October

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1913

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

"The Tuft of Flowers" by Robert Frost (1915)

“The Tuft of Flowers” is another pastoral poem written by Frost that appeared in A Boy’s Will alongside “October.” This poem differs from “October,” as it provides more direct interaction with nature and the natural world. The speaker here talks about another person, a mower of fields, who has spared a cluster of flowers for the butterflies and, as a result, for the speaker to enjoy and feel less alone. The direct suggestion of another person adds an element of shared humanity to this pastoral that is not overtly present in “October.”

"The Code" by Robert Frost (1922)

This poem exhibits Frost’s range, as it is entirely different than “October” in both its form and style. While it is still grounded very much in farm life and nature, it takes on a more narrative form and includes moments of dialogue. As with “October,” the lines are written with attention to meter, yet in a departure from it, they do not maintain a rhyme scheme. Frost often wrote using dialogue in poems, and he even wrote plays.

"The Prophets Really Prophesy as Mystics the Commentators Merely by Statistics" by Robert Frost (1962)

Published near the end of his life, this poem stands in stark contrast to “October,” revealing a different side of Frost. “The Prophets Really Prophesy as Mystics the Commentators Merely by Statistics” is less involved in making meaning through nature metaphor and imagery and more involved in overt philosophizing and the scientific world.

Further Literary Resources

A Boy’s Will by Robert Frost (1915)

The full collection in which “October” first appeared, A Boy’s Will provides additional context to the poem—from where it is placed within the collection, to how it functions in conjunction with the other poems presented alongside it.

The Notebooks of Robert Frost by Robert Frost, edited by Robert Faggen (2010)

Frost’s notebooks provide a personal look into the life and thoughts of the famous poet. While his poetry exhibited supreme control, a glimpse of his more private thoughts provides a more complex view.

"The Road Back: Frost’s Letters Could Soften a Battered Image" by Jennifer Schuessler (2014)

Published in the New York Times, this article looks at how Frost’s letters have provided a new light in which to see the poet who, in the years following his death, has not always weathered well in the public eye.