Ben Barker
1st draft
There is a wide variety of personalities in the world today. Some people are amiable; others are churlish or ill-tempered. Some get nervous really easily; others are over-confident in their abilities. Some are really stubborn and insensitive; others are yielding and will do anything people tell them to do. Robert Frost, the author of “The Silken Tent”, uses syntax, word choice, and imagery to show that we should be open-minded or slightly moveable; however, we shouldn’t let anyone steer us away from our goal in mind or take a different route.
“The Silken Tent” has a simple pattern of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Frost follows this syntax very stringently. But when someone first reads the poem, it feels like a jumble of words that don’t have any pattern. The poem’s rhythm, once one is familiar with the poem, is very relaxed and open; yet it still stays within certain boundaries and is going somewhere. Frost shows that we can be relaxed and still have an idea in mind or a goal to reach.
Word choice also shows this in a variety of different ways. Some phrases convey a sense of firmness or something immovable, as in “it’s supporting central cedar pole”. This support should always stay upright and never falter. It is also central, which can relate to always having that goal in sight and focus on it. But we shouldn’t be dogmatic or stubborn. The tent has “countless silken ties of love and thought”. If we are stubborn or obstinate, we won’t have these close relationships help us through hard times. Some people would have us believe that these ties are binding; but Robert Frost disagrees. The poem says “Strictly held by none,” which says that relationships will have an affect on us; but we shouldn’t let them steer us away from what we truly want. He says that relationships can help support us and build us. They can let us see that we are going in the wrong direction.
Imagery helps people capture the essence of the poem and what Robert Frost is trying to tell the reader. The poem says “the sunny summer breeze has dried the dew and all its ropes relent”. Wet ropes are taut and don’t bend very easily. The ropes the this poem have had time to dry out some so that they are more moveable. “In guys it gently sways with ease” adds to this also. Guy lines are used to support and hold up the tent. The guy lines of this particular tent sway slightly, but they never fall over. These two phrases show that we should be open-minded so that we don’t fail; however, we shouldn’t let people lead us off the path. We should be slightly moveable, but still tight.
Through syntax and word choice, Robert Frost tells us that we should always have goals set, directions to go. But word choice and imagery also shows that we need to be open-minded and allow relationships to build us. This poem is more than just words on a page. It is the key to success in life and the foundation that we should build our lives on.