The Sound of Trees

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



I wonder about the trees.
Why do we wish to bear
Forever the noise of these
More than another noise
So close to our dwelling place?
We suffer them by the day
Till we lose all measure of pace,
And fixity in our joys,
And acquire a listening air.
They are that that talks of going
But never gets away;
And that talks no less for knowing,
As it grows wiser and older,
That now it means to stay.
My feet tug at the floor
And my head sways to my shoulder
Sometimes when I watch trees sway,
From the window or the door.
I shall set forth for somewhere,
I shall make the reckless choice
Some day when they are in voice
And tossing so as to scare
The white clouds over them on.
I shall have less to say,
But I shall be gone.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 26, 2023

44 sec read
219

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABACDEDCBFEFGEHGEHBIIBJEK
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 700
Words 148
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 25

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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    What is the term for the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
    A Line break
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    C Enjambment
    D Dithyramb