Meaning, Loss, and Mortality in 'Out, Out -' and 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' Euan Wallace 12th Grade

Throughout both poems, Frost approaches the theme of mortality both directly and indirectly, exploring not only the random, often violent nature of death, but even its dangerous appeal. ‘Out Out —’ deals with the former, choosing to question the romanticism often attributed to it through portraying the violent, accidental death of a young child. Undoubtedly influenced by the mass slaughter witnessed throughout the First World War, Frost’s portrayal of a narrator seeking to apply blame even to inanimate objects - such as the chainsaw - provides a metaphor for the search for meaning and direction when both are absent. Despite opting for a more structured, regular form (in terms of both verse and metre), ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ approaches death in a similar manner, developing an overriding sense of isolation which mirrors the response of the community in ‘Out Out —’ to the child’s death. Certainty and uncertainty are frequently juxtaposed throughout both poems, undermining any sense of assured knowledge and laying significant emphasis on humanity’s total powerlessness in the face of its own mortality. Crucially, however, whilst ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ does not attempt to ‘explain’ death to any extent,...