Boy's Will, his first collection, appeared. Over thenext 50 years he would become the quintessential American poet,securing a well-cushioned catbird seat in the literary canon.

Performers Susan Anspach, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Elliott Gould, amongothers, heighten the conversational cadences of a writer who seldomstrayed from his beloved iambs. Included are "Mending Wall," "The RoadNot Taken," "The Death of the Hired Man," "The Fear," and much more,all complete and unabridged. (Running time: 1 hour, 1 cassette)--Martha Silano ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems, Complete and Unabridged
I am extremely pleased with the book of Robert Frost poetry.The service provided by Amazon.com was truly ourtstanding.There were no glitches in the shipment and it arrived as was promised.

Frost at his best
Robert Frost is a very readable poet, who writes about things connected with modern living.There is always a relevant quote that can be found and this book, being his complete works, is a valuable addition to our library.We were looking for 'The Silken Tent' in particular but this is an economical way of buying the complete works, particularly while the Australian dollar is so good against the US dollar!

The Poetry of Robert Frost
Don't remember receiving this book. It is not in my possession nor do I remember giving it as gift. Must not have arrived and I failed to notice.

America's greatest poet
A little over 40 years ago, I was introduced to poetry in general and Robert Frost in particular by Miss Gamble in her high school "Introduction to English Literature" class.My life has never been the same.I'm now reading my 4th copy of this great work (having worn out the previous 3 volumes).Frost was, and still is, the greatest American poet.The word pictures he painted are marvelously descriptive and the often deceptive simplicity of his work is timeless.

As for the reviewer who thinks these poems are "trite and banal" and decries Frost's personal life (as if it somehow diminishes this great work) all I can say is "you have no soul" if you aren't moved and edified by these works.

And by all means, get the hardcover.It's worth the few extra coins.

Wonderful and Enriching
Reading Robert Frost just enriches your life.He writes with incredible color and unusual grace.The hardcover is totally worth it.

... Read more

Product Description
A proven bestseller time and time again, Robert Frost's Poems contains all of Robert Frost's best-known poems-and dozens more-in a portable anthology. Here are "Birches," "Mending Wall," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Two Tramps at Mudtime," "Choose Something Like a Star," and "The Gift Outright," which Frost read at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy." An essential addition to every home library, Robert Frost's Poems is a celebration of the New England countryside, Frost's appreciation of common folk, and his wonderful understanding of the human condition. These classic verses touch our hearts and leave behind a lasting impression.

* Over 100 poems
* All Frost's best known verses from throughout his life
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Fantastic Compilation.
I vaguely remember the lectures on Frost in my college Lit classes, but I don't really need to remember them...I have this book.

This book is a great compilation of Frost's poems. I'm not going to review his poetry because his mythical status can basically attest to his genius, so I will focus on the content and format of this book:

The introduction by Louis Untermeyer is great: Untermeyer talks about Frost's early life and his beginnings in poetry. There is commentary (provided by Untermeyer) scattered about the book...it is not intrusive to me, rather it is very insightful into Frost's life and his influences.

Whether you are a student reading about Robert Frost for class or someone interested in great poetry this compilation is a great read for any day.

5/5

Robert Frost is still number 1
What can anyone say?This is Robert Frost; few are his equal.Worth the price, worth the time, a great read.

Frost and warm
The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

Great collection, and at a great price too!
In high school we were probably exposed to at least a few (or more) of Robert Frost's poems, commonly the more popular ones such as "The Road Not Taken", "After Apple Picking", or "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." This is a worthy, approachable collection of poetry from Frost, which includes not only the aforementioned popular poems, but some obscure ones as well.

What is particularly resourceful about this collection of Frost's work is that they are categorized into similar areas of thought: there is a section about woods, roads, nature, and common everyday life and people. More importantly, each poem has a small introduction, where the editor has given you a small synopsis about what the poem is about, or some element to look for while reading. It might not seem like much, but this makes reading poetry that more enjoyable.

Frost has a unique ability to depict nature and humanity in the same breath, and to reveal tidbits of philosophy about life in simplistic every day moods. His style is quite easy to read, but sometimes you have to look and "dig" a little for the meaning.

One poem, "The Death of a Hired Man", is interesting because it not only reads as a dialogue, but has elements of a short narrative. When an old hired hand returns, he faces the idea of death as the man and wife discuss his usefulness. There is a rich description of the moon and sky, evidently symbolic of an approaching end to the old man:

"Part of the moon was falling down the west,
Dragging the while sky with it to the hills.
Its light pored softly in her lap. She saw it
And spread her apron to it. She put out her
hand..."

Frost also has a canny aptitude of intermingling simplicity with intricate and profound ideas. For instance, in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," there is a simple rhythm, yet a message that responsibility and duty are significant to mankind. The speaker, who decides to stop in life to admire nature, and see snow falling quietly, knows that he must move on eventually:

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep..."

Whether you are a poet enthusiast, or just someone sampling Frost, this is a great collection of his poems, and at a very good price.

Good
For the price, there is no better collection. It is Untermeyer's special gift to make it more fun to read.

The author's commentary between each poem can break your pacing but it was a cheap book and every once in a while he has something interesting to say. ... Read more

Product Description
A feast for lovers of American literature-the work of our greatest poet, redesigned and relaunched for a new generation of readers

No poet is more emblematically American than Robert Frost. From "The Road Not Taken" to "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," he refined and even defined our sense of what poetry is and what it can do. T. S. Eliot judged him "the most eminent, the most distinguished Anglo-American poet now living," and he is the only writer in history to have been awarded four Pulitzer Prizes.

Henry Holt is proud to announce the republication of four editions of Frost's most beloved work for a new generation of poets and readers.

The only comprehensive volume of Frost's verse available, comprising all eleven volumes of his poems, this collection has been the standard Frost compendium since its first publication in 1969.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

It's got them all.
This is a great fun book, it's been years without Robert Frost. Glad to have him at my side again.

