robertfrost

AFTERAPPLE-PICKING

Mylongtwo-pointedladder'sstickingthroughatree

Towardheavenstill,

Andthere'sabarrelthatIdidn'tfill

Besideit,andtheremaybetwoorthree

ApplesIdidn'tpickuponsomebough.

ButIamdonewithapple-pickingnow.

Esnceofwintersleepisonthenight,

Thescentofapples:Iamdrowsingoff.

Icannotrubthestrangenessfrommysight

Igotfromlookingthroughapaneofglass

Iskimmedthismorningfromthedrinkingtrough

Andheldagainsttheworldofhoarygrass.

Itmelted,andIletitfallandbreak.

ButIwaswell

Uponmywaytosleepbeforeitfell,

AndIcouldtell

Whatformmydreamingwasabouttotake.

Magnifiedapplesappearanddisappear,

Stemendandblossomend,

Andeveryfleckofrustshowingdear.

Myinsteparchnotonlykeepstheache,

Itkeepsthepressureofaladder-round.

Ifeeltheladderswayastheboughsbend.

AndIkeephearingfromthecellarbin

Therumblingsound

Ofloadonloadofapplescomingin.

ForIhavehadtoomuch

Ofapple-picking:Iamovertired

OfthegreatharvestImylfdesired.

Thereweretenthousandthousandfruittotouch,

Cherishinhand,liftdown,andnotletfall.

Forall

Thatstrucktheearth,

Nomatterifnotbruidorspikedwithstubble,

Wentsurelytothecider-appleheap

Asofnoworth.

Onecanewhatwilltrouble

Thissleepofmine,whateversleepitis.

Werehenotgone,

Thewoodchuckcouldsaywhetherit'slikehis

Longsleep,asIdescribeitscomingon,

Orjustsomehumansleep.

DUSTOFSNOW

Thewayacrow

Shookdownonme

Thedustofsnow

Fromahemlocktree

Hasgivenmyheart

Achangeofmood

Andsavedsomepart

OfadayIhadrued.

TheRoFamily

Theroisaro,

Andwasalwaysaro.

Butthetheorynowgoes

Thattheapple'saro,

Andthepearis,andso's

Theplum,Isuppo.

Thedearonlyknow

Whatwillnextprovearo.

You,ofcour,arearo--

Butwerealwaysaro.

THEBEAR

Thebearputsbotharmsaroundthetreeaboveher

Anddrawsitdownasifitwerealover

Anditschokecherrieslipstokissgood-bye,

Thenletsitsnapbackuprightinthesky.

Hernextsteprocksaboulderonthewall

(She'smakinghercross-countryinthefall).

Hergreatweightcreaksthebarbed-wireinitsstaples

Assheflingsoverandoffdownthroughthemaples,

Leavingononewiremothalockofhair.

Suchistheuncagedprogressofthebear.

Theworldhasroomtomakeabearfeelfree;

Theuniveremscrampedtoyouandme.

Manactsmorelikethepoorbearinacage

Thatalldayfightsanervousinwardrage~

Hismoodrejectingallhismindsuggests.

Hepacesbackandforthandneverrests

Theme-nailclickandshuffleofhisfeet,

Thetelescopeatoneendofhisbeat~

Andattheotherendthemicroscope,

Twoinstrumentsofnearlyequalhope,

Andinconjunctiongivingquiteaspread.

Orifherestsfromscientifictread,

'Tisonlytositbackandswayhishead

Throughninetyodddegreesofarc,items,

Betweentwometaphysicalextremes.

Hesitsbackonhisfundamentalbutt

Withliftedsnoutandeyes(ifany)shut,

(liealmostlooksreligiousbuthe'snot),

Andbackandforthheswaysfromcheektocheek,

AtoneextremeagreeingwithoneGreek~

AttheotheragreeingwithanotherGreek

Whichmaybethought,butonlysotospeak.

Abaggyfigure,equallypathetic

Whendentaryandwhenperipatetic.

ANOLDMAN'SWINTERNIGHT

Alloutofdoorslookeddarklyinathim

Throughthethinfrost,almostinparatestars,

Thatgathersonthepaneinemptyrooms.

