English 11 Unit Four Project Thanthong Chim­ong 

I. Introduction

Thesis statement: In "Fireflies in the Garden,” “Acquainted with the Night" and “Dust of

Snow,” Robert Frost uses imagery to express the themes of endless loneliness, difficulty

of imitating others and transformation of mindset.

A.

II. Body Paragraph #1

A. Topic sentence: In "Fireflies in the Garden,” Robert Frost use imagery to

express difficulty of imitating others.

B. Supporting evidence:
i. “That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart),”

ii. “Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part,”

C. Clincher sentence: Robert Frost express the theme using the image of fireflies

and stars.

III. Body Paragraph #2

A. Topic sentence: In “Acquainted with the Night," Robert Frost use imagery to

express endless depression.

B. Supporting evidence:
i. “I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain,”

ii. “one luminated clock against the sky.”

C. Clincher sentence: Image in the poem is express the theme of endless loneliness.

IV. Body Paragraph #3

A. Topic sentence: In “Dust of Snow,” Robert Frost uses image of crow, tree and

snow to express the theme of transformation of mindset.

B. Supporting evidence:

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i. “The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood”

C. Clincher sentence: image in this poem is the main device that Robert Frost

uses to express the theme.

V. Conclusion

A. Rephrased thesis statement: Imagery is the main device that Robert

Frost uses to reinforce "Fireflies in the Garden,” “Acquainted with the Night" and

“Dust of Snow” ‘s Themes.

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The Imagery of Robert Frost’s Poetry

Robert Lee Frost, an 19th-century American poet. He was born in 1874 in San

Francisco, but he moved to New England in 1884. Two years after he graduated from

Lawrence High School, in 1892, the New York Independent was accepted his poem “My

Butterfly.” Since 1915 Frost’s place in American literatures had been deep-rooted. He was

known for his unique style of writing and his philosophy. Though his career Frost stands

between 19th-century poetry and modernism. In his poems Frost took 19th-century tools and

made them new using his radicalism and philosophy. In "Fireflies in the Garden,”

“Acquainted with the Night" and “Dust of Snow,” Robert Frost uses imagery to express the

themes of endless loneliness, difficulty of imitating others and transformation of mindset.

In "Fireflies in the Garden,” Robert Frost use imagery to express difficulty of

imitating others. From the poem name, this poem focus on fireflies that look similar to stars

from distance. The poem can be understood in many ways, on the outside, it is just about how

fireflies resemble a star. Still, if we analyze deeper the poem personifies fireflies and seem to

show that fireflies are both daring in their attempt to imitating the stars and they also deserve

to be admire for they attempting to dream beyond their abilities. In “That though they never

equal stars in size, / (And they were never really stars at heart),” (lines 3-4) using image of

the actual stars that can send their light across the universe and live for billions of years

compare actual fireflies which is a living thing that only send small light, Frost show that

even though fireflies are putting their effort to imitating the stars but they will never truly

become a star. However, in “Achieve at times a very star-like start. / Only, of course, they

can't sustain the part,” (lines 5-6) Frost admire the fireflies use image of the stars and fireflies

but this time both look the same, but Frost repeat that it will never become the stars.

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In “Acquainted with the Night," Robert Frost use imagery to express endless

loneliness. The poem is about the persona describe his loneliness when he walks in the city

street at night. He has walked along every city lane, but he had never found anything or

anyone to comfort him. Even when he makes a contact with another person, the persona does

not want to express his feeling because he knows no one will understand him. This poem is a

description of persona’s experience with depression. From “I have passed by the watchman

on his beat / And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain,” (lines 5-6) it is obvious that the

most important part of his depressions is his totally isolation because he does not have

courage to tell anyone about his feeling. Frost emphasizes the theme of the poem by slowly

build up the image of persona and his feeling. The persona’s feeling become clearer and

clearer in every stanza. In the very last stanza we know that the persona unable to use sense

of time like other people in the city. The persona relies only on “one luminated clock against

the sky.” (line 12) While other people are acquainted with the day, the persona is only

acquainted with the night. The night is only time that he came out from his isolation. He has

very less chance to meet someone that can pull him out of his depression. This strengthen the

theme by create image of endless depression.

In “Dust of Snow,” Robert Frost uses image of crow, tree and snow to express the

theme of transformation of mindset. “Dust of Snow” is about how something so small can

give the persona the transformation of mindset. In the poem the crow and the hemlock tree

both represent death. From “The dust of snow / From a hemlock tree / Has given my heart / A

change of mood” (lines 3-6) create an image of something that represent death can change the

persona mindset. Ironically, it is the symbols of death itself that change the persona mindset

form negative to positive and save his day. Throughout the poem, Frost create image of the

crow, hemlock tree and the persona to express his philosophy.

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In conclution, Frost’s poem such as "Fireflies in the Garden,” “Acquainted with the

Night" and “Dust of Snow,” are presenting completely difference ideas. However, all of

these poems are using the same tool to create and reinforce its theme, which is imagery.

"Fireflies in the Garden” create an image of fireflies imitating stars. “Acquainted with

the Night" create an image of an isolated person walking in the city street at night. “Dust

of Snow” create an image of a symbols of death that can change a person mood. All of

the image that Frost use to help the reader to imagine the picture in the poem and build

up a stronger theme.

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References

Frost, R. (n.d.). Dust of Snow by Robert Frost. Retrieved May 22,2018, from

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44262/dust-of-snow

Frost, R. (n.d.). Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost. Retrieved May 22, 2018, from

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47548/acquainted-with-the-night

Frost, R. (n.d.). Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost. Retrieved May 22, 2018, from

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42892/fireflies-in-the-garden

Robert Frost. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2018, from

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-frost

Robert Frost. (2017, April 28). Retrieved May 26, 2018, from

https://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091