Bond & Free Analysis
Bond & Free Analysis
“Bond and Free” by Robert Frost personifies two entities “Love” and “Thought” as if they exist and exhibit qualities of human beings, rather than being effects of the human heart and mind. Frost uses capitalization to begin each entity as if each were formal given names of each entity.
Frost begins by referring to Love. Love is described as being grounded and clinging to the earth. It has “circling arms about”. With these descriptions, Frost conveys that Love is needy and dependent on others. It lives in fear of being torn from the one it love. Frost indicates that Love has “Wall within wall to shut fear out”. With this imagery, Frost portrays love as a prison that keeps others out and protects those that are inside.
In contrast, in the last two lines of the first stanza, Frost portrays Thought as opposite of Love. Thought does not live in fear. Thought can wander and escape anywhere it would like to go. Thought is not dependent on anyone. The mind can think of anything that is desires. Love instead has to be reliable to only one and that cling to its loyalty. Frost uses the imagery of “dauntless wings” which would symbolize brave freedom.
In stanza two, Frost extols that he has seen that Love has left its imprint on his life. He has born witness to this fact himself. Footprints have been left in snow and sand by Love. Snow would indicate the coldest of hearts and sand would symbolize warmer hearts. Frost has seen love leave an imprint on those, but what is significant is that in both cases, Love can be swept away and it is impermanent. Snow will melt away and sand can be washed away. Thus, Love may not leave a permanent impact on those it touches.
Love embraces the idea of permanence and likes the fact that it leaves an imprint on the lives of others. In contrast, Thought is proud of the fact that it is able to shake its ankle free. If one-steps deep in snow or sinks into the sand, the body must exert itself to remove itself
“Bond and Free” by Robert Frost personifies two entities “Love” and “Thought” as if they exist and exhibit qualities of human beings, rather than being effects of the human heart and mind. Frost uses capitalization to begin each entity as if each were formal given names of each entity.
Frost begins by referring to Love. Love is described as being grounded and clinging to the earth. It has “circling arms about”. With these descriptions, Frost conveys that Love is needy and dependent on others. It lives in fear of being torn from the one it love. Frost indicates that Love has “Wall within wall to shut fear out”. With this imagery, Frost portrays love as a prison that keeps others out and protects those that are inside.
In contrast, in the last two lines of the first stanza, Frost portrays Thought as opposite of Love. Thought does not live in fear. Thought can wander and escape anywhere it would like to go. Thought is not dependent on anyone. The mind can think of anything that is desires. Love instead has to be reliable to only one and that cling to its loyalty. Frost uses the imagery of “dauntless wings” which would symbolize brave freedom.
In stanza two, Frost extols that he has seen that Love has left its imprint on his life. He has born witness to this fact himself. Footprints have been left in snow and sand by Love. Snow would indicate the coldest of hearts and sand would symbolize warmer hearts. Frost has seen love leave an imprint on those, but what is significant is that in both cases, Love can be swept away and it is impermanent. Snow will melt away and sand can be washed away. Thus, Love may not leave a permanent impact on those it touches.
Love embraces the idea of permanence and likes the fact that it leaves an imprint on the lives of others. In contrast, Thought is proud of the fact that it is able to shake its ankle free. If one-steps deep in snow or sinks into the sand, the body must exert itself to remove itself