Whatkepthiyesfromgivingbackthegaze

Wasthelamptiltedneartheminhishand.

Whatkepthimfromrememberingwhatitwas

Thatbroughthimtothatcreakingroomwasage.

Hestoodwithbarrelsroundhim--ataloss.

Andhavingscaredthecellarunderhim

Inclompingthere,hescareditonceagain

Inclompingoff;--andscaredtheouternight,

Whichhasitssounds,familiar,liketheroar

Oftreesandcrackofbranches,commonthings,

Butnothingsolikebeatingonabox.

Alighthewastonoonebuthimlf

Wherenowhesat,concernedwithheknewwhat,

Aquietlight,andthennoteventhat.

Heconsignedtothemoon,suchasshewas,

Solate-arising,tothebrokenmoon

Asbetterthanthesuninanyca

Forsuchacharge,hissnowupontheroof,

Hisiciclesalongthewalltokeep;

thatshiftedwithajolt

Onceinthestove,disturbedhimandheshifted,

Andeadhisheavybreathing,butstillslept.

Oneagedman--oneman--can'tkeepahou,

Afarm,acountryside,orifhecan,

It'sthushedoesitofawinternight.

THEROADNOTTAKEN

Tworoadsdivergedinayellowwood,

AndsorryIcouldnottravelboth

Andbeonetraveler,longIstood

AndlookeddownoneasfarasIcould

Towhereitbentintheundergrowth;

Thentooktheother,asjustasfair,

Andhavingperhapsthebetterclaim,

Becauitwasgrassyandwantedwear;

Thoughasforthatthepassingthere

Hadwornthemreallyaboutthesame,

Andboththatmorningequallylay

Inleavesnostephadtroddenblack.

Oh,Ikeptthefirstforanotherday!

Yetknowinghowwayleadsontoway,

IdoubtedifIshouldevercomeback.

Ishallbetellingthiswithasigh

Somewhereagesandageshence:

Tworoadsdivergedinawood,andI-

Itooktheonelesstraveledby,

Andthathasmadeallthedifference.

MendingWall

Somethingthereisthatdoesn'tloveawall,

Thatndsthefrozen-ground-swellunderit

Andspillstheupperboulderinthesun,

Andmakegapventwocanpassabreast.

Theworkofhuntersisanotherthing:

Ihavecomeafterthemandmaderepair

Wheretheyhaveleftnotonestoneonastone,

Buttheywouldhavetherabbitoutofhiding,

sImean,

Noonehasenthemmadeorheardthemmade,

Butatspringmending-timewefindthemthere,

Iletmyneighborknowbeyondthehill;

Andonadaywemeettowalktheline

Andtthewallbetweenusonceagain.

Wekeepthewallbetweenusaswego.

Toeachthebouldersthathavefallentoeach.

Andsomeareloavesandsomesonearlyballs

Wehavetouaspelltomakethembalance:

"Staywhereyouareuntilourbacksareturned!"

Wewearourfingersroughwithhandlingthem.

Oh,justanotherkindofoutdoorgame,

stolittlemore:

Therewhereitiswedonotneedthewall:

HeisallpineandIamappleorchard.

Myappletreeswillnevergetacross

Andeattheconesunderhispines,Itellhim.

Heonlysays,"Goodfencesmakegoodneighbors."

Springisthemischiefinme,andIwonder

IfIcouldputanotioninhishead:

"Whydotheymakegoodneighbors?Isn'tit

Wheretherearecows?Butheretherearenocows.

BeforeIbuiltawallI'dasktoknow

WhatIwaswallinginorwallingout,

AndtowhomIwasliketogiveoffen.

Somethingthereisthatdoesn'tloveawall,

Thatwantsitdown."Icouldsay"Elves"tohim,

Butit'snotelvexactly,andI'drather

mthere,

Bringingastonegraspedfirmlybythetop

Ineachhand,likeanold-stonesavagearmed.

Hemovesindarknessasitemstome,

Notofwoodsonlyandtheshadeoftrees.

