How does Robert Frost explore the theme of transcendence in “Birches”?
Throughout “Birches” by Robert Frost, the poet explores the theme of imagination
and transcendence. This is seen in the poetic form, with fifty-nine lines of blank verse,
primarily in iambic pentameter. This allows Frost to foster a flowing rhythm, representing the
movement of his thoughts to the reader. Frost deviates from this rhythm occasionally, such
as in the conclusion line, to emphasise his arguments and maintain a conversational tone.
This, combined with Frost’s use of a first-person narrative, creates a universal message
applicable to all men. This is evident in Frost’s use of a persona outside of his own identity.
From the opening line, Frost highlights the importance of creativity in “birches bend to
the left and right / across the lines of straighter, darker trees”. The trees act as a conceit,
symbolising the inflexible thinkers of the persona’s acquaintance. The birches represent
imaginative people, and their importance is emphasised to the reader through the plosive
alliteration This draws attention to the birches and the title (“Birches”). As a result, the birch
trees (and the imagination which they symbolise) are confirmed as Frost’s subject matter.
The enjambement conveys a quickened pace to the reader, indicating the sweeping
emotions which accompany transcending the mundane “straighter, darker trees”.
Frost’s transcendence above the mediocre is seen with his aesthetic principles. For
example, in “As ice storms do. Often you must… turn many-coloured / As the stir cracks and
crazes their enamel”, Frost uses sensuous imagery to romanticise reality. This is seen
through the employment of onomatopoeia. Meanwhile, the caesura signifies a switch to
harsh reality and the second-person narrative, creating a more impersonal account. Frost’s
insistence to portray reality to the reader in such a pleasant way displays his wealth of
imagination. This is supported by the harsh alliteration, which demonstrates Frost’s use of
lyrical devices, further cementing a sense of whimsy in the poem.
This is supported by the imagery in “Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away /
You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen”. The metaphor emphasises the whimsy
surrounding nature, indicating Frost’s reliance on imagination to the reader. Furthermore,
Frost uses religious imagery to draw upon the cultural context of the time. Many once
believed that heaven existed as a dome above Earth. By disrupting this image, Frost implies
to the reader that one must transcend above humanity’s thoughts by overcoming accepted
beliefs.
Frost continues to portray rising above humanity in “Like girls on hands and knees…
Sun / But I was going to say when Truth broke in / With all her matter-of-fact”. The simile
implies to the reader that a person can momentarily rise above humanity by comparing
humans to nature. As a devout Christian, Frost understood that humanity could never be
equal to Creation. However he uses his imagination to transcend mortality into a temporary
state of purity and bliss. The end-stopped line and the use of the negative conjunction as a
modifier mark a clear change in tone for the reader, demonstrating how the persona’s
imagination is taking over, rather than reality. The personification of the truth as a disruptive
, woman displays a disapproving tone to the ease, indicating the persona’s preference for an
imaginary fantasy.
Robert Frost presents the idea that humans have a natural tendency for
transcendence. This is portrayed in “One by one he subdued his father’s trees… Until he
took the stiffness out”. The repetition of “one” emphasises the boy’s dedication to
overcoming his father’s work, highlighting mankind’s need to transcend their forebearers to
the reader. This is supported by Frost’s utilisation of the active voice, as this reiterates the
boy’s action to the reader. Frost uses trees to present this argument due to his experience
as a pastoral poet.
Frost demonstrates the isolation of the imaginative minds “climbing carefully… flung
outward, feet first, with a swish”. The harsh alliteration represents the difficulty in
transcendence, with the extended metaphor of the climb displaying the distance of the
imaginative mind from the wider community. The fricative creates an exhilarating
atmosphere, demonstrating the freedom felt in the persona’s imagination, but also
(paradoxically) the relief felt after returning from a transcendental state. This is emphasised
to the reader through the use of onomatopoeia, reiterating the catharsis of imagination to the
reader. In this way, Frost demonstrates the raw joy of imagination to his audience.
Frost’s persona expresses a desire to transcend his problems in “So was I once
myself a swinger of birches. / And so I dream of going back to be”. The switch in tense
identifies the persona with the boy, displaying his desire to overcome the pressures of
adulthood by returning to the imaginative life of boyhood. This is further seen in “life is too
much like a pathless wood / Where your face burns and tickles with cobwebs / Broken
across it”. The simile displays life to the reader as something to be escaped, emphasising
the cruelty of unimaginative life to Frost’s audience. The enjambement creates a cumulative
effect, highlighting the hardships of life, whilst the direct address creates a universal image
of struggle. This passage demonstrates the persona’s wish to transcend the difficulty of adult
life.
As the poem concludes, Frost expresses the necessity of balance between
imagination and reality. This is seen by the reader in “May no fate wilfully misunderstand
me… and snatch me away”. The personification of a malevolent fate indicates the persona’s
wish to return to earth. This is supported by the aggressive, emphatic verb choice, which
indicates the persona’s displeasure to the reader, emphasising his desire to return. Frost
portrays transcendence in this manner to reveal to the reader that marination is only a
temporary escape from our earthly ways and responsibilities.
The final line concludes Frost’s message by implying that our powers of imagination
are limited. This is shown to the reader in “That would be good… One could do worse than
be a swinger of birches”. Frost’s use of the conditional tense indicates that the persona
knows that he can’t swing between reality and fantasy, and won’t achieve the freedom he felt
