Frost is known for his realistic depiction of rural life and his mastery of American colloquial speech. He often wrote about settings in rural life in New England in the early 1900s and using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. He was copiously influenced by Robert Graves, Rupert Brooke, Thomas Hardy, William Butler Yeats and John Keats. Some of his famous works include "The Gift Outright", "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", "Birches", "Mending Wall", "The Road Not Taken" and "Nothing Gold Can Stay". plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Robert Frost's poem The Gift Outright offers his readers many interpretive options as to what analogies he hides behind his words. I think in Frost's The Gift Outright, he's trying to emphasize that triumph and surrender and sacrifice are what led to the absolute gift that is America. For years, what is now America was a colony under the reign of the English; American identities were not exclusively in themselves but partially based on British traditions that had been heavily emphasized, so many struggled to become one with the country. The colonials slowly fought for independence in each of the states; Frost uses it to exemplify the moment when Americans began to triumph over English rule and make the land their own: "...She was ours / In Massachusetts, in Virginia, / But we were England's" (3-5) . The author uses these lines to show that they have achieved small victories towards the advancement of their nation/land. But they still belong to England and fail to be part of the change that will shape and consolidate their nation state; they own the land, but the land does not own them: they have taken control of the land without assuming the responsibilities with which it came. Triumph can only come if there is a test, and sometimes humanity surrenders to the trials it faces. The gift of the land occurred as a personal expense, of sacrifice; because they would not have received without first giving: “As we were, we gave ourselves completely”... “As it was, as it will become”. In these lines Frost is showing that imperfect citizens have given themselves to the imperfect earth to build something much greater; people's dedication will help America reach its full potential by enhancing it with art and stories. Giving up parts of oneself to the development of America is not the only sacrifice that Frost exemplifies in his poetry. The decolonization of America and the personalization of its land was the cause of the loss of many lives. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The sacrifice and death of many souls was subtly mentioned by Frost: “(The act of giving was many deeds of war)” (13). I think Frost is trying to show that although the gift was final, it was simply the opposite. The earth was not entirely composed of people; it was fought for: much conflict and oppression followed to create a free nation. Frost adopts the use of parentheses; this allows the war to be mentioned indirectly, but insists that the war wages that led to victory must not be forgotten. Frost's poetry captivates readers, making them feel the responsibilities and duties of the land that Americans once felt was theirs. Such an interpretation allowed for reading as the poem progressed and the meaning behind The Outright Gift became increasingly complex and intimate. Frost represented identity.