'Self -Seeker, The' by Robert Lee Frost
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"Willis, I didn't want you here to-day:
The lawyer's coming for the company.
I'm going to sell my soul, or, rather, feet.
Five hundred dollars for the pair, you know."
"With you the feet have nearly been the soul;
And if you're going to sell them to the devil,
I want to see you do it. When's he coming?"
"I half suspect you knew, and came on purpose
To try to help me drive a better bargain."
"Well, if it's true! Yours are no common feet.
The lawyer don't know what it is he's buying:
So many miles you might have walked you won't walk.
You haven't run your forty orchids down.
What does he think?--How are the blessed feet?
The doctor's sure you're going to walk again?"
"He thinks I'll hobble. It's both legs and feet."
"They must be terrible--I mean to look at."
"I haven't dared to look at them uncovered.
Through the bed blankets I remind myself
Of a starfish laid out with rigid points."
"The wonder is it hadn't been your head."
"It's hard to tell you how I managed it.
When I saw the shaft had me by the coat,
I didn't try too long to pull away,
Or fumble for my knife to cut away,
I just embraced the shaft and rode it out--
Till Weiss shut off the water in the wheel-pit.
That's how I think I didn't lose my head.
But my legs got their knocks against the ceiling."
"Awful. Why didn't they throw off the belt
Instead of going clear down in the wheel-pit?"
"They say some time was wasted on the belt--
Old streak of leather--doesn't love me much
Because I make him spit fire at my knuckles,
The way Ben Franklin used to make the kite-string.
That must be it. Some days he won't stay on.
That day a woman couldn't coax him off.
He's on his rounds now with his tail in his mouth
Snatched right and left across the silver pulleys.
Everything goes the same without me there.
You can hear the small buzz saws whine, the big saw
Caterwaul to the hills around the village
As they both bite the wood. It's all our music.
One ought as a good villager to like it.
No doubt it has a sort of prosperous sound,
And it's our life."
"Yes, when it's not our death."
"You make that sound as if it wasn't so
With everything. What we live by we die by.
I wonder where my lawyer is. His train's in.
I want this over with; I'm hot and tired."
"You're getting ready to do something foolish."
"Watch for him, will you, Will? You let him in.
I'd rather Mrs. Corbin didn't know;
I've boarded here so long, she thinks she owns me.
You're bad enough to manage without her."
"And I'm going to be worse instead of better.
You've got to tell me how far this is gone:
Have you agreed to any price?"
"Five hundred.
Five hundred--five--five! One, two, three, four, five.
You needn't look at me."
"I don't believe you."
"I told you, Willis, when you first came in.
Don't you be hard on me. I have to take
What I can get. You see they have the feet,
Which gives them the advantage in the trade.
I can't get back the feet in any case."
"But your flowers, man, you're selling out your flowers."
"Yes, that's one way to put it--all the flowers
Of every kind everywhere in this region
For the next forty summers--call it forty.
But I'm not selling those, I'm giving them,
They never earned me so much as one cent:
Money can't pay me for the loss of them.
No, the five hundred was the sum they named
To pay the doctor's bill and tide me over.
It's that or fight, and I don't want to fight--
I just want to get settled in my life,
Such as it's going to be, and know the worst,
Or best--it may not be so bad. The firm
Promise me all the shooks I want to nail."
"But what about your flora of the valley?"
"You have me there. But that--you didn't think
That was worth money to me? Still I own
It goes against me not to finish it
For the friends it might bring me. By the way,
I had a letter from Burroughs--did I tell you?--
About my Cyprepedium reginæ;
He says it's not reported so far north.
There! there's the bell. He's rung. But you go down
And bring him up, and don't let Mrs. Corbin.--
Oh, well, we'll soon be through with it. I'm tired."
Willis brought up besides the Boston lawyer
A little barefoot girl who in the noise
Of heavy footsteps in the old frame house,
And baritone importance of the lawyer,
Stood for a while unnoticed with her hands
Shyly behind her.
"Well, and how is Mister----"
The lawyer was already in his satchel
As if for papers that might bear the name
He hadn't at command. "You must excuse me,
I dropped in at the mill and was detained."
