Analysis of Birches by Robert Frost

In the poem Birches by Robert Frost, Frost portrays the images of a child growing to adulthood through the symbolism of aging birch trees. Through these images readers are able to see the reality of the real world compared to there carefree childhood. The image of life through tribulation is the main focal point of the poem and the second point of the poem is if one could revert back to the simpler times of childhood. The language of the poem is entirely arranged through images, although it contains some diction it lacks sound devices, metaphors, and similes compared to other published works by Frost.

The first half of the poems’ images are of life, coming of age, and death.

The first three lines in the poem represent the image of childhood and adulthood.

“When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.” Childhood is represented when the branches swing Frost thinks there is a boy swinging on them. Adulthood is represented by straighter darker trees because darker is a reference to older trees just by the nature of the color as compared to a birch tree which is white or light in color. “But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay. Ice storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning. After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.” The ice storms symbolize the difficult times in life or the coming of age through time and weathering just like a person. The word loaded describes about the burden of being old compared to youthfulness just like the burden of the ice on the trees. Shattering and avalanching on the snow such heaps of broken glass to be swept away is a representation of the final stage in life and that is death. The shattering of the branches is like the death of a person and the sweeping away of the branches is like a funeral. You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen is the passing on of life into the after life. Also the shattering of the ice could represent renewed hope for the future because the burden has been lifted from the branches. “They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed is an image of someone who has aged but not passed on yet. So low for long, they never right themselves represents how they will never be able to relive their childhood.

While the first half of the poem deals with the coming of age the second half of the poem