Introduction:
Robert Frost’s (1874-1963) poetry mainly deals with a realistic attitude toward nature. Again, the relationship between man and woman is also a striking theme of Frost’s poetry. Misunderstanding, psychological tension, and hidden love between the couple are exposed throughout Frost’s two celebrated poems “Home Burial” and “The Death of a Hired Man”.
More Notes: Robert Frost
Emotional aspect:
Both of the poems are so much emotional that drop tears from the eyes of their readers. In the poem Home Burial, the wife is extremely emotional. Amy is so broken from the inside after the death of her only son. But her husband did not show any emotion for his son’s death. Rather he makes the arrangement to engrave his son. That is why his wife calls him a cruel person. But he knows what to do in this case. If he laments like Amy then the situation will go under control. But from inside he is also in deep grief. In the poem “The Death of a Hired Man” Mary meets with Silas before his death. She becomes so emotional hearing the news of Silas’s death.
Lack of Communication:
The most common complaint among married couples is a lack of communication. In the poem, “Home Burial,” Robert Frost gives a glimpse of the conflicts caused by a lack of communication and misunderstanding between a husband and wife upon the death of their first and only child. Their conflict is rooted in part in the husband’s selfishness, revealed by his insensitivity, narrow-mindedness, and pride. Actually, here Amy’s husband is not selfish or narrow-minded. He is also in deep pain but never revealed like his wife Amy. Here the poet says,
“A man can’t speak of his own child that’s dead”
Misunderstanding between the couple:
Because of the lack of communication, there is a misunderstanding between a couple of Home Burials. Amy seems to his husband to be extremely selfish but actually, he is not. Amy’s lamentations were limitless, disturbing her husband more from the inside. But she never tried to realize him.
More Notes: Suggestions
Psychological aspect:
Both the husband and wife grieve the loss of their son, but they do so in different ways. For example, the wife is content to be away from the house that reminds her of him, while the husband digs the grave in an effort to move on to happier times. The husband takes a much more active approach to grief. He literally buries their child with his own hands and afterward is able to “talk about everyday concerns” with funeralgoers—much to his wife’s horror.
In “Death of a Hired Man” Warren told Silas not to come back because he always leaves before haying time when Warren needs him the most and comes back in the winter when Warren does not need him and can’t afford to pay him. But his wife Mary is soft-hearted. So, she, again and again, told his wife to meet with Silas. Though in the beginning, Warren exposes his rigidness but he is also soft-hearted which is revealed at the end of the poem.
Conclusion:
To conclude, it becomes quite clear that, in both poems, Frost reveals the exact relationship between man and woman, between husband and wife. Their primary tendency may differ from one another, and there may contrast in their ideas but they will continue their relationship and love together for their betterment.
