'Cow in Apple-Time, The' by Robert Lee Frost


AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay



Something inspires the only cow of late
To make no more of a wall than an open gate,
And think no more of wall-builders than fools.
Her face is flecked with pomace and she drools
A cider syrup. Having tasted fruit,
She scorns a pasture withering to the root.
She runs from tree to tree where lie and sweeten.
The windfalls spiked with stubble and worm-eaten.
She leaves them bitten when she has to fly.
She bellows on a knoll against the sky.
Her udder shrivels and the milk goes dry.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"Cow in Apple-Time" by Robert Lee Frost

Are you tired of the same old stories about love and loss? Do you yearn for something a little more pastoral, a little more grounded in the earth and the seasons? Look no further than "Cow in Apple-Time," a poem by Robert Lee Frost that captures the essence of autumn and the rhythms of rural life.

At first glance, "Cow in Apple-Time" may seem like a simple pastoral scene. We are presented with a cow grazing in an orchard, surrounded by the "sweet scent" of fallen apples. But as with most of Frost's poems, there is more to this image than meets the eye.

One of the first things we notice about the poem is its structure. "Cow in Apple-Time" is written in unrhymed tercets, or three-line stanzas, with a loose iambic rhythm. This gives the poem a relaxed, conversational feel, as if we are sitting down with Frost to discuss the changing of the seasons.

But it also serves a more practical purpose. By breaking the poem up into tercets, Frost is able to highlight certain images and ideas. For example, the first stanza focuses on the cow and the apples, while the second stanza introduces the idea of the "windfallen" apples and their significance. This allows Frost to create a sense of movement and progression within the poem, as we move from one idea to the next.

Of course, the real heart of "Cow in Apple-Time" lies in its imagery. Frost is a master at using concrete, sensory details to evoke larger ideas and emotions. Take, for example, the line "Her udder shrivels and the milk goes dry." On one level, this is a simple statement of fact: the cow is no longer producing milk. But on another level, it speaks to the larger theme of change and loss. The cow's body is winding down, just as the season is winding down. The apples are falling from the trees, just as the leaves are falling from the branches.

This idea of impermanence is central to the poem. Frost is reminding us that everything in life is transient, and that we must cherish the moments we have while we have them. The cow may be old and the apples may be windfallen, but they are still beautiful and worth celebrating. As Frost writes in the final stanza, "That cider-apple heap is loveliness / If seen aright, and the whole world too."

But there is another layer to this idea of impermanence, and it has to do with the concept of time. Look at the title of the poem: "Cow in Apple-Time." Frost is not just describing a scene, he is placing it within a specific moment in time. This is not any old cow in any old orchard – this is a cow in the midst of apple season, a cow that is part of the larger cycle of life and death.

And yet, even as Frost acknowledges the passage of time, he also subverts it. Notice how the poem ends with the line "And round it whirled, / And swept the whole great bunch of bells along." This sudden burst of action and movement feels almost surreal, as if time itself is bending and warping. In this moment, the cow and the apples and the wind and the sound of the bells are all part of the same thing, a single moment that stretches out into infinity.

This is the magic of "Cow in Apple-Time." It is a poem that celebrates the beauty of the natural world, while at the same time acknowledging its transience and imperfection. It is a poem that reminds us to live in the moment, even as that moment is slipping away. And it is a poem that captures the essence of Robert Lee Frost: a poet who was grounded in the earth and the seasons, but who also had an eye for the surreal and the unexpected.

So the next time you find yourself walking through an orchard on a crisp autumn day, take a moment to remember "Cow in Apple-Time." Let its images and rhythms wash over you, and allow yourself to be transported to a world where the cow and the apples and the wind and the bells are all part of the same beautiful, fleeting thing.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Cow in Apple-Time: A Masterpiece by Robert Frost

Robert Frost, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, is known for his ability to capture the essence of rural life in his poetry. His poem, "Poetry Cow in Apple-Time," is a perfect example of his mastery of language and his ability to evoke vivid imagery in the minds of his readers.

The poem is set in an apple orchard, where a cow is grazing among the fallen apples. The speaker of the poem is observing the cow and reflecting on the beauty of the scene before him. The poem is written in free verse, which allows Frost to experiment with the structure of the poem and to create a sense of spontaneity and freedom.

The first stanza of the poem sets the scene and establishes the mood. Frost writes, "Something inspires the only cow of late / To make no more of a wall than an open gate." The cow is not confined by the walls of the orchard, but is free to roam and graze as she pleases. This sense of freedom is echoed in the structure of the poem, which is not constrained by a strict rhyme scheme or meter.

The second stanza of the poem introduces the theme of time and the fleeting nature of life. Frost writes, "And think of cider-making as a thing / Done now for ever." The apples that the cow is grazing on will soon be used to make cider, but the process of cider-making is temporary and will soon be over. This sense of impermanence is echoed in the structure of the poem, which is constantly shifting and changing.

The third stanza of the poem introduces the theme of poetry and the power of language to capture the beauty of the natural world. Frost writes, "Oh, that's the Paradise-in-bloom / I see, / And really, some may blame me if I take / My time to tell the shadows from the sun." The speaker is taking his time to observe and appreciate the beauty of the orchard, and he is using language to capture that beauty in his poetry.

The fourth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of mortality and the inevitability of death. Frost writes, "My apple trees will never get across / And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him." The speaker is addressing someone who is not present, perhaps a loved one who has passed away. The image of the apple trees trying to cross over to the other side is a metaphor for the speaker's own mortality.

The fifth stanza of the poem returns to the theme of poetry and the power of language to capture the beauty of the natural world. Frost writes, "He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbours.'" The speaker is quoting his neighbor, who is more concerned with the practicalities of life than with the beauty of the orchard. The contrast between the speaker and his neighbor highlights the power of poetry to capture the beauty of the natural world and to transcend the mundane concerns of everyday life.

The final stanza of the poem returns to the theme of time and the fleeting nature of life. Frost writes, "Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder / If I could put a notion in his head: / 'Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it / Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.'" The speaker is reflecting on the transience of life and the importance of living in the moment. The image of the cow grazing among the fallen apples is a reminder to appreciate the beauty of the natural world before it is gone.

In conclusion, "Poetry Cow in Apple-Time" is a masterpiece of modern poetry. Robert Frost's ability to capture the essence of rural life and to evoke vivid imagery in the minds of his readers is unparalleled. The poem is a meditation on the themes of time, mortality, and the power of language to capture the beauty of the natural world. The free verse structure of the poem allows Frost to experiment with the structure of the poem and to create a sense of spontaneity and freedom. The poem is a reminder to appreciate the beauty of the natural world before it is gone, and to live in the moment.

Editor Recommended Sites

Rust Language: Rust programming language Apps, Web Assembly Apps
Container Watch - Container observability & Docker traceability: Monitor your OCI containers with various tools. Best practice on docker containers, podman
Best Datawarehouse: Data warehouse best practice across the biggest players, redshift, bigquery, presto, clickhouse
Share knowledge App: Curated knowledge sharing for large language models and chatGPT, multi-modal combinations, model merging
NFT Marketplace: Crypto marketplaces for digital collectables

Recommended Similar Analysis

Ephemera by William Butler Yeats analysis
Sonnet LXXIII by William Shakespeare analysis
Hidden by Naomi Shihab Nye analysis
Wood -Pile, The by Robert Lee Frost analysis
Dust Of Snow by Robert Frost analysis
Happiness by Carl Sandburg analysis
The Murders In The Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
A Valediction: Of Weeping by John Donne analysis
Adlestrop by Edward Thomas analysis
Love Songs In Age by Philip Larkin analysis