pastoral - any poem related to the countryside, sheparding, or rural living.

pastoral elegy - a poem that mourns/laments/praises the death of some element in nature or related to the pastoral

ballad - a narrative poem, usually structures in short stanzas of 3-5 lines and a refrain (repeated line)

caesura - a pause within a line of poetry

After Apple Picking
by Robert Frost

MY long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough. 5
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass 10
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell, 15
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear. 20
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound 25
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, 30
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap 35
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his 40
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

1. Would you classify this as a pastoral poem? Why or why not?

2. Identify the tone and one poetic element/technique that helps to support that tone.

3. What are your impressions of this poem and its meaning?

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..sofi..

2. The tone of this is a tired one that reviews the world, his dreams and his day to day life. The author uses imagery to describe what his life and what his dreams are like. He uses descriptions like melting to describe a ladder.

3 & 4. I think this poem is about a man that is so exhausted that he is having a complete mental breakdown. All day he thinks about apples and he seems to be living a nightmare. When he sleeps, he can no longer rest because of these harsh dreams of melting ladders and people using bruised apples to make cider. He takes so much time to pick the best apples and in the end they even put the ugly apples in the cider mix. His life is based on so little and he can barely stand what he does. Sleep means nothing to him because it is filled with nightmares anyways.

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The AP English God

Yes, the poem talks about apple-picking and how of a rural tradition it is.

2. Identify the tone and one poetic element/technique that helps to support that tone.

The tone is tired and melancholic, he dreams of the days of apple picking, but knows he must rest.

3/4. What are your impressions of this poem and its meaning? what symbolic meanings does the poem, especially the idea of "sleep", have?

2. Identify the tone and one poetic element/technique that helps to support that tone.
The tone is that of tiredness and complete exhaustion. The man is accepting the fact that he has grown old and his time for rest has come. In a way it’s more or less saying ‘grow old graciously’. He does not see the point of keep on going anymore. However he has regrets like when he says "And there's a barrel that I didn't fill beside it, and there may be two or three apples I didn't pick upon some bough. But I am done with apple-picking now”. He is only reflecting on his life at this point.

3. What are your impressions of this poem and its meaning? 4. If you didn't cover it in your response to #3, what symbolic meanings does the poem, especially the idea of "sleep", have?
There are several symbolisms in this poem. The words “sleep”, “night”, and “winter” all refer to death. He knows he is going to die. He has some regrets, but expects a peaceful death. Also, the fact that the author uses the specific fruit “apple” makes a direct reference to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. Although it’s not the main theme of the poem, it’s there for a reason.

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chuts

This poem is related to the countryside and rural living, so yes it is pastoral.

2. Identify the tone and one poetic element/technique that helps to support that tone.

The tone is "tired". The author uses diction such as "sleep", "dreaming" and "overtired" to create this tone.

3. What are your impressions of this poem and its meaning?
4. If you didn't cover it in your response to #3, what symbolic meanings does the poem, especially the idea of "sleep", have?

2) I wouldn't say that the poem's tone is nostalgic; rather, I would say that it is peaceful and satisfied. The use of diction such as "drowsing off", "sleep", and "dreaming" connotates a positive sense of tranquility that the voice most likely associates with a general satisfaction about the life that he or she has led.

2. I believe the tone of the poem is one of peace and tranquility, not nostalgic. The man is clearly happy as a rural farmer. No kinds of resentment, anger or nostalgia are present in the poem.

3. I like the poem very much. It conveys a life philosophy that I am very fond of, actually. I think the poetic voice tries to express the idea that life should be used for achievement and happiness. So, when life gets dull and death comes, we at least have the satisfaction of knowing that our life was a success.

4. “Sleep” is a metaphor for death. Whenever the poetic voice mentions sleep, he is referring to death and the many harsh feelings and thoughts that accompany it.

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Juan Max Boettner

2. I believe the tone of the poem is one of peace and tranquility, not nostalgic. The man is clearly happy as a rural farmer. No kinds of resentment, anger or nostalgia are present in the poem.

3. I like the poem very much. It conveys a life philosophy that I am very fond of, actually. I think the poetic voice tries to express the idea that life should be used for achievement and happiness. So, when life gets dull and death comes, we at least have the satisfaction of knowing that our life was a success.

2. The tone of the poem seems to be tranquil and serene, as the farmer enjoys his life overall. That peace and fulfillment he experiences is transmited to the readers as well.

3. I like the poem because I share some part of the philosophy it embraces. I like the idea of using life to accomplish what you want, but specially accomplish what makes you happy. I believe that one should accomplish and succeed as much as he/she possibly can to fulfill one's role as a human being and reach happiness.

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We can't stop here. This is bat country...

2. The tone is very natural and relaxed. This is used to support a rural setting, which is usually linked to a more simple life than the urban one. The word choice is a technique that supports the tone.