"Looking round, I suppose," said Willis.
"Yes,
Well, yes."
"Hear anything that might prove useful?"
The Broken One saw Anne. "Why, here is Anne.
What do you want, dear? Come, stand by the bed;
Tell me what is it?" Anne just wagged her dress
With both hands held behind her. "Guess," she said.
"Oh, guess which hand? My my! Once on a time
I knew a lovely way to tell for certain
By looking in the ears. But I forget it.
Er, let me see. I think I'll take the right.
That's sure to be right even if it's wrong.
Come, hold it out. Don't change.--A Ram's Horn orchid!
A Ram's Horn! What would I have got, I wonder,
If I had chosen left. Hold out the left.
Another Ram's Horn! Where did you find those,
Under what beech tree, on what woodchuck's knoll?"
Anne looked at the large lawyer at her side,
And thought she wouldn't venture on so much.
"Were there no others?"
"There were four or five.
I knew you wouldn't let me pick them all."
"I wouldn't--so I wouldn't. You're the girl!
You see Anne has her lesson learned by heart."
"I wanted there should be some there next year."
"Of course you did. You left the rest for seed,
And for the backwoods woodchuck. You're the girl!
A Ram's Horn orchid seedpod for a woodchuck
Sounds something like. Better than farmer's beans
To a discriminating appetite,
Though the Ram's Horn is seldom to be had
In bushel lots--doesn't come on the market.
But, Anne, I'm troubled; have you told me all?
You're hiding something. That's as bad as lying.
You ask this lawyer man. And it's not safe
With a lawyer at hand to find you out.
Nothing is hidden from some people, Anne.
You don't tell me that where you found a Ram's Horn
You didn't find a Yellow Lady's Slipper.
What did I tell you? What? I'd blush, I would.
Don't you defend yourself. If it was there,
Where is it now, the Yellow Lady's Slipper?"
"Well, wait--it's common--it's too common."
"Common?
The Purple Lady's Slipper's commoner."
"I didn't bring a Purple Lady's Slipper
To You--to you I mean--they're both too common."
The lawyer gave a laugh among his papers
As if with some idea that she had scored.
"I've broken Anne of gathering bouquets.
It's not fair to the child. It can't be helped though:
Pressed into service means pressed out of shape.
Somehow I'll make it right with her--she'll see.
She's going to do my scouting in the field,
Over stone walls and all along a wood
And by a river bank for water flowers,
The floating Heart, with small leaf like a heart,
And at the sinus under water a fist
Of little fingers all kept down but one,
And that thrust up to blossom in the sun
As if to say, 'You! You're the Heart's desire.'
Anne has a way with flowers to take the place
Of that she's lost: she goes down on one knee
And lifts their faces by the chin to hers
And says their names, and leaves them where they are."
The lawyer wore a watch the case of which
Was cunningly devised to make a noise
Like a small pistol when he snapped it shut
At such a time as this. He snapped it now.
"Well, Anne, go, dearie. Our affair will wait.
The lawyer man is thinking of his train.
He wants to give me lots and lots of money
Before he goes, because I hurt myself,
And it may take him I don't know how long.
But put our flowers in water first. Will, help her:
The pitcher's too full for her. There's no cup?
Just hook them on the inside of the pitcher.
Now run.--Get out your documents! You see
I have to keep on the good side of Anne.
I'm a great boy to think of number one.
And you can't blame me in the place I'm in.
Who will take care of my necessities
Unless I do?"
"A pretty interlude,"
The lawyer said. "I'm sorry, but my train--
Luckily terms are all agreed upon.
You only have to sign your name. Right--there."
"You, Will, stop making faces. Come round here
Where you can't make them. What is it you want?
I'll put you out with Anne. Be good or go."
"You don't mean you will sign that thing unread?"
"Make yourself useful then, and read it for me.
Isn't it something I have seen before?"
"You'll find it is. Let your friend look at it."
"Yes, but all that takes time, and I'm as much
In haste to get it over with as you.
But read it, read it. That's right, draw the curtain:
Half the time I don't know what's troubling me.--
What do you say, Will? Don't you be a fool,
You! crumpling folkses legal documents.
