The Life of Robert Frost A Critical Biography [Hardcover]

The Life of Robert Frost presents a unique and rich approach to the poet that includes original genealogical research concerning Frost’s ancestors, and a demonstration of how mental illness plagued the Frost family and heavily influenced Frost’s poetry.

• A widely revealing biography of Frost that discusses his often perplexing journey from humble roots to poetic fame, revealing new details of Frost’s life
• Takes a unique approach by giving attention to Frost’s genealogy and the family history of mental illness, presenting a complete picture of Frost’s complexity
• Discusses the traumatic effect on Frost of his father’s early death and the impact on his poetry and outlook
• Presents original information on the influence of his mother’s Swedenborgian mysticism

Acknowledgments ix

List of Abbreviations and Author’s Note xi

1. The New England Frosts 1

2. Rebel Sons and Punitive Fathers 8

3. Strong Man’s Food and Swedenborgian Mysticism 18

4. “A Boy’s Will Is the Wind’s Will” 26

5. Reluctant Yankees 39

6. Monuments to After‐thought 55

7. “Precipitate in Love” 64

8. Adventures in the Great Dismal Swamp 80

9. From Riffraff to Harvard 93

10. Deaths of a Son and a Hired Man 104

11. Indoor and Outdoor Schooling 121

12. Hen Man in the Academy 134

13. To the Land of The Golden Treasury 148

14. The Lively Gallows 167

15. Victory at Home 180

16. Amherst Interval l“2