When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literature References
- Macbeth (6): In the poem Frost gives a shout-out to Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, Macbeth. It's logical that he would choose to reference the play, as it is about a man who hears his fortune told by a bunch of witches and then must wrestle with himself to decide whether he possesses free will over this prophecy, or whether he is a slave to its design. The witches' broth Frost references here is the bubbling cauldron into which the witches throw disgusting ingredients.
Philosophy References
- The Argument from Design (entire poem): The poem's title shouts-out a classical argument for the existence of God. Frost is probably referencing a guy named William Paley, but he's hardly the first one to come up with the idea. It stretches all the way back to the Greeks. You can check out Paley's argument in detail here, but basically he states that the intricate beauty of nature can't just be coincidence—it must be the work of the Creator. As we read in the poem, Frost tells us that while that might be true, it may not be a good thing. We might not want to believe in a god who carefully arranges for an albino spider to kill and eat a moth on a bright, sunny morning. Maybe we'd rather call that just an accident.