It is excellent!
The book is better than I thought, almost brand new! It is excellent. I will definitely continue to buy book from Amazon!

The Power of Expression in Perfection
Robert Frost is one of the great wizzards of poetry. His poetry is deep with a certain sense of mistery, both a pleasure and a challenge. You cannot just read through his poems. They force their audience to reflect and search for the meaning of the written. This book is not the latest and a little outdated, but it is printed in manner that makes it very easy and enjoyable to read.

A Wonderful Companion
Robert Frost's poetry has accompanied me on many a journey throughout my life.He has helped to comfort me in times of sadness and disappointment.He has lifted my spirits as I walk through the woods with him traveling down that road less taken.He has allowed me to escape steamy hot summer nights into a snowy wood, refreshing my mind with the pictures he poetically presents.This volume of poetry has been a friend wherever my life has taken me and I highly reccomend it to any lover of Frost and anyone who enjoys a warm companion on their own life's journey.

A Fitting Tribute to America�s Greatest Poet
Robert Frost has been one of my favorite poets since I watched him attempt to read a poem on a sunny, crisp morning at John F. Kennedy's Presidential Inauguration.

Although I have only owned this book for only a few months, it is already littered with Post-it notes marking the location of my favorite poems.I am told this is the only comprehensive volume of Frost's 11 published books.Edward Lathem, a Frost scholar and editor of this volume, includes bibliographical information on the poems' publication and specifies the textual changes Frost made over the years.

Although I have decades of exposure to Frost's work, I inevitably find a new nuance or thought as I thumb through this volume's pages.It is a fitting tribute to a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a man I consider the United States' greatest poet. ... Read more

Product Description
A scholarly, annotated, and uniquely comprehensive edition gathers all of Frost's major poetry, a selection of previously unanthologized poems, and the most extensive offering of his prose writings ever published, along with an essay on the texts by the editors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Amazingly Complete
Robert Frost was an amazing poet. This is the most complete collection of his writings to include his essays and lectures, which are very instructional for writing and understanding poetry, as well as some letters and short plays. His ideas and explanations were new at the time and not necessarily accepted as he would first "put them out there", but today, our greatest poets seem to have followed his lead with their own creations.

Frost was bold, this collection is evasive of time (still relevant today), and complete. I highly recommend this volume to all who are interested in American Literature and one of the best poets America has offered to the world up to and through the 1960's.

David J. Gluck author of "Life's Pages"

The complete Frost- The road not taken
For most of us most poets live through a few poems of theirs we have read in anthologies. It may be that in the case of a poet we especially love we have gone and read most of their poetry.
This volume presents a wonderful opportunity for the devotees of Frost to have in one book the work of a lifetime.
For me Frost is "The Road Not Taken" and "Birches" and "Mending Wall"and a host of scattered lines, " Good fences make good neighbors" and " The land was ours, before we were the land's".
Frost is also however, I must admit , for me the poet whose life casts a shadow on his work. Unfortunately perhaps I long ago read parts of the Thompson biography of Frost the central theme of which was his inveterate cruelty to all those around him.
All this has left me, you will excuse this, a bit 'cool toward Frost' and I personally prefer the more musical metrics of Wallace Stevens to the canny, often pithily wise lines of Frost.

You'll Never Need Another Frost Book
I took a class last semester on Robert Frost, and it was quite an experience. Frost was truly a wonderful poet who deserves every bit of praise he gets (and who is unfairly ignored in academia it seems). His words are so often true and lifechanging and beautiful and honest. Nobody is fully educated until they have read Frost's classics: "The Death of the Hired Man," "Mending Wall," "Birches," "After Apple-Picking," "Storm Fear," "Meeting and Passing," etc. There are so many good ones.

The Library of America edition is a great way to be exposed to Frost's poetry. It's true that there are a lot of pretty bad poems since everything, good and bad, is included in the volume; the uncollected poems here were meant to stay uncollected. Nevertheless, that everything is here is really a great strength to the book. It's great being able to place a single poem in Frost's entire oevre. I also liked seeing how his command of the language and the forms of poetry. Seeing everything also helped to see how his conception of his role changed. Most importantly, I loved that Frost's prose and his plays were included here. There are a number of gems to be found there. I particularly enjoyed the "'Sermon' at the Rock Avenue Temple" and Frost's children's stories. The ability to read Frost's prose alongside his poetry really enhances the reading of both.

Overall, Frost was a magnificant poet who cannot be given less than five stars, and by reading everything in this edition, one can certainly gain a greater appreciation of the poet at his finest.

Pure Frost Without Editorial Heat
Are you someone who buys for the art of the book as much for the art of the contents? If so, you can't do better than any of the stellar titles from the Library Of America series of books... This splendid collection of Frost will not dissapoint...One of the many treats of this volume as is virtually true with all of the Library Of America volumes is the ease with which you can hold it comfortably in your hand...Exclusively thin acid free paper is the secret and this volume packs in a two inch thick volume what normal paper would weigh you down with five or six inches of...

What nice unedited and thorough Frost you get here!...Speaking of editing, the true Frost afficionado will want to be sure to avoid items edited by an Edward Latham...This edition is Latham free and contains Frost's work as he originally wrote it...Unfortunately, from the late sixties on, several editions of Frost went forward with unnecessary "clean up" editing by this very punctuation weilding word meister...He added to many editions extra commas and punctuation in places Frost never originally put it...If you'd like to read a much more thorough analysis of this than I can describe here, be sure to pick up a copy of writer Donald Hall's " Breakfast Served Anytime" and read the article he wrote exposing Latham and his added cleansing of Frost's work...This Library Of America edition captures Frost unedited and at his purest and best...

The reader can choose here from a smorgasbord of outstanding selections and offerings...Poetry, prose, plays...there is quite a variety of choice fare offered here...

In the words of Mr. Frost.." I'm going up to the meadow to check the newborn calf,...I shan't be long...You come too!"