Out with it if you've any real objection."
"Five hundred dollars!"
"What would you think right?"
"A thousand wouldn't be a cent too much;
You know it, Mr. Lawyer. The sin is
Accepting anything before he knows
Whether he's ever going to walk again.
It smells to me like a dishonest trick."
"I think--I think--from what I heard to-day--
And saw myself--he would be ill-advised----"
"What did you hear, for instance?" Willis said.
"Now the place where the accident occurred----"
The Broken One was twisted in his bed.
"This is between you two apparently.
Where I come in is what I want to know.
You stand up to it like a pair of cocks.
Go outdoors if you want to fight. Spare me.
When you come back, I'll have the papers signed.
Will pencil do? Then, please, your fountain pen.
One of you hold my head up from the pillow."
Willis flung off the bed. "I wash my hands--
I'm no match--no, and don't pretend to be----"
The lawyer gravely capped his fountain pen.
"You're doing the wise thing: you won't regret it.
We're very sorry for you."
Willis sneered:
"Who's we?--some stockholders in Boston?
I'll go outdoors, by gad, and won't come back."
"Willis, bring Anne back with you when you come.
Yes. Thanks for caring. Don't mind Will: he's savage.
He thinks you ought to pay me for my flowers.
You don't know what I mean about the flowers.
Don't stop to try to now. You'll miss your train.
Good-bye." He flung his arms around his face.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Exploring the Depths of Self-Discovery in Robert Frost's "The Self-Seeker"
Robert Frost is widely regarded as one of the most influential American poets of the 20th century. His poems often explore themes of nature, human relationships, and the complexities of the human psyche. One of his lesser-known works, "The Self-Seeker," delves deep into the theme of self-discovery, offering a poignant meditation on the human condition. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will examine the poem in detail, exploring its meaning, its poetic structure, and its relevance to contemporary readers.
An Overview of the Poem
"The Self-Seeker" is a short poem, consisting of only 21 lines. It was first published in Frost's 1923 collection "New Hampshire," and is often overlooked in favor of his more famous works, such as "The Road Not Taken" or "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." However, "The Self-Seeker" is a powerful and introspective poem that deserves greater attention.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a man who is constantly seeking knowledge and understanding. This man is not content with surface-level knowledge, but rather seeks to delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe. He is described as being "ever on the quest," suggesting a restlessness and a dissatisfaction with the world as it is. The speaker goes on to describe the man's search as a "lonely" one, suggesting that the quest for self-knowledge can be isolating.
The poem takes a turn in the second stanza, as the speaker describes the man's encounter with a "wise old man." This man is described as being "gray and bent," suggesting that he has lived a long and full life. The wise old man tells the self-seeker that "the only way out is through," suggesting that the only way to truly understand oneself is to go through the challenges and difficulties of life.
The poem ends with the self-seeker reflecting on the old man's words. He realizes that he has been searching for knowledge and understanding in all the wrong places, and that the only way to truly understand himself is to live his life fully. The final lines of the poem are both poignant and hopeful, suggesting that the self-seeker has finally found the answer he has been searching for.
The Meaning of the Poem
At its core, "The Self-Seeker" is a poem about the human quest for self-knowledge. The self-seeker in the poem is representative of all those who seek to understand themselves and their place in the world. The poem is both a warning and a comfort to those on this quest. It warns that the quest can be lonely and difficult, but it also offers the hope that true understanding can be found through living life fully.
The wise old man in the poem is a key symbol, representing the wisdom that can only come with age and experience. His message to the self-seeker is a powerful one, suggesting that life cannot be fully understood from a distance. The only way to truly understand oneself is to go through the ups and downs of life, and to emerge on the other side with a deeper understanding of oneself and the world.
The poem also touches on the idea of the interconnectedness of all things. The self-seeker is searching for knowledge of himself, but in doing so he is also exploring the mysteries of the universe. The poem suggests that true understanding of oneself cannot be separated from a broader understanding of the world.
The Poetic Structure of the Poem
"The Self-Seeker" is an example of Frost's simple yet powerful poetic style. The poem is written in free verse, without any rhyme or meter. This gives the poem a natural, conversational tone that makes it accessible to readers of all levels.
