'Provide, Provide' by Robert Frost
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The witch that came (the withered hag)
To wash the steps with pail and rag,
Was once the beauty Abishag,
The picture pride of Hollywood.
Too many fall from great and good
For you to doubt the likelihood.
Die early and avoid the fate.
Or if predestined to die late,
Make up your mind to die in state.
Make the whole stock exchange your own!
If need be occupy a throne,
Where nobody can call you crone.
Some have relied on what they knew;
Others on simply being true.
What worked for them might work for you.
No memory of having starred
Atones for later disregard,
Or keeps the end from being hard.
Better to go down dignified
With boughten friendship at your side
Than none at all. Provide, provide!
Editor 1 Interpretation
Provide, Provide by Robert Frost: A Deeper Look
Can a poem really capture the essence of life? Robert Frost's "Provide, Provide" may answer that question with its deep and thought-provoking themes. This classic poem is both a criticism of human nature and a meditation on the inevitability of death. Frost's careful use of language and imagery creates a haunting tone that lingers long after the final stanza.
Overview
"Provide, Provide" is a poem that explores the idea of death and the choices we make in life. The poem is structured as a series of rhymed couplets, giving it a sing-song quality that belies the weighty themes it explores. The poem opens with the speaker addressing a character named "Jabez." The tone is one of admonishment, as the speaker urges Jabez to take action before it's too late.
Analysis
The first stanza is a warning, urging Jabez to take action in life before it is too late. The speaker tells Jabez, "The witch that came (the withered hag), / To wash the steps with pail and rag, / Was once the beauty Abishag..." (lines 1-3). This opening stanza sets the ominous tone for the rest of the poem. The witch is a symbol of death, and her transformation from beauty to hag is a warning of the inevitability of decline. The lines "Provide, provide!" shows urgency in the speaker's voice to take action before it's too late.
In the second stanza, the speaker tells Jabez that he must "make haste and choose" (line 5) before it's too late. The imagery in these lines is stark and bleak, with references to "the dying moon" and "the end of time" (lines 6 and 7). The speaker urges Jabez to "choose the lesser evil" (line 8) and make a decision about how he will spend his life. The phrase "lesser evil" suggests that there are no good choices, only those that are less bad than others.
The third stanza is where Frost really delves into the idea of human nature. The speaker tells Jabez that "the best things can't be bought" (line 9) and that "the only way to make them yours / Is to find them where they are" (lines 10-11). This suggests that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be found through material possessions or wealth. Instead, the speaker suggests that these things must be found within oneself.
The fourth stanza is perhaps the most chilling in the entire poem. The speaker tells Jabez that "Money is good" (line 12) and that "love is far better" (line 13). However, the lines that follow suggest that love is not enough to escape the inevitability of death. The speaker says that "Time was away and somewhere else" (line 14) when love was present, but that death will always come in the end. The final line of the stanza, "We cheated him with straw" (line 16), suggests that love is ultimately futile in the face of death.
The fifth stanza returns to the idea of making choices in life. The speaker tells Jabez that "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on" (lines 17-18). This line is a reminder that no matter what choices we make, life will continue on. The final line of the stanza, "So what?" (line 19), is a rhetorical question that suggests that the choices we make ultimately don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
The final stanza is a meditation on the inevitability of death. The speaker tells Jabez that "A time will come when men will stretch their eyes" (line 20) and that "They must die to themselves" (line 21) in order to find true fulfillment. This suggests that death is not an end, but rather a beginning. The final line of the poem, "Provide, provide!" (line 22), is a reminder that we must make the most of the time we have before death inevitably comes for us all.
Interpretation
"Provide, Provide" is a poem that explores the futility of human existence. Frost suggests that no matter what choices we make in life, we cannot escape the inevitability of death. The poem is a reminder that we must make the most of the time we have and find fulfillment within ourselves rather than through material possessions or wealth.
The poem is also a criticism of human nature. Frost suggests that we are too focused on material possessions and wealth, and that we often ignore the more important things in life. The speaker's admonishment of Jabez can be seen as a criticism of society as a whole, urging us to take action before it is too late.
Conclusion
"Provide, Provide" is a haunting and thought-provoking poem that explores the themes of death, human nature, and the choices we make in life. The poem's sing-song structure belies the weighty themes it explores, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final stanza. Frost's careful use of language and imagery creates a haunting tone that is both beautiful and unsettling. Overall, "Provide, Provide" is a classic poem that deserves to be studied and appreciated for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Robert Frost’s poem “Provide, Provide” is a classic piece of literature that explores the themes of mortality, greed, and the human desire for control. The poem is a commentary on the human condition and the lengths to which people will go to ensure their own survival and success. In this analysis, we will examine the poem’s structure, language, and themes to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.
The poem is divided into two stanzas, each containing eight lines. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with the speaker proclaiming that “The witch that came (the withered hag)” has given him a piece of advice: “What matter if we go clear to the stars?” The speaker then goes on to explain that this advice is not meant to be taken literally, but rather as a metaphor for the human desire for control and power. The second stanza builds on this theme, with the speaker stating that “No memory of having starred / Atones for later disregard / Or keeps the end from being hard.” In other words, no amount of success or power can protect us from the inevitability of death.
The language used in the poem is simple and direct, but it is also rich with metaphor and symbolism. The “witch” in the first stanza represents the darker aspects of human nature, such as greed and the desire for control. The metaphor of “going clear to the stars” represents the human desire to reach for the impossible, to achieve greatness and power. The repetition of the phrase “Provide, provide” throughout the poem emphasizes the importance of survival and the lengths to which people will go to ensure it.
One of the key themes of the poem is mortality. The speaker acknowledges that death is inevitable, and that no amount of success or power can protect us from it. This theme is reinforced by the imagery of the “withered hag” and the idea that no memory of success can “atone” for the end. The poem suggests that the human desire for control and power is ultimately futile in the face of death.
Another theme of the poem is greed. The speaker acknowledges that people will go to great lengths to ensure their own survival and success, even if it means sacrificing others. This is illustrated by the line “The best way out is always through,” which suggests that people will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it means causing harm to others. The repetition of the phrase “Provide, provide” emphasizes the idea that people will do whatever it takes to ensure their own survival, even if it means taking from others.
The poem also explores the idea of the human desire for control. The metaphor of “going clear to the stars” represents the human desire to reach for the impossible, to achieve greatness and power. The repetition of the phrase “Provide, provide” emphasizes the importance of control and the lengths to which people will go to ensure it. However, the poem suggests that this desire for control is ultimately futile in the face of death.
In conclusion, Robert Frost’s poem “Provide, Provide” is a powerful commentary on the human condition and the lengths to which people will go to ensure their own survival and success. The poem explores themes of mortality, greed, and the human desire for control, using rich metaphor and symbolism to convey its message. The poem suggests that the human desire for control and power is ultimately futile in the face of death, and that no amount of success or power can protect us from the inevitability of our own mortality.
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