A Proverbial Paradox: Language, Isolation, and Change in Robert Frost’s North of Boston

Abstract

This paper examines the use of proverbs in Robert Frost’s North of Boston. It engages with other scholars such as Robert Faggen and Timothy D. O’Brien and builds upon their work, arguing that not only does the use of proverbs act as a way of capturing the vernacular of the characters found in the poems, but that it also constitutes their paradox: the conflict and confrontation of traditional, communal wisdom against a new, evolving world and changing reality. As such, it touches on subject of miscommunication, exclusion, and isolation.

Keywords

• proverbs
• tradition
• miscommunication
• exclusion
• isolation

References

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