R.F.

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill

First Stanza: We are to find joy in every circumstance, whether the flowers smell good or bad
                   Live in the moment, not worrying about what the future holds
                   Rest in the fact of not knowing what is to come, feel a sense of peace knowing you don't have
                   to control it
                   As we face the "rebirth" of a new year, a clean slate should provide a sense of refreshment

Second Stanza: Find joy even when we can't see the good clearly. When everything seems blurry, focus on
                        the present good in front of you
                        Give thanks at day, gives thanks at night - any time of day, just give thanks
                        Join in rejoicing with others, "buzzing" with excitement to everyone
                        Constantly growing in joyous harmony

Third Stanza: Find joy when things feel rushed, when life becomes full of demands that whiz by
                    Past the easy, everyday life of relaxation, when things become hectic
                    Even when the unexpected times in life strike
                    Or when life just seems like it's at a standstill, when you think all is perfectly fine

Fourth Stanza: Finding joy always is true love for life and a life for God
                      This true love should be pointing to God alone - no other
                      We will not know who God will deem worthy of eternity with Him, only He knows
                      However, we must continue to live and find joy for and in Him at all times

Above is my interpretation of A Prayer in Spring. Analyzing pieces of literature, for me personally, is the best way I can summarize what is being said. So, that's what I did with this poem by Robert Frost (I hope this is okay Mallory - I understand it best by doing it this way). If I had to put my finger on what thing in particular that Frost was implying through A Prayer in Spring, it would be that he desires for himself, and others, to live in the present. Although this has become a cliche task it seems, Frost makes a good point. The utilization of imagery, simile and diction dilutes the cliche feel of the theme. Frost's flowery diction grabs and holds the readers attention, while making the poem sound pretty simultaneously. The vivid imagery he uses goes hand-in-hand with the diction as well; Frost makes it easy to visualize the places and scenes he's writing about. Using simile within the poem helps readers to imagine a comparison - so, basically, Robert Frost provides many literary techniques to aid the reader in understanding his theme of "present-day joy always" in A Prayer in Spring.