A fine edition of a great American Voice.
Robert Frost is a unique American voice that many people love.A few reject him, but the majority of those whom he was writing for still love and admire his poetry.His fans always have favorites and can quote lines and whole poems from memory.When a poet gets into people's memories and hearts it is not a sure sign of greatness, but it is a good indicator of something special.

In some ways his works have aged because they are about an America that has passed.One poem that I think catches a lot of the issues surround Frost is "The Literate Farmer and the Planet Venus".This piece is about the electrification of rural America and the strangeness of it all.It talks about the speeding up of life and wonders if the future will simply do away with beds because there won't be time to sleep.The poem is set in 1926, but was published in 1942 as part of "A Witness Tree".I don't know when it was written, but if it was written around the Second World War its nostalgia seems a bit more cynical to me (which I suspect to be the case).However, if it was written back in the late 1920s then it has more whimsy and an earnest wonder.

This poet does have a capacity for irony and bite as well as humor and whimsy.His words are more conversational than lyric and that is fine.They have less music, but a great deal of color and subtle observation.It really doesn't matter what any critic says about Frost.He will outlast all of them.What matters is what he says to you.He is certainly a more worthwhile read than most of what gets published nowadays, just expect to have to deal with some words and references to an America from a century ago.

This volume from the Library of America is terrific.The table of contents in the front refers to the whole volume.The Collected Poems is the reprint that takes up most of the book and has its own table of contents as well.There is also a chronology of Frost's life, notes on sources, and many very helpful notes that can help you understand certain references.There is an index of titles and first lines, and an index of prose titles.

I always feel grateful to the Library of America whenever I get a chance to read their volumes.Heck, they are simply great to hold and flip through! ... Read more

Product Description
The best-loved poems from one of American literature's most towering figures

No poet is more emblematically American than Robert Frost. From "The Road Not Taken" to "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," he refined and even defined our sense of what poetry is and what it can do. T. S. Eliot judged him "the most eminent, the most distinguished Anglo-American poet now living," and he is the only writer in history to have been awarded four Pulitzer Prizes.

Henry Holt is proud to announce the republication of four editions of Frost's most beloved work for a new generation of poets and readers.

In this brilliant selection of Frost's classic poems, students and scholars alike will encounter a body of work central to American culture.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Symbolism in The Road Not Taken
The whole poem is very symbolic because the speaker reflects on the decision that he has to make, and the consequences of that decision. The choice that he has to make is not just which road should he walk down, because that would be insignificant. The choice he has to make will affect the rest of his life and determine his fate. It shows us how each and every choice we make effects our lives in ways that we will never know. Once you make a decision to do something, there is no turning back and you will never know what might have happened if you took that other road.

Love the book
If you love poetry, then you love Robert Frost's books, especially this book.Beautifully well written and enjoyable to read.

Robert Frost has perfect poetry
i am doing a report on Robert Frost in my English 3 class. Robert Frost is the greastest. No poem is alike. My two favorite books of his were Stopping by woods on a snowy evening and a road not taken. he has a way with words that i have never seen. I give him him and is writings 5 stars!!!!

The Road Not Taken�Untermeyer's Invitation
It could be said that art, including poetry, should never be taught, only presented. A sure death knell to reader endeavor is having an artist's work forced on reluctant subjects at very young ages. Frost's universal appeal and critical success made him a favorite of the pedantic, institutional teaching of the 50's and 60's. His late-life ties to Kennedy�s Camelot made the situation worse, as increased recognition diverted plaudits askew from the real measure of his work. The negative experience of my own such introduction forced in me a habit of deliberately overlooking celebrated well-knowns for the shadowy lesser-knowns. This practice unearthed for me a few rare delights in reading, music and general discovery. Then, in my late twenties I picked up a copy of the Frost/Untermeyer, The Road Not Taken, read a couple of poems along with some of the commentary and thought well enough of it to actually buy it. I summarily read it cover to cover (something I'd rarely done with books of poetry). There were the same poems again--the ones I'd been lead to read as a youngster...but not quite. Untermeyer teaches, not out of pedantic duty, but as a true friend and scholar of Robert Frost, the man. There may be less skewed critical evaluations of Frost's poetry; but these are usually set apart from the work, and most often geared to literary scholars. In essence, Untermeyer presents rather than evaluates Robert Frost, and does it in the same manner Frost wrote--simple, deliberate, and non-intrusive.
This (an earlier edition of the one offered here) is one of my most treasured books--not so much for the poems within, but for what Louis Untermeyer offers--an access to opportunity missed. Frost �doubted if [he] should ever come back,� to where the roads diverged; yet, Untermeyer offers us a second chance, and this time (for all who think they know enough of Robert Frost), it may very well make �all the difference.�

Buy it!
Excellent collection of Frost Poetry. Plus, the analyses by the author are a nice addition. ... Read more

Product Description
A treasury of Frost’s most expressive verse. "An Old Man’s Winter Night," "In the Home Stretch," "Meeting and Passing," "Putting in the Seed," many more.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Robert Frost
I did submit a review last week, but, as we were having computer problems related to the extreme heat, perhaps it did not arrive.

I am sure this will make a nice gift; I was hoping that the poem which contains the lines: ...but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep..." would be included.

Still, Robert Frost is truly one of the great ones of American poetry.

Sister Elizabeth Ann

the road not taken
the book arrived quickly and in very good condition. The ordering process is very easy and convenient. I'm glad that I found Amazon.com.

The Road Not Taken
A classic American poet, Robert Frost provides insight and beauty through his poetry.You can't go wrong; you won't be disappointed.

Essentially a Reprint of Mountain Interval
Classic Robert Frost - probably the preeminent American "modern" poet.This is a reprint of Mountain Interval in the original format.

Poor and cheap quality book.
The quality is quite poor. Dover thrift Editions. i will not purchase anything they publish again. ... Read more

Product Description
A remarkable series of audiobooks, featuring distinguished twentieth-century American poets reading from their own work. A first in audiobook publishing--a series that uses the written word to enhance the listening experience--poetry to be read as well as heard. Each audiobook includes rare archival recordings and a book with the text of the poetry, a bibliograohy, and commentary by J. D. McClatchy, the poet and critic, who is the editor of The Yale Review.