Hewillnotgobehindhisfather'ssaying,

Andhelikeshavingthoughtofitsowell

Hesaysagain,"Goodfencesmakegoodneighbors."

GhostHou

IdwellinalonelyhouIknow

Thatvanishedmanyasummerago,

Andleftnotracebutthecellarwalls,

Andacellarinwhichthedaylightfalls,

Andthepurple-stemmedwildraspberriesgrow.

O'erruinedfencesthegrape-vinesshield

Thewoodscomebacktothemowingfield;

Theorchardtreehasgrownonecop

Ofnewwoodandoldwherethewoodpeckerchops;

Thefootpathdowntothewellishealed.

Idwellwithastrangelyachingheart

Inthatvanishedabodetherefarapart

Onthatdisudandforgottenroad

Thathasnodust-bathnowforthetoad.

Nightcomes;theblackbatstumbleanddart;

Thewhippoorwilliscomingtoshout

Andhushandcluckandflutterabout:

Ihearhimbeginfarenoughaway

Fullmanyatimetosayhissay

Beforehearrivestosayitout.

Itisunderthesmall,dim,summerstar.

Iknownotwhothemutefolkare

Whosharetheunlitplacewithme--

Thostonesoutunderthelow-limbedtree

Doubtlessbearnamesthatthemossmar.

Theyaretirelessfolk,butslowandsad,

Thoughtwo,clo-keeping,arelassandlad,--

Withnoneamongthemthateversings,

Andyet,inviewofhowmanythings,

Assweetcompanionsasmightbehad.

LoveandaQuestion

Astrangercametothedoorateve,

Andhespokethebridegroomfair.

Heboreagreen-whitestickinhishand,

And,forallburden,care.

Heaskedwiththeeyesmorethanthelips

Forashelterforthenight,

Andheturnedandlookedattheroadafar

Withoutawindowlight.

Thebridegroomcameforthintotheporch

With,'Letuslookatthesky,

Andquestionwhatofthenighttobe,

Stranger,youandI.'

Thewoodbineleaveslitteredtheyard,

Thewoodbineberrieswereblue,

Autumn,yes,winterwasinthewind;

'Stranger,IwishIknew.'

Within,thebrideintheduskalone

Bentovertheopenfire,

Herfacero-redwiththeglowingcoal

Andthethoughtoftheheart'sdesire.

Thebridegroomlookedatthewearyroad,

Yetsawbutherwithin,

Andwishedherheartinacaofgold

Andpinnedwithasilverpin.

Thebridegroomthoughtitlittletogive

Adoleofbread,apur,

AheartfeltprayerforthepoorofGod,

Orfortherichacur;

Butwhetherornotamanwasasked

Tomartheloveoftwo

Byharboringwoeinthebridalhou,

Thebridegroomwishedheknew.

THECOWINAPPLE-TIME

Somethinginspirestheonlycowoflate

Tomakenomoreofawallthananopengate,

Andthinknomoreofwall-buildersthanfools.

Herfaceisfleckedwithpomaceandshedrools

tastedfruit,

Shescornsapasturewitheringtotheroot.

Sherunsfromtreetotreewherelieandsweeten.

Thewindfallsspikedwithstubbleandworm-eaten.

Sheleavesthembittenwhenshehastofly.

Shebellowsonaknollagainstthesky.

Heruddershrivelsandthemilkgoesdry.

StoppingbyWoodsonaSnowyEvening

WhowoodstheareIthinkIknow.

Hishouisinthevillage,though;

Hewillnotemestoppinghere

Towatchhiswoodsfillupwithsnow.

Mylittlehormustthinkitqueer

Tostopwithoutafarmhounear

Betweenthewoodsandfrozenlake

Thedarkesteveningoftheyear.

Hegiveshisharnessbellsashake

Toaskifthereissomemistake.

Theonlyothersound'sthesweep

Ofeasywindanddownyflake.

Thewoodsarelovely,dark,anddeep,

ButIhavepromistokeep,

AndmilestogobeforeIsleep,

AndmilestogobeforeIsleep.