January 25, 2006
Delusions of Grandeur
Robert Frost's "After Apple Picking" is a study in contrasts. It's about a young man whose life is incredibly simple, yet at the same time filled with minute details that seem of the utmost importance. After a hard day at work, this young man begins to fall asleep, eventually wondering if his sleep is like that of hibernation:
"The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep."
It seems significant that although the young man is dreaming of grandeur, which in this case takes the form of sleeping a sleep which humans are not capable of, it is such a simplistic delusion that it is not grand at all. This contrast, in my oppinion, was a perfect way to end the poem.
Posted by PaulCrossman at 08:29 PM | Comments (0)