Readers’ Contributions

On March 26th, Robert Frost would have been 150. Here a few recollections of what he said once to a group of Dartmouth freshmen as contributed by John D. and Rick R.:

Regarding blank verse:  “Blank verse is like playing tennis with the net down. If someone tries to talk to me about blank verse, I tell them to go to Carl Sandburg.” (And Sandburg replied - "But with the net down you might do better...."  they were pen pals.)

On poetry: “I never try to worry a poem into existence. A poem should begin in delight and end  in wisdom.” (At which point Frost said it was like us --we were beginning college as freshman --presumably in delight -- and would leave as seniors with wisdom.)

His poem “Fire and Ice” …  was sung by the Dartmouth glee club:

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it has to perish twice,

I know enough of hate to say that for destruction, ice is also nice and would suffice.

STAND UP FOR ROBERT FROST!