Summary and theme of the poem " After Apple Picking by Robert Frost

This is the summary, critical appreciation, and theme of the poem "After Apple-Picking" written by Robert Frost. This is the very important poem of Robert Frost. This is included in the syllabus of graduate and master students of Punjab University. This is a critical summary with quats. This is a good summary for the students of B.A. Punjab University. This is a symbolic poem.


Summary After Apple Picking


 After Apple Picking 

Robert Frost (1874-1963

Introduction of the Poet and Poem


Robert Frost is a modern American poet. His poems usually deal with nature and rural life. This is a simple poem. In this poem, he gives us the description of a person who is busy in apple- picking. He has been collecting apples. There is an empty barrel beside him. There are still two or three apples hanging with a bough which he does not pick but now he is tired by this task. The fragrance of apples made the atmosphere drowsy. He has tired and wants to sleep but he has to pick more apples.


Summary


The poem has been explained by the critics on a symbolic level. The poem forecasts the poet's old age and death in the long run. It is a matter of general observation that a man is always dissatisfied with what he has done in his life. This feeling is quite intense when he is about to depart from this world. He remembers the desired not fulfilled, the tasks not accomplished and the duties not performed at the end of his life.

The writer has been extremely preoccupied with the tasks of life. He is now in the winter of life. He feels like drowsing. He is near his death, for winter can symbolize decay, drowsiness, and death. The poet's emphasis on the task of apple picking shows that on the whole, he is satisfied with his work, But there are still some desires which remain unfulfilled in life  There are certain tasks which man wants to perform but death comes to him. It is this sense of incompleteness that is implied in the following line.


The scent of apples is spread in the garden. The poet takes us to another sight of nature, which is quite appealing and attractive to the senses. The reddish-brown color of the apples is a pleasant sight indeed. In the morning he happens to remove a transparent sheet of snow from the chilled water of the trough and holds It against the white snow grass. The piece of snow is melted now.


The poem gives us many hints about pastoral activity. In his dream, the poet hears the rumbling sound of apples pouring in the small storeroom. He is tired of apple picking The damaged apples are preserved for wine. The images used in the poem have been taken from natural sights. We can say that After Apple Picking is a beautiful lyric on the poet's love of nature


Critical Appreciation 


"After Apple-Picking " is an interesting poem by Robert Frost who is the most celebrated American poet. His poetry revolves around his own experiences as a part of American rural life. In this poem, he talks to us about an apple picker who is overcome by sleep while picking apples. The poet skillfully describes the impact of sleep on a man who is busy doing his favorite job. To him, sleep is the most powerful of human instincts.

In this poem, the apple-picker has just had a bumper crop of apples which he has always desired for. He is busy picking apples when he is overcome by sleep. Now, he is semi-conscious of what he is doing. He fears lest he should drop apples on the ground as all such apples go the cedar-apple heap. Now hen he has picked thousands of apples, he feels fed up with this unending routine and wishes to lose himself in the world of sleep.


It shows a conflict between his ambition and his instinct. The world seems to him as hazy as it seemed when he looked through the slab of ice early this morning. he hears the rumbling sound of apples being unloaded in the cellar. But he cannot continue apple-picking as sleep has such power as cannot be resisted.

Reference to the Context

Reference


These lines have been squeezed from the "After Appling Picking" written by Robert Frost.

Context

In this poem, the poet has taken a view of human desires and ambition in the context of the limited energy of the human body. He wants to tell us that man wants to perform many ambitions and programs of life., but he has little energy to perform them. He is soon tired with his labor and goes to sleep The sleep may become the end of his life. The dreams and ambitions of man's life may color his dreams. he may see the unfulfilled tasks of his life in his dreams.


You may like following posts too


1. Summary of Solitary Reaper

2. Summary of the poem Leisure

3. Summary of the poem Tartary

4. Summary of the poem New Year Resolution

5. Summary of the poem Woman Work

6. Summary of the poem Patriot into Traitor

7. Summary of the poem The Huntsman

8. Summary of the poem One Art

9. Summary of the poem Solitary Reaper

10. Summary of the poem All the World a Stage

11. Summary of the A Poison Tree

12. Summary of the poem Departure and Arrival

Post a Comment

Post a Comment (0)

Previous Post Next Post