Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Frost’s poem “Good-by and Keep Cold” uses the metaphor of an orchard to explore themes of care, protection, and the acceptance of nature’s cycles. Through the poet's concern for the orchard, Frost delves into the challenges of nurturing and the inevitable necessity of relinquishing control over what one has cultivated.

The poem begins with the speaker saying goodbye to the orchard, situated on the edge of a dark and cold season. This initial farewell sets a tone of cautious anticipation as the speaker acknowledges the potential harms that could befall the young trees: “Reminds me of all that can happen to harm / An orchard away at the end of the farm / All winter, cut off by a hill from the house.” The physical separation of the orchard from the house symbolizes vulnerability and the speaker’s limited ability to provide constant protection.

The speaker enumerates the various threats the orchard faces: “I don’t want it girdled by rabbit and mouse, / I don’t want it dreamily nibbled for browse / By deer, and I don’t want it budded by grouse.” These lines evoke a sense of parental concern, with the speaker listing potential predators that could damage the young trees. The speaker’s desire to summon and warn these animals away humorously conveys his protective instincts, even as he acknowledges the futility of such actions: “If certain it wouldn’t be idle to call / I’d summon grouse, rabbit, and deer to the wall / And warn them away with a stick for a gun.”

The speaker’s protective measures extend to situational precautions, such as planting the orchard on a northerly slope to shield it from excessive heat: “We made it secure against being, I hope, / By setting it out on a northerly slope.” This careful planning underscores the speaker’s dedication to ensuring the orchard’s survival through the harsh winter. Frost’s assertion that “No orchard’s the worse for the wintriest storm; / But one thing about it, it mustn’t get warm” highlights the paradoxical relationship between the orchard and the cold. While the cold is necessary for the trees’ dormancy and protection, warmth during winter could be detrimental.

The poem’s refrain, “Keep cold, young orchard. Good-by and keep cold,” is both a directive and a farewell, encapsulating the speaker’s advice and hope for the orchard’s well-being. The speaker’s parting words, “Dread fifty above more than fifty below,” reflect the understanding that unseasonal warmth poses a greater threat to the orchard than the winter cold.

As the speaker prepares to leave, he mentions his temporary departure to tend to other trees: “My business awhile is with different trees, / Less carefully nourished, less fruitful than these, / And such as is done to their wood with an ax -- / Maples and birches and tamaracks.” This shift in focus from the orchard to other types of trees symbolizes the speaker’s broader responsibilities and the inevitability of diverting attention away from what he cherishes most.

The poem concludes with the speaker expressing a wish to maintain his concern for the orchard during his absence but ultimately recognizing his limitations: “I wish I could promise to lie in the night / And think of an orchard’s arboreal plight / When slowly (and nobody comes with a light) / Its heart sinks lower under the sod.” The poignant image of the orchard’s heart sinking “under the sod” conveys the deep, natural processes at work beneath the surface, which the speaker must leave to unfold on their own. The final line, “But something has to be left to God,” signifies a surrender to natural forces and divine providence, acknowledging that despite human efforts, some things are beyond control.

“Good-by and Keep Cold” is a meditation on the balance between care and letting go. Frost captures the delicate act of nurturing, the anxiety of inevitable separation, and the ultimate acceptance that nature’s course cannot be entirely directed. The poem’s rich imagery and reflective tone invite readers to consider their own relationships with the things they cherish and the moments when they must trust in nature’s wisdom and resilience.

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