White [ "Design," by Robert Frost]

In the poem “Design,” by Robert Frost, many different details capture one’s mind when one reads it. The poem, although a bit on the short side, entails beautiful and somewhat morbid images. The most prominent image that seems to be displayed is the color white. Frost uses the color to describe a variety of subjects, as well as to make one question the use of this idea. The most subtle image in the poem seems to be that of death. Although the writer does mention it once or twice throughout the poem, death doesn’t seem to be nearly as important as one would have perceived. The most recurring images that were found were the spider, the moth, and the color white.

While reading the poem, the central image seems to be the color white. Many people have learned to associate the color with the essence of purity, yet the author has used this image to invoke death. The spider he speaks of is white, as is the flower that the spider stands on and the moth that it is holding. The obscure part of this poem is that the “pure” spider had eaten the “pure” moth on the “pure” flower. The expressions are not morbid or gory, but rather they are simple and even gentle. As the poem continues one can take notice that the mood begins to turn darker, but it is still placid. As the poem continues a vast question seems to rise out of the pages and into the reader’s mind.

At the end of the poem the author speaks of some sort of design that governs over beings. As the poem is analyzed even deeper, the reader can begin to see that perhaps the author is trying to convey his views on a greater being. The color white most likely is an interpretation of that being and what it manages. The author seems to convey that if these creatures are created from this pure image, then who is to say that the creatures are not pure as well. Perhaps Frost is even trying to state that purity is in the eye of the beholder. The spider only killed the moth because it was necessary. In the end, Frost conveys that purity prevails over death.

Frost, Robert . "Design." The Norton Introduction To Literature. Ed. Peter Simon. New York: W. W. Norton & Company , 2005.

Vann, William. EduPic Graphical Resource. 2006. 30 Sep. 2008 .

You can’t spell insanity without the sanity!

The most interesting work of literature that I have read thus far is “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carroll. The entire piece revolves around a young girl named Alice become lost in the figment of her imagination. Although Alice meets many characters on her journey throughout Wonderland, my favorite is the Cheshire Cat. Alice first meets the quirky feline in the kitchen of the character known as the Duchess. Although the cat never actually speaks, the reader already knows that there is something fascinating involved with its smile. When Alice leaves the kitchen, she encounters the cat once more. This time the two actually divulge in an interesting conversation, which, at first seems to make no sense thanks to the cat’s convoluted responses, but when taken into consideration, these responses are sane. An example of this is demonstrated when Alice asks the Cheshire Cat, “‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here (Chapter 6, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)?’” The cat then answers, “‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to (Chapter 6, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland).’” Obviously, at first glance, this does not seem like an answer in any way or form, but, it is actually a very just response. The cat obviously has no idea where Alice wants to go, so it merely gave her an adequate reply. The rest of the conversation goes on in the same way until the cat disappears, leaving behind a very bewildered Alice. The key to understanding the insanity of the Cheshire Cat is to first comprehend his sanity. The reason for the title of my blog is a reminder for me to always look for the deeper meanings that a character might be giving rather than the overall image. It is essential not only to understand the words, but to understand the characters in a work of literature.

Carroll, Lewis. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Sabian. 1997. 28 Sep. 2008 .