Intrinsic Elements Analysis:

Diction and Imagery

in October by Robert Frost

By: Annisa Rahmi Pratiwi

Abstract

In this presentation the author tried to analyze

“October” by Robert Frost. The purpose of this

writing is to analyze the intrinsic elements of the

poem. The intrinsic elements of the poem that

will be discussed further are its diction and

imagery. Theories that used are textual,

contextual, and hypertextual by close reading

method.

IntroductionOctober by Robert Frost is a poem about the autumn in October. The narrator tells about the beauty of the fall or autumn in October that will change into winter soon. The narrator did not want October pass quickly. He wanted to enjoy it longer. “October” here is the symbol of life that had an end and it would come anytime. The ripened leaves that release from its tree is the symbol of human that will become old and pass away one by one. The narrator who still wanted to enjoy his life was begging to “October” to not pass quickly.

Methodology

a. To analyze the usage of diction in the poem.

b. To analyze the usage imagery in the poem

Research Object

The objects of research are sorted into a material and formal object.

Biography of the PoetRobert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San

Francisco, where his father, William Prescott Frost Jr., andhis mother, Isabelle Moodie, had moved from Pennsylvaniashortly after marrying.

In 1895, Frost married Elinor Miriam White,whom he’d shared valedictorian honors with in high schooland who was a major inspiration for his poetry until herdeath in 1938. The couple moved to England in 1912, afterthey tried and failed at farming in New Hampshire.

By the time Frost returned to the United States in1915, he had published two full-length collections, A Boy’sWill (Henry Holt and Company, 1913) and North of Boston(Henry Holt and Company, 1914), and his reputation wasestablished. By the 1920s, he was the most celebrated poetin America, and with each new book—including NewHampshire (Henry Holt and Company, 1923), A FurtherRange (Henry Holt and Company, 1936), Steeple Bush(Henry Holt and Company, 1947), and In the Clearing (HoltRinehart & Winston, 1962)—his fame and honors(including four Pulitzer Prizes) increased.

Robert Frost lived and taught for many years inMassachusetts and Vermont, and died in Boston on January29, 1963.

The PoemO hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

Diction

• Denotation

Denotation is the dictionary meaning or

meanings of the word. (Sound and Sense, 38)

• Connotation

Connotations are what it suggest beyond what it

is expresses: its overtones of meaning. (Sound

and Sense, 38)

Stanza 1 Line 2: Thy leaves have ripened to the fall

This line has denotation meaning. The author represents the sudden changes in the trees

when autumn comes. In the autumn season, usually the leaves change its color into

reddish or brownish and then they fall.

Stanza 1 Line 3: Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

In this line, there is word “wild” that has connotation meaning. The word “wild” means

uncontrollable. Frost wants to explain about the strong wind that can blow away the

ripened leaves which already fall to the ground, not an uncontrollable wind that can

destroy.

Stanza 1 Line 4: Should waste them all

There are words “waste them all”. The word “waste” refers to the word “wind” in the

line before and the word “them” refers to the word “leaves” in line 2. “Waste them all”

have connotation meaning that the wind would throw the ripened leaves away; it was

not true. Wind cannot throw away a thing. The wind only blows the ripened leaves

away.

Stanza 1 Line 6: Tomorrow they may form and go

The sentence in line 6 has denotation meaning. The word “they” refers to the crowsin the line before and the words “may form and go” mean migration. October is inautumn season. Usually, birds migrate to the warmer places when it comes toautumn or winter season. They make a formation before migrating and then theygo.

Stanza 1 Line 12: Release one leaf at break of day

In this line, there are words “at break of day”. “Break of day” has connotationmeaning as morning. The trees release one leaf in the morning. Connect to the lineafter, the trees release another leaf at noon.

Stanza 1 Line 16: Enchant the land with amethyst

The word “amethyst” has connotation meaning. “Amethyst” means purple. Themeaning of the line before is the sun was still covered with haze. It means the sunbegan to rise at dawn so the land was enchanted by the beauty of the purple dawn.So, “amethyst” here represent the purple dawn.

Stanza 1 Line 20: Whose clustered fruit must be lost

As for the words “clustered fruit”, it has denotation meaning as grapes. In the linebefore, there are words “for the grapes’ sake”. The words “clustered fruit” refers tograpes.

Imagery

According to X. J. Kennedy in Literature:

An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama

(1979: 464) “a word or sequence of words that

refers to any sensory experience.” Imagery may

be defined as the representation through

language of sense experience. (Sound and Sense,

54)

Stanza 1 Line 2: Thy leaves have ripened to the fall

This line uses visual imagery because the reader can visualize the leaves

that ripened and change its color into reddish or brownish in the autumn

which can be seen by the reader’s eyes.

Stanza 1 Line 13: At noon release another leaf

This line uses visual imagery. Frost brings the reader to the vision of leaf

that release from its tree at noon.

Stanza 1 Line 5: The crows above the forest call

This line uses auditory imagery. From the word “call”, Frost makes the

reader hear when the crows twitter calling the other crows that fly above

the forest.

Stanza 1 Line 1: O hushed October morning mild

The words “morning mild” here represents tactile imagery. Thewriter wants the reader to feel the mild of October morning which iscold but not too cold, with fresh air and the dew covered the leaves.

Stanza 1 Line 10: Hearts not averse to being beguiled

This line uses organic imagery. From the words “being beguiled”,the writer makes the reader feel such internal sensation of beingbeguiled by someone or something. Or the readers also can imaginethe feeling of being beguiled.

Stanza 1 Line 6: Tomorrow they may form and go

This line uses kinesthetic imagery because “form and go” aremovement. According to the line before, “they” refers to the crows.“Form and go” means migration. To migrate, the crows need amovement from their wings.

Conclusion

October by Robert Frost is a poem about the autumn inOctober. The narrator tells about the beauty of the fall or autumn inOctober that will change into winter soon. The narrator did not wantOctober pass quickly. He wanted to enjoy it longer. “October” hereis the symbol of life that had an end and it would come anytime. Theripened leaves that release from its tree is the symbol of human thatwill become old and pass away one by one. The narrator who stillwanted to enjoy his life was begging to “October” to not passquickly.

As for literary element, Robert Frost uses imagery and diction,including connotation and denotation to explain more about“October” that he does not want to pass. He uses October torepresent his life that he wants to last longer. Frost also uses imageryin his poem so that the reader can feely imagine the situation hewrote in the poem. Frost uses five kinds of imagery; they are visual,auditory, tactile, kinesthetic and organic.

References• Perrine, Laurence. 1969. Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. Atlanta:

Harcourt, Brace 7 World, Inc.

• Holt, Henry and Company. 1949. Complete Poems of Robert Frost. New York.

• Abrams, M. H. 1962. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W.

Norton & Company.

• Thrall, William Flint and Addison. 1960. A Handbook to Literature. The Odyssey

Press.

• Kennedy, X. J. 1966. LITERATURE, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama.

Toronto: Little, Brown and Company

• www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/robert-frost (accessed on January, 2nd 2016)

• http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/please-explain-poem-october-by-robert-frost-289277

(accessed on January, 2nd 2016)

• https://quizlet.com/368838/types-of-imagery-flash-cards/ (accessed on January, 2nd

2016)