"To hear a poem spoken in the voice of the person who wrote it is not only to witness the rising of words off the page and into the air, but to experience an aural reenactment of exactly what the poet must have heard, if only internally, during the act of composition. THE VOICE OF THE POET recordings deliver these pleasures as they broadcast the pitch and timbre of many of the major voices in twentieth-century poetry."--Billy Collins, U.S,. Poet Lauerate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

the Voice of Poet Robert Frost
Well to be honest and to be fair to the poetry, Robert Frost may write well but his presentation is disappointing, also I was a bit disappointed with the selection.this is definitely one case where one was purchasing a pig in a poke had i heard and seen the segments i would not have bothered.
marie ryan

that is not to say another maybe more erudite person might love both the selection and presentation.

Quality not as good as my old 33 1/3 version
This is okay and interesting to hear the actual reading and rhythm of the poem by the author. However, years ago I had a 33 1/3 recording that was of much better sound quality, and I was hoping this would be a replica. It isn't, sad to say. I will not be listening to it for pleasure, although it may be helpful in my poetry studies.

Beautiful Poetry
The poems of Robert Frost are remarkable; soft and peaceful, his voice is slow but sadly the sound is not great (not terrible, either).

Beautiful
Frost has never been one of my favourite poets / writers, though I do read and enjoy him and appreciate a lot of his work constitutes a landmark in 20th century literature.In terms of voice I didn't know what to expect.I put the cd in my laptop and my attention was grabbed from the moment he started reciting until the recording was over.It is now apparent to me that Frost was a master storyteller and this recording has actually increased my appetite for his work.Recommended to anyone interested in poetry performance.

Delightful
I bought this for my wife who had raved about Frost for ages.When I saw that we could get him reading his work I thought this better tha book. To have him read while I read the text is a sheer delight,how the words LIVE.
Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

An American Classic
Robert Frost is my favorite poet and seems to be a favorite of most people I know.His poems are easy to read, engaging, and so easy to relate to.He writes like a real person, about real things.It's no wonder he's so well known and respected.

This collection of works is indeed complete, including all the favorites:The Mending Wall, The Road Not Taken, Stopping by a Woods..., etc.It is a delight and a must for your personal library.

A Well Of Joy
To be honest, I've never been much into poetry, but I've carried this book with me wherever I go.Whatever may be happening in life, this book is a place to rest and restore yourself.What I like most about Frost is that he writes about everything.From haunted houses to animals, to God and the earth beneath our feet.He makes you think differently and look at people, places and things differently.Also, this is a book for every age group.I'm 24 years old, and I wish so badly I would have known about Robert Frost 15 years ago.
Blessings,
Tay

Frost is never boring
A real tribute to the poet. I couldn't ask for more in this complete and unabridged title.

This is the edition you want
There are more Robert Frost collections out than there are Robert Frost poems, but this is the only one you need to have.It's complete, unabridged and with numbered lines all the way through for reference work.THE Frost collection, bar none.

Gift
I bought this as a gift.It is well edited and complete. ... Read more

Product Description
This fascinating reassessment of America's most popular and famous poet reveals a more complex and enigmatic man than many readers might expect. Jay Parini spent over twenty years interviewing friends of Frost and working in the poet's archives at Dartmouth, Amherst, and elsewhere to produce this definitive and insightful portrait of both the public and private man. While he depicts the various stages of Frost's colorful life, Parini also sensitively explores the poet's psyche, showing how he dealt with adversity, family tragedy, and depression. By taking the reader into the poetry itself, which he reads closely and brilliantly, Parini offers an insightful road map to Frost's remarkable world.
Amazon.com Review
Robert Frost, the farmer-poet of New England, actually spenthis formative early years in San Francisco. His mother moved thefamily east after the death of her husband--a hard-living journalistfrom whom Robert took his willful perversity. He attended Dartmouthand Harvard, leaving both prematurely, and after putative stabs atteaching and journalism became a poultry farmer in New Hampshire. Ittook a trip to England in 1912 (to live "under thatch") for his poetryfinally to be published, and when he returned to America in 1915 hisreputation had preceded him. Until his death in 1963, he workedassiduously at consolidating his position as America's premier voice;reading at Kennedy's inauguration and meeting Khrushchev were just twoof the scenes he stole. So why does Jay Parini need to reclaim him?

The answer lies with Lawrance Thompson. Thompson was one of Frost'smost earnest disciples, and for years the poet, ever eager to shapehis own image, allowed him a Boswellian intimacy. Unfortunately,Thompson came to despise his former mentor, and his exhaustivelydocumented volumes portray Frost as a kind of solipsistic monster, inmarked contrast to the awe with which he had previously beendescribed. Parini, also a biographer of John Steinbeck, in a wave ofperspective seeks a corrective to Thompson's bile. His writing isintelligent yet breathlessly generous, and he is at his best whenconsidering the poems themselves. He rightly ascribes to Frost theinnovation of the colloquial voice in serious verse--a legacy thatappears immense today when so much contemporary poetry consists oflittle else. Frost's mastery lay in the freedom he found withinconformity and the dark corners he discovered by probing, whichcontribute to a melancholic spirituality beyond the rusticity forwhich he is popularly celebrated. While Thompson's egg is cracked anddry, Parini prefers a softer boil, and his elegantly reverential toneis imbued with a perception that reminds readers how great a poetFrost remains. The clergyman who advised him at an early age that hisverse was "too close to speech," and thus gave him his voice, deserveseternal gratitude. --David Vincent, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Sympathetically reveals the man behind the public mask
I have always loved Frost's poetry, but this biography gave me a much greater appreciation for the depth of intellect and erudition behind it.By embracing the inherent paradoxes in Frost's personality and philosophy rather than trying to cram Frost into a self-consistent mold, Parini crafts a delightfully vivid portrait of the poet.

