Lines 13-18

Lines 13-18 are dense with content and show just how good Robert Frost was with crafting words. These lines tell a small story within the poem about the interaction between the boy and the saw. For these two parties to have an interaction in interesting because the saw itself does not posses any human qualities. In giving the saw human qualities, Frost is using personification. The first time Frost uses personification is in line 13 where he writes, "His sister stood beside them." Them refers to the boy and the saw; here, the saw is make the boy's equal. This line could also foreshadow the coming events in the next lines. Why would the sister not just address the boy? Lines 15 and 16 continue the use of personification; they read, "as if to prove the saw knew what supper meant, leaped out at the boy's hand." Saw do not have the ability to leap. Rather, the boy must have made a mindless mistake. The saw he was using was probably a stationary one, so it is likely that the boy may have accidentally sat his hand on the saw. Line 17 even states, "he must have given the hand." The meeting between the boy and the saw is much more interesting with the use of personification. The longing of the saw for supper is an irregular idea at best but makes the poem interesting. Line 18 wraps up this small segment. While, "neither refused the meeting," it seems the only resulting emotion was the boy's anguish. Even though the saw hungered for supper, it experienced no satisfaction from the supper it actually received.

Again, Frost's mastery of words is amazing. In these six short lines there is much action and extreme emotion.

- posted by Haynes Finney @ 2:51 PM