Introduction of the Poem:
The poem “The Onset” was first published in the January 1921 issue of The Yale Review. It was later included in New Hampshire. The poem spells out the philosophy of life of the poet which though not as optimistic as that of Browning is sufficiently optimistic to class Robert Frost with those who believe like Shelley: “If winter comes can spring be far behind.”
The poem tells us about the onset of the time when snow begins to fall the coming of the severe winter months. This is a yearly process. Sometimes the snowfall is so abundant that even the dark woods begin to seem white. This snow falls when the wind is also blowing very fiercely. Hence a typical hissing sound comes at that time. The snowfall is so abundant that the poet almost stumbles “looking up and around”. This makes him give up his errand. This is like the person who is near his death, who allows death to overtake him. However, winter has never been able to smother the earth completely. Winter has to give way to spring:
“Nothing will be left white but here a birch
And there a clump of houses with a church.”
Summary of the Poem:
In this short poem of his Robert Frost, the poet offers an optimistic philosophy of life. He, however, is not blind to the harsh realities of life. In this respect he is comparable to P.B.Shelley.
With the arrival of winter the onset or the onslaught of snow - fall begins. And it is not new, it is a yearly phenomenon. On a preordained night snow starts falling over woods, dark due to overcast sky, and makes them white. Ant if then a strong wind blows, the two - snow fall and the wind produces a musical hissing sound. It is just possible that this music, which is made when the ground is bare or uncovered with snow, will not be repeated throughout the winter, because the ground will not remain uncovered.
The poet, in the course of his walk, looks up and around, as a result of which he nearly stumbles, though does not fall. At this time he resembles a man who is in the clutches of death. He forgets or lets down work in hand, and surrenders himself to death as he is and where he is, meaning without a struggle. At that time he feels that he could do nothing to remove or mitigate evil, could not win any battles. He feels that his life has been as worthless as it was when he had begun it.
In the present lines this sense of defeatism or pessimism gives way to some sort of optimism. The poet knows from his experience that the wintry death is never final. Again and again winter comes and tries to another life from the face of the earth and again and again it is defeated and there is resurrection. It is just possible that the snow - storms may heap the earth with four feet deep fixed snow as measured against such trees as maple, birch and Oak. But then it cannot block the arrival of spring, indicated by the silvery notes or cries of young birds.
The poet confidently says that at last the snow will melt and flow down the hill in the form of small streams used in the month of April. These streams producing sudden flashes of light will flow through the dry and shrivelled bushes of the previous year. At that time the streams will look like a snake which disappears from view. Everything will be free from snow except a single birch tree here and a small group of houses with a church there. In other words the wheel of life will start moving again.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
The poem “The Onset” is an excellent poem of Robert Frost, which records the poet's optimistic view about life. He knows that death and evil are the stark realities of life; still life is not totally meaningless. He is not an optimist of the Browning variety who said:
“God is in His Heaven
And all is right with the world.”
But to say that Frost is a pessimist will also be not true. His optimism lies in the fact that the worst days, he says, must come to an end one day:
“..... the snow may heap
In long storms an undrifted four feet deep
As measured against maple, birch and oak,
It cannot check the peeper's silver croak;”
The poem describes the onset of snow. This is something not new to the poet because as he observed it year after year the same ideas have flooded his mind. Every winter there is heavy snowfall:
“Always the same, when on a fated night
At last the gathered snow lets down as white
As may be in dark woods, and with a song
It shall not make again all winter long....”
This snowfall is so heavy that the poet cannot keep himself on his feet. But this stumbling is not absolute— the use of the adjective “almost” tells us that all is not lost. Still, since he stumbles he gives up the work for which he was going, just as death gives up fight against evil:
“I almost stumble looking up and round,
As one who overtaken by the end
Gives up his errand, and lets death descend
Upon him where he is, with nothing done
To evil, no important triumph won,
More than if life had never been begun.”
The poet's optimism, however, tells him that every year things like this happen. The snowfall may be extremely heavy,
The snow may heap
In long storms as undrifted four feet deep
As measured against maple, birch and oak,
It cannot check the peeper's silver croak,
and it will soon be warm, as the shrill music of the small bird testifies. Thus the poet asks us to be realistic in our approach to life. We must not be disheartened by evil, death or snow. Man must know that struggle always availeth. The snowstorm in the poem, “The Onset” inspires affirmation in the poet:
I know that winter death has never tried
The earth but it has failed...…
The imagery used by Frost in this poem is very significant. The most important imagery of the poem has been developed round snakes. In the beginning of the poem Frost compares the falling of the snow with the hissing of the snake: “Of hissing on the yet uncovered ground.” In the end of the poem the poet says that the dead weeds move away “like a disappearing snake.”
In conclusion we can say that the poem “The Onset” is a significant poem of Frost because it tells us in unmistakable terms about the affirmative philosophy of life.
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