Contrary to another reviewer's claim that "why [Frost's children] were afflicted by mental illness is not explored," Parini presents compelling evidence that mental illness ran in Frost's family--severely afflicting his sister--with Frost maintaining his own psychological balance only by dint of a constant conscious struggle.

Robert Frost: A Man and his Poems
One of my first memories of Robert Frost is watching him attempting to read a poem he had written for John F. Kennedy's Presidential Inauguration.Struggling with the bright sunlight reflecting off the fresh snow on that crisp winter's day, he abandoned his effort to recite an older poem from memory.

I remember thinking the image of this short, stocky white-haired old man was as close to a wood nymph as I would ever come.Later, I was to learn that Frost lead anything but a simple life.Biographer drawing on this image, often sensationalized the details of his life at the expense of the precious poetry he created.

Jay Parini, the Axinn Professor of English at Middlebury College, does not travel that path.Rather, he provides his readers with insight into how Frost lived day-to-day, poem to poem.He animates Frost's daily struggles with depression, anxiety, self-doubt and confusion.The poet's family life was not happy; he experienced bad luck with his children.Yet, he exhibited tremendous force of will, love for his children and dedication to creating a lasting body of creative work.

Unlike Frost previous biographers, Parini skillfully weaves the details of the poet's life with poetry he created.Frost's desire to "lodge a few poems where they can't be gotten rid of easily" is woven into a picture of an artist attempting to rescue his sanity by creating what he called a "momentary stay against confusion."

For me, reading Frost's poetry is a labor of love; reading Parini's biography is like reliving a best friend's life.This biographical study offers an unusual glimpse into the life, poetry and times of Robert Frost, a man who ranks as one of the world's greatest poets.

Terrific!
I am not a fan of biographies...as a New Englander, I AM extremely fond of Frost...so I gave the biography a try...

Through a poet's eye...sensitively (and beautifully) written...engaging...a delight!

A Sensitive Roadmap
Although many of Robert Frost's poems revolve around traditionally American themes, even a European, like I am, can easily recognize his genius.

This biography offers a major reassessment of the life and work of America's premier poet--the only truly "National Poet" the U.S. has, so far, produced.

Author Jay Parini began working on this biography in 1975, through interviews with friends and associates of Frost's and working in the poet's archives at Dartmouth, Amherst and elsewhere.

In prose that is both elegant and simple, Parini traces the stages of Frost's colorful life:his boyhood in San Francisco (no, he was not a native New Englander!), his young manhood in New England, his college days at Dartmouth and later at Harvard, his years of farming in New Hampshire, his three-year stay in England where he became friends with people such as Ezra Pound, Edward Thomas and other important figures of modern poetry.

Following Frost's meteoric rise upon his return to America from England in 1915, Parini traces the path Frost took from poet to cultural icon, a friend and intimate of presidents, a sage whose pronouncements attracted the attention of the world press.

Yet, the beauty of this book lies in the fact that Parini never loses sight of Frost at his deepest and most human, the man behind the gorgeous and sensitive poetry that enraptured a nation.Always managing to take us back to the poetry and Frost's roots, Parini, in this beautiful book, offers a sensitive roadmap of both Frost, the man and his incredible talent.

A poet's perspective.
Jay Parini bring's a poet's perspective to this excellent biography. By combining a compelling look at Frost's life with an informed commentary on his poetry, Parini has avoided the common pitfall of many biographers;forgetting the work while describing the life. I feel I now have a muchgreater understanding of the man and his work after reading this book whichshould be the goal of all biographies and so rarely is. ... Read more

Product Description
This collation of 25 poems introduce Robert Frost to young people. The selections are arranged by the seasons and Sorensen's handsome watercolour illustrations capture the feel of the New England landscape without in any way trying to provide literal images for the poetry. There's an excellent biographical essay and, at the bottom of each page, Schmidt provides a brief note on some of the possible ways to read the lines...These nature poems show that poetry holds feelings and ideas that everyone can understand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

one must have frost
what a great idea and what a great book. we need more frost and we need him now. take this out for a spin, pull over and muse of the trans. musings of a master.

You spoke the word, it had to be,
For you're the God of creativity.
Before the sun you called forth light,
The Earth then knew both day and night.
Then with a word produced such things
As trees and flowers, birds with wings.
Fish in the sea, cows, butterflies
A myriad creatures there besides.
From the ground formed one like me,
No stringed puppet, but created free.
Free to worship, free to hate,
To ignore, or to you relate.

Attractively illustrated, nice background info
This is a nice book to have if you're wanting to introduce your children to poetry, or if you are interested in Robert Frost's poems yourself.There is a 3-page biography at the beginning, and then the poems arranged by season and with accompanying illustrations.Each poem also has a 2 or 3 line explanation, which is sometimes useful and sometimes pointless.

Of the Frost poems I already knew, The Road Not Taken and The Mending Wall were included (of course!), but Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening was not.Thankfully, I already have an illustrated version of that anyway!To be honest, reading through this collection didn't really garner me any new favorites; the three I already knew remain my favorites.But, I do want to introduce my children to poetry, and this book is a good vehicle for that.I'll plan to read through this with my 2 older children (almost 8 and 6) this school year.There is a high likelihood that I will also acquire other books in the series.

Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost
Beautifully illustrated.I liked the separation of poems into seasons.I WAS disappointed that "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" was not included!

for all ages
I'm a little surprised at the recommended age for this book. Perhaps they are thinking of children reading it for themselves. Parents and teachers enjoy reading these poems to children and talking about their own experiences. The book is a wonderful tool for helping preschoolers learn to love books as they relate the poet's imagery to their own experiences.

CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER BOOK TO INTRODUCE A YOUNG ONE TO FROST
This book is quite well done and gives a good representation of Frost's work.It of course in an introduction and the poems chosen hit the nail on the head.The illustrations are great and well fit the poem being addressed.There is a very nice introducion in the form of a simple biography of Frost in the front of the book which is quite useful.The addited comments by the Editor are quite good and thought provoking.I cannot recommened this one high enough.Some of the Poems included are, The Pasture, Rose Pogonias, A Girls Garden, Ghost House, Birches, Mending Wall, The Wood Pile and quite a number of others.
... Read more

Product Description

Robert Frost is one of the most widely read, well loved, and misunderstood of modern writers. In his day, he was also an inveterate note-taker, penning thousands of intense aphoristic thoughts, observations, and meditations in small pocket pads and school theme books throughout his life. These notebooks, transcribed and presented here in their entirety for the first time, offer unprecedented insight into Frost's complex and often highly contradictory thinking about poetics, politics, education, psychology, science, and religion--his attitude toward Marxism, the New Deal, World War--as well as Yeats, Pound, Santayana, and William James. Covering a period from the late 1890s to early 1960s, the notebooks reveal the full range of the mind of one of America's greatest poets. Their depth and complexity convey the restless and probing quality of his thought, and show how the unruliness of chaotic modernity was always just beneath his appearance of supreme poetic control.

Edited by preeminent Frost scholar Robert Faggen and annotated to help readers with the poet's more elusive references, the notebooks are also thoroughly cross-referenced, marking thematic connections within these and Frost's other writings, including his poetry, letters, and other prose. This is a major new addition to the canon of Robert Frost's writings.

Customer Reviews (5)

Controversy
Apparently, readers beware.I know nothing about this book except the extremely detailed claims of pervasive scholarly sloppiness levelled against it by James Sitar in Essays in Criticism and William Logan in Parnassus.If I were working on Frost, I would do a lot of research on this before shelling out on this book.A new paperback edition by Faggen is supposed to fix the thousands of errors that the two critic/scholars allege.It will be interesting to see what emerges.

Read What Frost Himself Published
The few finished essays that Robert Frost offered to his public ("The Figure a Poem Makes," e. g.) are so extraordinarily memorable, so full of canny, down-to-earth shrewdness and overall scintillation that I picked up his _Notebooks,_ edited by Robert Faggen in this attractive, 809 page book from Harvard with anticipation.

I am sorry to say that I was disappointed. The drafts or starts of poems seemed to me mostly flaccid and unfocussed. Of course, these are drafts; they were never meant to be read. Frost seems to have used most all his best lines in his published work. The work here never breaks into the dead-on, stunning revelations, the suggestive aphoristic brilliance of the crystallized Frost. Moreover, there are pages and pages of fragments like "A few words of policy now and then A stroke of policy now and then." That is either obvious and not with saying, or obscure in reference. There are thousands of phrases here that hold no meaning by themselves--e. g., "Not fantastic." So what? What is not fantastic? "What is philosophy. Education as inuring. Tom-tom in poetry." What is that all about?

Faggen has dutifully chased down everything an editor could be asked to chase down--references, dates, connections to other Frost material, sources of quotations. He has reproduced these notebooks with all their cross outs so indicated (and faithfully crossed out), and indicated when Frost switches from pen to pencil. On occasion there are nuggets--blasts against Roosevelt and the New Deal, bracing comic flashes ("And oh but it was fetching / To see the wretches retching"), and insight breaking through obviousness or obscurity every seventy pages. However, as a whole I don't think all this is worth it by itself, nor am I sure how much it helps read the Frost that is worth it, which is the Frost we already had.

Frost Revived and Rejuvenated
I had read and heard Frost too often and had come to think of him as an old poet, too familiar, too crotchety, too tired.This volume re-ignited my interest in his life and his poetry because more than any other volume it reveals his thinking.He thinks all sorts of ways other than poetically, and thinks about poetry as well as anyone ever has.

He acknowledges that the poets "at whose metric feet we worshipped and bowed down were Arnold Keats Browning Tennyson Kipling (wooden music xylophone) Emerson Longfellow" and declares "Poetry is that in us that will not be terrified by science."In Notebook 17 (26-30) he lists 39 things that can be done with a poem besides read it.

For me, this volume makes him more intriguing and much more exciting than he has ever been before.I have gone back to the poems with enthusiasm.Readers are advised to sample back and forth to get a sense of the whole before starting from the beginning and reading through:the first notebooks are by no means the most interesting, or even typical.

As Robert Faggen's introduction emphasizes, this volume presents Frost as a first-class aphorist, comparable to Francis Bacon and Friedrich Nietzsche.Faggen's intimacy with Frost's life, poetry, and other works adds much to the introduction and notes.This must have been an exceedingly difficult task.

A prior reviewer objected to the "dark" Frost.Faggen explains that by "dark" Frost meant a great deal, not least the need to grope in the dark in order to advance.The notebooks have meditations on the dark, including this from Notebook 23:
"Dark darker darkest.
"Dark as it is that there are these sorrows and darker still that we can do so little to get rid of them the darkest is still to come.The darkest is that perhaps we ought not want to get rid of them."

I have two complaints:(1) I wish the book had a better index.Only names and book and poem titles are indexed.Of course, any kind of subject index would have been laborious, but it would have added greatly to value of this very rich book.(2)The proofreading for the editor's introduction and notes is atrocious, so plainly bad that I worried about the accuracy of the transcriptions.For instance, this note:"Enoch Lincoln (1788-1829), a Congressman for Massachusetts and Maine when the two states were one.When Maine was made separate, he represented that state from 1921 to 1926."

Even so, a huge book, hugely wonderful.

An essential tool in understanding America's most famous poet
Robert Faggen has forever changed the course of poetry scholarship with this finely tuned and sensitively annotated collection of all the known notebooks of Robert Frost, arguably America's most famous and controversial poet.

Faggen's comments are helpful without being intrusive and the material itself is all Robert Frost without interpretation or added punctuation. Previously this material would have only been accessible by visiting the special collections of the major institutional libraries that keep it under archival lock and key.