The poem is divided into two stanzas of unequal length. This division serves to emphasize the turning point in the poem, when the self-seeker encounters the wise old man. The longer first stanza establishes the self-seeker's quest, while the shorter second stanza brings resolution to the poem.
Frost also employs the use of imagery and symbolism to enhance the poem's meaning. For example, the self-seeker is described as being "ever on the quest," suggesting a never-ending search for knowledge. The wise old man is described as being "gray and bent," suggesting a life fully lived. These images help to convey the poem's themes in a powerful way.
Relevance to Contemporary Readers
Despite being written almost a century ago, "The Self-Seeker" remains relevant to contemporary readers. In a world that is increasingly busy and distracted, the poem serves as a reminder of the importance of self-reflection and self-knowledge. It warns that the quest for understanding can be lonely and difficult, but it also offers the hope that true understanding can be found through living life fully.
The poem also serves as a reminder of the wisdom that can be gained from those who have lived longer and more fully. In a society that often values youth over experience, the wise old man in the poem serves as a reminder of the value of age and wisdom.
In conclusion, "The Self-Seeker" is a powerful and introspective poem that explores the human quest for self-knowledge. It offers both a warning and a comfort to those on this quest, and serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things. Its simple yet powerful poetic style makes it accessible to readers of all levels, and its message remains relevant to contemporary readers. As such, it is a poem that deserves greater attention and appreciation.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Robert Lee Frost is a name that resonates with poetry enthusiasts all over the world. His works are a testament to his mastery of the art of poetry, and his ability to capture the essence of human emotions in his verses. One of his most famous poems, "The Self-Seeker," is a perfect example of his poetic genius. In this analysis, we will delve into the depths of this classic poem and explore its themes, imagery, and symbolism.
"The Self-Seeker" is a poem that speaks to the human desire for self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker is on a journey to find himself. The poem begins with the speaker stating that he is "a seeker of truth" and that he is "not content with what I have." This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker is on a quest to find something more meaningful than what he currently has.
Throughout the poem, Frost uses vivid imagery to describe the speaker's journey. The speaker travels through "the woods" and "the hills," which are both symbols of the unknown and the unexplored. The woods represent the darkness and the unknown, while the hills represent the challenges and obstacles that the speaker must overcome. The speaker is also described as being "alone," which emphasizes the loneliness and isolation that often come with the search for self-discovery.
As the speaker continues on his journey, he encounters various obstacles and challenges. He is "bewildered" by the "maze" that he finds himself in, and he is "distracted" by the "gleam" of the "shining stones" that he sees along the way. These obstacles represent the distractions and temptations that can lead us astray from our true path. The shining stones, in particular, represent the material possessions and worldly pleasures that can distract us from our spiritual journey.
Despite these obstacles, the speaker remains determined to find himself. He continues on his journey, even when he is "weary" and "worn." This determination is a testament to the human spirit and the resilience that we possess when we are on a quest for self-discovery.
As the poem comes to a close, the speaker reaches a "mountain-top" and sees a "vision" that "fills" him "with awe." This vision represents the moment of self-discovery, when the speaker finally finds what he has been searching for. The awe that he feels is a reflection of the profoundness of this moment, and the realization that he has found what he has been looking for.
The symbolism in this poem is rich and complex. The woods, hills, and shining stones all represent the obstacles and distractions that we encounter on our journey to self-discovery. The mountain-top represents the moment of self-discovery, when we finally find what we have been searching for. The journey itself represents the human desire for self-discovery and the search for meaning in life.
In addition to its symbolism, "The Self-Seeker" is also a beautifully crafted poem. Frost's use of imagery and language is masterful, and his ability to capture the essence of human emotions is unparalleled. The poem is written in a simple yet powerful style, which makes it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds.
In conclusion, "The Self-Seeker" is a classic poem that speaks to the human desire for self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. Frost's use of symbolism and imagery is masterful, and his ability to capture the essence of human emotions is unparalleled. This poem is a testament to his poetic genius and his legacy as one of the greatest poets of all time.
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