Poetry “begins in delight and ends in wisdom” is a claim made by the poet Robert Frost. Most people have taken this literally and assume that the first few lines in a poem should be entertaining while wisdom is held in the last lines. However, Robert intention was stressing that poetry has both entertaining and teaching aspects as evidenced by the majority of his works. He emphasized the importance of using poetry to transfer wisdom in a way that readers will not be bored by the poet. The poet and the reader must share the excitement of uncovering the deeper meaning of a quality poetry work. As aforementioned, this claim is evident in most of the works by Frost. For instance, in the poem “Range-finding’’ the poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.  The phrase ‘’ The battle rent a cobweb diamond-strung’‘(1), the speaker uses the words ‘’diamond strung’’ that stick out to the reader. Nevertheless, as the poem concludes, the reader draws conclusion that not all things are what they first seem. ‘’The indwelling spider ran to greet the fly’’ (13) is a clear indication of what happens when one falls in a trap. The poet intention is to discuss relationships; the butterfly fell on the cobweb after being attracted by the flower.

Also, delight-to-wisdom pattern is also evident in the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. In this poem, it starts with a dramatic scene but at last, there is deeper meaning full of wisdom.  Despite the love for the scene, the speaker understands that he needs to keep his promises, and there are other duties to fulfill as evidenced by this line ‘’And miles to go before I sleep’’ (16). The poem could express a death wish that is discarded after understanding that there is much more reasons to live. In essence, a good poem is the one that brings entertainment as well as wisdom to the reader.

Works Cited

Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter 11th Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2013. Print.

 
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