The Pastoral

Frost was often criticized for writing about things that critics and other poets felt were too mundane for poetry. He often wrote about everyday life, particularly aspects of farming in New England. These were his topics of choice because this was his life and, as "Mowing" shows us, the simplicity of life on a farm can be highly deceptive. Why write about lofty, imagined places when depth can be found just by mowing the grass or building a wall? In this sense Frost is the poster child for the whole "write what you know" mantra.

And we've gotta say—we dig it. Check out "Mending Wall" or "Out, Out" to see if you agree.