It's the kind of book you can open at random and find something fascinating to read. However, if you take advantage of the well organized and cross-referenced notes, the context in which Frost created these notebooks becomes much clearer, and the poet's creative process is revealed.

Recently, a great deal of publicity was generated when the Barrett library at the University of Virginia uncovered a previously unpublished early poem by Frost in their archives - here in this one collection are 688 pages of material that only a few scholars have ever seen. Frost fans should be lighting some serious fireworks in celebration of such an important addition to the Frost canon.

To better understand the man and the poetry
This volume includes the forty- eight notebooks which Frost wrote during his lifetimefrom the 1890's to the 1960's. It contains much about Frost's credo as a poet, and much of his aphoristic thought about a whole range of matters from the political and educational to the philosophical and poetic. Meghan O'Rourke in an outstanding review of the book in the 'Los Angeles Times' points out its inherent contradictions in bringing together two sides of Frost the popular public poet and the dark and difficult skeptic.
" The author was a set of inconsistencies: a Romantic bent on critiquing Romanticism; a pragmatist and quasi-Social Darwinist who wasn't quite convinced of his own views. As Faggen points out in an insightful introduction, Frost returns again and again to the feeling that life "can consist of the inconsistent."

Frost defined himself as an exception in all things, and he truly made a difference by taking the road not taken.
There is a stubborn recalcitrant quality to both his personality and prose which often give the reader a hard-won pleasure in struggling to understand his often deceptively simple sentences. Often only through indirections could his directions be found out.
This is an invaluable work for all students of Frost and all lovers of his poetry. ... Read more

Product Description
Ever since it was published in 1978, the picture-book presentation of Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" has been an enduring favorite. For this special edition with a new design, trim size, and three new spreads, Susan Jeffers has added more detail and subtle color to her sweeping backgrounds of frosty New England scenes. There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter. The handsome new vellum jacket will attract new and old fans as it evokes a frost-covered windowpane. This celebration of a season makes an ideal holiday gift for a child, a teacher, or a host.Amazon.com Review
Robert Frost's well-known poem takes on new life in its first picture-book adaptation. The poem--long appreciated for its strong rhythm and evocative images--leaves readers wondering, "Where was the man going on the darkest night of the year?" and "Why on earth did he stop by the woods in a snowstorm?" Artist Susan Jeffers answers these questions visually--the kindly older gentleman who narrates the poem stops his sleigh to feed the forest birds and creatures. He stops once more to visit his daughter and grandchildren, then is off again through a blizzard, with many miles to go before he can sleep. The silent beauty of a snowy night shines through Jeffers's artwork; the man's clothing and blanket are the only bright touches of color in the white and wintry world of the woods. This quiet yet powerful book has a magic all its own. (Ages 4 to 7) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Huge R Frost fan!
Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets, and this is one of my favorite poems set to illustration. It's beautiful! & it would make a wonderful, "different" gift for any little one.

great book
I purchased this book for my daughter's first birthday. I have always loved this poem and was so excited when I found it in a picture book. Susan Jeffers does a great job illustrating. The pictures are beautiful. I plan to give my daughter a special book each year and I am so glad I was able to start with this one.

Beautiful book - fast delivery
Beautiful book - beautiful illustrations and I love the cover.The Robert Frost poem has always moved me and I love the illustrated version.

Excellent way to introduce your child to poetry.
I had read this book to my son and ordered it as a Christmas present for HIS son, my first grandchild.It is a lovely book appropriate for children of all ages.

Robert Frost Images
Susan Jeffers has created a beautiful illustration of Frost's poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.Absolutely beautiful. ... Read more

Product Description
“Frost was the first American who could be honestly reckoned a master-poet by world standards.”—Robert GravesRobert Frost’s poetry has triumphantly survived him, but most readers today have not known him in one of his most significant capacities—as teacher and lecturer. Here, collected for the first time, are excerpts from forty-six of his presentations delivered to students at more than thirty academic institutions over three decades. Frost’s topics include: “What I think I’m doing when I write a poem,” “Getting up things to say for yourself,” “The future of the world,” “Fall in love at sight,” and “Not freedom from, but freedom of.”

Gathered by Edward Connery Lathem, editor of The Poetry of Robert Frost, and introduced by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist David M. Shribman, Robert Frost: Speaking on Campus reveals Frost in the setting of both classroom and lecture hall, where he inspired thousands. 9 photos ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A Break-through Book for Lovers of Frost's Poetry
For all who have been captivated by Robert Frost's poetry, Peter Stanlis's break-through book "The Poet as Philosopher" offers a unique overview of the philosophical underpinnings that shed a clear light on the issues and beliefs imbedded in Frost's poetry.Other scholars have chosen to view Frost primarily as a monist, that is either as a God-centered spiritualist or a science-based materialist, quoting passage after passage of his poetry in support of their positions.But Stanlis squarely faces what Frost called "contraries." In this book, Stanlis presents a convincing array of evidence for Frost as a dualist.In his first chapter, Stanlis sets his own high standard for what "is required for a thorough and valid comprehension of Frost's dualism.""Nothing short," he maintains, "of a complete natural history of his life and thought."
And that is precisely what he gives us in this monumental study of everything that Frost said, thought, did, and wrote relevant to his philosophical thinking, correlating it all to such thinkers as Darwin, the Huxleys, Lovejoy, and Einstein, and to such fields as education, religion, science, politics, and poetics.
At the same time, his book is a concise review of Western philosophy all the way from the Greeks to quantum physics.As an esteemed scholar of Edmund Burke, Stanlis's perspective of the field is masterful.No one is better qualified to write about Frost and philosophy than Stanlis who combines his academic expertise with the direct experience he had with Frost's thoughts during their long friendship.
According to Stanlis, Frost's dualism rejects the resolution of reality into oneness, but views the world in pairs of opposition that are never completely resolved.His "melancholy dualism" is balanced in a sort of play.The sense of play permeates his poetry and way of looking at life.Stanlis presents us with a Frost who had a very eclectic but sophisticated and far reaching world view.
As someone who has taught Frost's poetry in the college classroom for over thirty years, I know the myriad questions that inevitably come up about what did Frost really believe.This book provides insights that can help Frost readers better understand the poet they already respond to and admire.The necessarily complex ideas Stanlis covers are organized effectively.They are expressed clearly and concisely without the jargon often associated with philosophical writing.Dr. Peter Stanlis has combined meticulous scholarship with what he learned from his personal friendship with Frost to write a much needed book, one that provides a valuable new perspective for academics but is also meaningful and accessible for the general reader.I highly recommend it to all who want to deepen their appreciation of Frost the poet and to enrich their understanding of one aspect of Frost that has too often been overlooked, his philosophical beliefs.
... Read more

