Out out

This is a full analysis/annotation from Robert Frost's Out, Out
I had to present it in class and got an A* for it. If you have to do it for class or so, please do not copy but simply use it as a help.

1. “ Out, Out-“ by Robert Frost Presented by Telma Rós Cavaleiro

2. Robert Frost Born in San Fransisco on the 26th March 1874 After his father‘s death in 1885 his family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts He died at the age of 88 in 1963 in Boston, New England, Massachusetts During his lifetime he won four Pulitzer Prices for his work He was married and had six children (two of them outlived him)

3. He attended Harvard University but had to quit due to illness Although most of his work is about rural life in New England, he only lived in cities. He received over 40 honorary degrees (even though he never finished university) from Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge etc. Before he became famous in America, he was famous in the UK His first poem was published in his High School Newspaper

4. About the poem It was published in 1916 Genre: Poetry It‘s about a boy who accidentally cuts of his hand with a saw He dies of blood lost when the doctor tries to save him. The poem is actually based off a true story from 1901. (newspaper article on next slide)

5. Setting New England ; classic Frost setting Rural New Hampshire, close to the Vermont Border Rural here means: no hospital or ambulances / country life Farm ( Frost‘s grandfather owned a farm in New England)

6. Themes Youth Loss of innocence W ork Nature vs. industry Death Relationships The daily course of life continuing unimpeded by the death of a family member .

7. Structure and From Narrative poem (from the poet‘s point of view) Blank verse – no rhyme scheme , iambic parameter 10 beats per line – r h ythm reminds of a natural conversation No Stanzas ; 34 continuous lines – highlights how quick the boy’s death happened. Full stops (l.27-32) – increase tension and show the abrubtness of the situation Last two lines – show purpose of the poem to the reader

8. The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove- length sticks of wood , Sweet- scented - stuff when the breeze drew across it. l .1: „ snarled “ personifies the saw and makes it seem like a living creature . Creates a negative image and shows a threat . l .2: „stove- length “ the boy is cutting firewood to either heat the house or for the stove where his mother and sister are cooking „ Supper “ in  IRONY l.3: „Sweet- scented - stuff “ creates a calm environment through the soothing assonance  ALLITERATION l.3: CONTRAST with the noise and tragedy the saw will cause.

9. And from there those that lifted eyes could count Five mountain ranges one behind the other Under the sunset of Vermont. l.4-6 : IMAGERY shows the beauty that surrounds them but the workers are too exhausted to see it. l.5 : SYMBOLISM indicated how blind humans are and are focused on their greed to become part of the upper class  also metaphorical that this dream is out of reach l.6 : „ sunset “ shows the end of the day and the end of the boy‘s life

10. And the saw snarled and rattled , snarled and rattled , As it ran light, or had to bear a load . l.7: ONOMATOPEIA shows how dangerous the saw really is and that he should not be operating it l.7: PERSONIFICATION highlights the danger and uncontrollable power REPETITION brings not only tension but emphasizes the idea of great danger from this dangerous creature

11. And nothing happened : day was all but done . Call it a day , I wish they might have said To please the boy by giving him the half hour That a boy counts so much when saved from work . l.10: SYMBOLISM shows how the workers are oblivious of time but want to finish work as soon as the light fades. l.10: FORESHADOWING the tragedy to come l.11/12: „ boy “ shows how young he is and shows that even children had to work hard back then . „ boy “ also is a biblical reference to Jesus l.12: IRONY and PATHOS because we know that he will not be saved from the saw . This also indicated that he was afraid of his own work .

12. His sister stood beside them in her apron To tell them „ Supper .“ At the word , the saw , As if to prove saws knew what supper meant , Leaped out at the boy‘s hand , or seemed to leap - l.13: shows that they don‘t have childhood; he is working outside and she is cooking „ Supper “ means the end of a day ; here it FORESHADOWS the end of the boy‘s life „them“ makes it seem that boy is not working alone l.14-16: PERSONIFICATION animalizes the saw as it jumps at the boy „ Supper “ is again a biblical reference did he do it intentionally to get out of work early ? Or did the saw just slip out of his hand ? „ seemed to leap “

13. He must have given the hand . However it was, Neither refused the meeting . But the hand ! SYMBOLISM shows how people sacrifised themselves for the labor of their lands . Again we question if the boy did it on purpose . l.18: it‘s like they are forced to let this happen. There is no resistance from either parties.

14. The boy‘s first outcry was a rueful laugh , As he swung toward them holding up the hand , Half in appeal , but half as if to keep The life from spilling . Then the boy saw all - OXYMORON He is in a shock and can‘t believe that he just hurt his hand „The life from spilling “ the boy is asking for help and tries to save his life and his hand REALIZATION shows that the boy knows that this will be the end and also shows how young he really is.

15. Since he was old enough to know , big boy Doing a man‘s work , though a child at heart - l.23: there is no sympathy for the child. Frost is criticizing the society that children have to work a man‘s job . „big boy “ makes more personal as if Frost knew the boy .  in fact the boy was the son of his friend . shows again that he doesn‘t have a childhood but still holds onto his youth

16. He saw all spoiled . „Don‘t let him cut my hand off – The doctor , when he comes . Don‘t let him, sister !“ „He saw all spoiled “ he knows that he will not survive EMOTIVE LANGUAGE shows his childishness and his attachment to youth . The reader feels sorry for him. He‘s trying to convince himself that he will survive and keep his hand . FEAR of being useless !

17. So. But the hand was gone already . The doctor put him in the dark of ether . He lay and puffed his lips out with his breath . „So“ is a change of tone  it is more sad and slow as if time stops . l.27: „the hand was gone already “ means that there is no hope for the boy anymore . l.28-29: the doctor anesthesizes him and tries to save his life by performing CPR on him

18. And then – the watcher at his pulse took fright . No one believed . They listened at his heart . Little- less - nothing ? – and that ended it. l.30: TENSION shows that the boy is dead and the people around him finally realized it. „No one believed “ shows how no one expected this situation to be this serious l.32: the boy‘s heart rate decreases very slowly until he‘s finally dead . „Little- less - nothing “ time stops / freezes ; brings a sad effect and also TENSION

19. No more to build on there . And they, since they Were not the one dead , turned to their affairs emotionless This shows that people can easily move on and see life as a line that just continues without stopping .

20. Thank you 