Understanding Robert Frost’s Poetry

Robert Frost was an American poet that lived by day as a farmer and by night, writing his poetry.  His simplistic yet accurate vocabulary made him popular, garnishing awards and honorary degrees for his numerous works.  After his death in 1963, Frost's works of the American life solidified his place in American literature.  
One of his poems, “Mending Wall”, is almost a short story.  Frost is able to describe a moment when a grieving woman catches the view of her dead child’s grave from the stairs of her home.  Her husband sees her in a fearful state and begins to grill her as to what she is looking at.  The interaction of the couple touches the core of the lack of understanding between men and women.  The woman feels she can’t talk to her husband because of his lack of emotions and the husband doesn’t know how to fix the problem.  The poem reveals why she can’t talk to him; because she witnessed his coldness in digging the hole and his lack of compassion when he returns inside.  He doesn’t bother to take off his dirty boots and more importantly, comments on the bad weather that will rot his birch fence.  Frost allows us to see how important it is to have open communication and reveals man’s nature to be unforgiving. 
Another one of Frost’s poems, “The Road Not taken”, is another lesson he teaches us.  In the poem, he describes two roads.  One road has been used many times and its path can be seen far.  Its leaves are black from many a traveler and must be the popular way to go.  Frost chooses the other path.  Its symbolism of individuality is clear.  Always take the road that has been traveled.  He reinforces this idea by proclaiming, ”that it has made all the difference”.
Finally, Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice”, seems to be mocking the idea of a judgment day.  He agrees with the notion of the world ending by fire because of what he has experienced in life.  The “desire” that he has tasted could be referred to as sin and the hate he is familiar, seems to show his indifference with how the world could end.  Either way, fire or ice, both would do the job.