After Apple Picking

Robert Frost 1874 (San Francisco) – 1963 (Boston)



My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still.
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples; I am drowsing off.
I cannot shake the shimmer from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the water-trough,
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and reappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
And I keep hearing from the cellar-bin
That rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking; I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall,
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised, or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

About this poem

The poem "After Apple Picking" by Robert Frost is a reflection on the idea of life's journey and the choices we make. Written in 1913, the poem is set in an orchard where the speaker has just finished picking apples. The poem speaks to the idea of the consequences of our decisions, as well as the idea of life being a journey and a series of choices. Through the use of imagery and symbolism, Frost's poem is a timeless reminder of the importance of being mindful of our choices and of the importance of living life to the fullest.  

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified by acronimous on February 16, 2023

1:35 min read
256

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBACCDEDFEFGHHHGIJIGKLKLMDNMOOPQRPQSTSUR
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,491
Words 314
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 41

Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. more…

All Robert Frost poems | Robert Frost Books

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