Product Description
Robert Frost was the most emblematically American of poets, a forthright advocate of both the art and craft of verse who was recognized and cherished as few other poets have ever been. This reader offers students and scholars a plethora of his speeches, interviews, correspondence, one-act plays, and other materials, as well as lengthy selections from all of Frost's books of verse. Though many have been drawn to his seemingly old-fashioned simplicity, this wide-ranging reader in fact reveals that Frost's work was often dark or ironic in tone—and always subtle and complex.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

All the Robert Frost you'll (probably) need
To anyone like me who used to be only familiar with a handful of poems by Robert Frost this volume was a pleasant surprise. Not only do we get a decent sampling of his poetry, starting with his earliest poems, there are also excerpts of his plays, interviews and some essays dealing with his other main interest, namely poultry farming.

This compilation is nicely put out, with a readable introduction, an index and a bibliography. To anyone not intent on becoming a specialist this reader will likely be all the Robert Frost you'll need.
... Read more

Product Description
rom one of the most brilliant and widely read of all American poets, a generous selection of lyrics, dramatic monologues, and narrative poems--all of them steeped in the wayward and isolated beauty of Frost's native New England. Includes his classics "Mending Wall, " "Birches, " and "The Road Not Taken, " as well as poems less famous but equally great. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

famous poem left out...
A great gift item or petite pocket book for travel. Perplexing that "Nothing Gold Can Stay" was left out...

Wonderful collection
I am a huge Robert Frost fan, and having this book lets me take time in my busy schedule to visit his world.I especially enjoyed the broad collection contained in this series.It was, well, wonderful. ... Read more

Product Description
"Mending Wall." "The Road Not Taken." "Birches." Many of Robert Frost's poems have become part of modern American culture. Frost used the pleasures and trials of rural New England life to create poetry of universal meaning and appeal. Lea Newman's Robert Frost: The People, Places, and Stories Behind His New England Poetry is a fascinating exploration of the world of Robert Frost. Concise essays accompanying each of thiry-six of Frost's early New England poems invite readers to discover the life and work of America's favorite poet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Invaluable Companion
Leah Newman's Robert Frost: The People, Places, and Stories Behind His New England Poetry provides an invaluable companion to the beloved poetry of Robert Frost.Newman not only provides the context of Frost's personal history as a backdrop for his poetry, but also provides key literary references, literary criticism, and annotations on the reception of his work in his lifetime.The essays accompanying Frost's poems are lively and warm, often punctuated by Frost's own words.Newman brings Frost's relationships to his family and his work to life in this collection, without diminishing the richness or subtlety of his poetry. I highly recommend this volume to life-long students of Frost's work as well as newcomers.

For anyone who ever thrilled to this great man's genius
Lea Newman is able to make her reader's introduction to a major American poet easy, fun and memorable in Robert Frost: The People, Places And Stories Behind His New England Poetry. Newman's concise and informative essays accompany each of thirty-six of Frost's early New England poems including his "The Road Not Taken"; "Mending Wall"; "The Death Of The Hired Man"; and "Birches". Biographical information and his own commentaries provides insights into what Frost was doing and thinking when he wrote each poem. Newman's format of combining essay and poetry enables the reader to experience Frost's poetry with a fresh appreciation and insight. Robert Frost is "must" reading for anyone who ever thrilled to this great man's poetic genius and enduring wisdom. ... Read more

Product Description
Inspired by the writings of Robert Frost, professional photographers Betsy and Tom Melvin present beautiful, and sometimes poignant, scenes of the New England landscape. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful introduction to New England
As a native New Englander, I've always loved Robert Frost. And, I'm glad to say, my children discovered & love Robert Frost on their own.The photographs in this book are lovely and well-matched to the poems.This is a great gift for anyone who loves New England & Robert Frost, has moved out of the area and misses New England, or to introduce family and friends to New England and Robert Frost.

Robert Frost's New England
If you like Robert Frost's poems and beautiful photos of New England during the changing of the seasons, this book is for you.Some of the photos are so beautiful that they made me cry.And who does not like Robert Frost.This book would make an excellent gift or just to put on your coffee table and read at any time.

Not what i expected
Not alot of reading goes into this book. Alot of beautiful pictures with what seem like exerpts from his poetry. Didnt love it. But I do like it.

nice idea
This book elegantly pairs Frost's poems with corresponding photos.Often the poems accompany a two page photo spread.The photography is good, although the image quality on paper isn't fabulous.It's nice to read his poems and have images of New England bring them to life. ... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Customer Reviews (2)

America's greatest poet
Works of Robert Frost (150+). Includes A Boy's Will, North of Boston, Mountain Interval and other poems. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

If you are considering taking a dive into poetry, start here. There is no better American poet than Robert Frost. If you read a poem a day, you'll soon find yourself saying things more colorfully and provocatively than ever before. A daily diet of Robert Frost will season your language with the unpredictable as you unconsciously begin to phrase your thoughts differently.

Robert Frost - the poet for poetry lovers
Works of Robert Frost (150+). Includes A Boy's Will, North of Boston, Mountain Interval and other poems. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

Robert Frost has a world-wide admiration. Reading Robert Frost just enriches your life. He writes with incredible color and unusual grace. I'm glad I found this collection at Amazon. ... Read more