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Behind His Father's Saying: Robert Frost's Wisdom Tradition UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 5-1-2014 Behind His Father's Saying: Robert Frost's Wisdom Tradition James H. Altman University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the American Literature Commons, History Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Repository Citation Altman, James H., "Behind His Father's Saying: Robert Frost's Wisdom Tradition" (2014). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2056. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/5836075 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BEHIND HIS FATHER’S SAYING: ROBERT FROST’S WISDOM TRADITION by James Altman Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2004 Master of Arts in English University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2008 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy - English Department of English College of Liberal Arts The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2014 Copyright by James Altman 2014 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the dissertation prepared under our supervision by James Altman entitled Behind His Father’s Saying: Robert Frost’s Wisdom Tradition is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy - English Department of English Donald Revell, Ph.D., Committee Chair Christopher Decker, Ph.D., Committee Member Richard Harp, Ph.D., Committee Member Stephen G. Brown, Ph.D., Committee Member Jay Coughtry, Ph.D., Graduate College Representative Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the Graduate College May 2014 ii ABSTRACT BEHIND HIS FATHER’S SAYING: ROBERT FROST’S WISDOM TRADITION By James Altman Dr. Donald Revell, Examination Committee Chair Professor of English University of Nevada, Las Vegas It is no coincidence that Robert Frost draws on the European/American aphoristic wisdom tradition. From the fables of Aesop, to the esotericism of pre-Socratic Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Empedocles, to the works of moralists like Blaise Pascal and Michel De Montaigne, to Erasmus, Frederick Nietzsche and others, Robert Frost weaves diverse wisdom into his work. He does not, however, as much take verbatim the words or sentiments of those who inspire him. Rather he adapts the spirit of their thoughts for his own purposes. Why and how does he do this? What are those purposes, and their subsequent implications? Frost’s poetry lends itself to aphoristic and proverbial statement. That being understood, I believe that the role of such proverbial statements is first and foremost to reveal and examine the character of those involved in the poems in which such phrases appear. Examination is not always positive, but is always enlightening. Also, through such statements, Frost reveals a great deal about why he uses aphorisms and proverbs in the first place. By such, I mean more than just his love of classical learning. His love of order iii and the beauty order can bring forth in the face of chaos also plays into his fondness for aphorisms. So does an ever present attention born of his need to break away from constraint. Along with thoroughly reviewing the relevant literature on my topic, I begin my study with an overview of what is broadly meant by the wisdom tradition. In this, I include such things as adages, aphorisms and proverbs. I also discuss how they are customarily employed, that is to say, how Robert Frost might have been used to hearing them employed by those around him. My goal in doing so is to show Robert Frost’s placement in terms of the wisdom tradition, and therefore to make his adaptations of it, and/or deviations from it clearer and more impactful to my readers. Within my study I move from the ancient to the modern. I begin with the pre-Socratic Greek philosophers accompanied, where fruitful, by the fables of Aesop. I believe that the philosophy of Pythagoras, particularly the Pythagorean mysteries with their accompanying aphorisms, is highly applicable to many Robert Frost poems, such as “Mending Wall,” and “Directive.” Many of his essays, such as “The Figure A Poem Makes,” show the same ideas. The theories of Empedocles likewise illuminate many Frost poems, simultaneously revealing much about the figures in each poem. Such revelations occur whether the figures are human or natural, and also whether the poetic landscape created for them is man-made or natural. Although Robert Frost was a self- styled Dualist, philosophically, he still found much of use in the writings of the Monist Pre-Socratics because of their application of aphorisms to help explain their world and iv how one should live in it. Such an outlook rings through the heart of many of Frost’s best poems. Robert Frost was predominantly a classicist. Nevertheless, he was open-minded enough and hungry enough for new wisdom to explore that the works of thinkers like Blaise Pascal, Michel De Montaigne, Erasmus, Frederick Nietzsche and others inevitably influenced the characters and landscape of his poems. I do not believe that any such modern influence was in conflict with the classicism Frost valued so highly. Instead I believe Frost took these other influences and adapted them to circumstances he deemed appropriate. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am profoundly grateful to everyone who assisted me in completing this doctoral dissertation. First of all, I extend my deepest thanks to my committee chair, Dr. Donald Revell, who more than anyone else read every word concerning this dissertation, including many preliminary notes and musings that few will ever see, all without complaint. Thank you so much for your insightful feedback, which taught me to look beyond my preconceived notions about both poetry and academia. I hope I'm someday as great a help to my students as you have been to me. Likewise, thank you to the other members of my committee: Dr. Richard Harp, Dr. Christopher Decker, Dr. Stephen Brown, and Dr. Jay Coughtry for volunteering your time, and for your belief in my academic ability. I am also grateful to Dr. Julie Staggers for her encouragement, both academic and creative, and for editorial assistance in the early stages. Thanks especially to Dr. Richard Harp, for giving me the idea that inspired this dissertation. Thanks also to my friend and fellow doctoral candidate Nate Botsis for listening to me complain about an exhausting process that he has also endured. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. .iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. iv CHAPTER ONE “BEING ONE TRAVELER”: “THE ROAD NOT TAKEN” AS PYTHAGOREAN TEMPLATE. .1 CHAPTER TWO “CLOSED TO ALL BUT ME”: PYTHAGOREANISM IN “DIRECTIVE” AND “MENDING WALL”. .. 21 CHAPTER THREE “LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP”: PARMENIDES AND EMPEDOCLES IN FROST. .39 CHAPTER FOUR “THE BRIDEGROOM WISHED HE KNEW”: SPIRITUAL UNCERTAINTY AND PERSONAL SACRIFICE IN FROST. .60 CHAPTER FIVE “IF DESIGN GOVERN”: ROBERT FROST, ORIGINAL SIN AND PREDESTINATION. 82 CHAPTER SIX “FOR A FRIENDLY VISIT”: ROBERT FROST, ERASMUS, AND COMMON FOLK WISDOM. .107 CHAPTER SEVEN “MY OWN DESERT PLACES”: FROST, PASCAL, AND THE IMAGINATION. .142 CHAPTER EIGHT “YOUR EVERYDAY CONCERNS”: FROST, NIETZSCHE, AND THE FORCE OF HABIT. 176 WORKS CITED. .198 VITA. 208 vii CHAPTER 1 “BEING ONE TRAVELER”: “THE ROAD NOT TAKEN” AS PYTHAGOREAN TEMPLATE Interpretation begins in choice among attractive alternatives. In “A Poem for All Seasons; Reconsidering Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’” Mark Schwehn asserts that “The most incredible reading of "The Road Not Taken" consists of the absurd suggestion that the poem describes Frost's decision to become a poet” (7). I mention this interpretation not to endorse it, but to emphasize that whether or not someone else endorses it is not my concern. The journey of Robert Frost, from young poet to mature master, promises less to my purposes than does the assimilation and adaptations of the wisdom tradition that he made while on his journey. Similarly, when in “Whose "Road Less Traveled By"? Frost’s Intent Once Again” R.F. Fleissner relates an anecdote from Frost’s friend Reginald Cook in which Cook remembers “When I said: Well you know they'll always associate ‘The Road Not Taken’ with you," he replied: "Yes, I suppose they will but it's about Edward Thomas” (23). While other scholars of Frost may see fruitful ground in the question of who it is that is the main inspiration for “The Road Not Taken,” I admit, at present, I do 1 not. The actual namesake of “The Road Not Taken” does much less good in my inquiry than does an examination of what lies within the wonderful poem Robert Frost created. It is no coincidence that Robert Frost draws on the European/American aphoristic wisdom tradition. From the fables of Aesop, to the esotericism of pre-Socratic Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Empedocles, to the works of moralists like Blaise Pascal and Michel De Montaigne, to Erasmus, Frederick Nietzsche and others, Robert Frost weaves diverse wisdom into his work. He does not, however, as much take verbatim the words or sentiments of those who inspire him. Rather he adapts the spirit of their thoughts and those of his New England homeland for his own purposes.
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