Free Essay

Out, Out-

In: English and Literature

Submitted By MLP7
Words 1597
Pages 7
How does Frost create a sense of horror in his poem ‘Out, Out-‘

Frosts creates a sense of horror in his poem ‘Out, Out-‘through his use of repetition and the use of caesura and figurative speech. Frost concentrates also on the apparent innocence and passivity of the boy. "Out, Out-" is a poem by American poet Robert Frost, published in 1916. It tells the story of a young boy who dies after his hand is severed by a "saw”. This poem was apparently based on a true story. The title ‘Out, Out-‘is an allusion to William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth ‘out, out-brief candle’, it refers to how unpredictable and fragile life is like a candle is being blown out.
To begin, Personification is used in line 1 personification is used to make the buzz saw more horrifying. ‘The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard’. This creates an image of a monster, something dangerous and has a mind of its own
The use of personification continues into line 8’ as it ran or had to bear a load’ this shows the reader how destructive this buzz saw is and how effortless it is at it, this also extends the metaphor. Also in line 16 ‘leaped out at the boy’s hand, or seemed to leap-’the saw is still personified and therefore adds horror to this line, the use of the word ‘at’ is emphasized here, like a vicious creature the buzz saw leaped out at the boy’s hand, making it seem like the boy lost all control and is helpless. Also the use of caesura is particularly effective in this part of the poem as it adds tension and horror, to build the atmosphere.
Frost’s use of caesura can also be seen in lines 31/32 ‘They listened at his heart Little-less-nothing! And that ended it. ‘This horrifies the reader; caesura is shown through the use of dashes, which creates a clear pause for effect. This creates a sense of slowing down; the boy’s heart rate is slowly decreasing. This shows the transition from life to death. Time has passed really quickly and now the story is over.
Frost uses the sense foreboding to create horror this is shown in line 4’and from there those that lifted eyes, could count’ hard manual labour, and those who have the time to look up aren’t the people at work but the onlookers. This is also shown in Line 10-‘Call it a day, I wish they might have said.’ This is written in the conditional tense and it has also got a sense of regret about it. Dramatic irony is also shown in this line as if they would have let the boy off with the half hour; it wouldn’t result in death for the young man. This is also shown in line 28 ‘The doctor put him in the dark of ether.’ This is foreboding towards death, ether is a painkiller and also an anaesthetic so the boy isn’t feeling pain anymore, this line also shows how far back this poem was written instead of rushing him to hospital and everything being okay the doctor only has one option and that is to put him to sleep so he doesn’t have to die painfully. This is so horrifying to the reader who is used to modern day medicine.
Frosts use of foreboding continues into line 10 ‘call It a day, I wish they might have said.’ Foreboding, something bad is going to happen. This is also written in the conditional tense and it has also got a sense of regret about it. ‘I wish They might have said’, dramatic irony is also shown here because if they did give the young man the half hour he wouldn’t of died in the end. Also in this only one syllable is used for effect.

The use of repetition is shown in line 7 ‘And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled.’ this use of repetition gives the reader a sense of time passing, ‘Snarled and Rattled’ are quite dangerous, horrific sounds like for a vicious animal before it strikes or attacks.
Frost’s simple explanations let the reader picture the image in their head. This is shown in line 18 ‘But the hand!’The use of ‘the hand’ has a heavy meaning it’s not the boy’s hand anymore it has been distanced and is now a separate object which is absolutely horrifying. Also in line 20 ‘As he swung toward them holding up the hand’ this is also quite horrific, the reader is left with gruesome imagery, like from a scene in a horror film. The hand is still separated from the boy with the use of ‘the’. Swung’ is quite an unusual word to pick, the verb ‘swung’ is quite a rigid movement, and you would expect the boy to run towards his house in a sort of despair and or scream for help, But Instead he swings round, this shows the reader how horrific this accident is and that even the boy is in total shock.
Frost’s use of explanations to create imagery continues into lines 21/22 ‘Half in appeal, but half as if to keep the life from spilling’ after the boy’s hand is nearly completely severed, he is still enough of an adult to realize that he has lost too much blood to survive. ‘He attempts to keep the life from spilling’ from his hand but even that is only an attempt, since nothing can be done, the reader is left with horrific imagery including blood, a severed hand and a disorientated young man in the middle of it all, which has an overall saddening and horrific effect on the reader
Frost’s use of contrast is also very effective. This is shown in line 19- ‘The boy’s first outcry was a rueful laugh.’ This is horrifying for the reader, first outcry then rueful laugh, this is a contrast. Outcry is more angry but a rueful laugh is sad it’s not even a laugh more of a chuckle. This is also shown in Line 22 ‘Then the boy saw all-’The boy goes from disorientated and in total shock to a moment of clarity, the boy understands that he has lost too much blood to survive, but instead of having a break down the simple pause at the end has a far better impact on the reader who is left with a sense of pity for this young boy, in this horrific state.
Frost’s concentration on the apparent innocence and passivity of the boy is shown in lines 24/25 ‘through a child at heart-’ this shows the boy’s inner innocence and the reader is left with a sense of sorrow for him. The noun child makes the reader feel somewhat protective, as children are seen to be defenceless facing the world, but also a sense of horror and anguish at the people who made this child work and is now bleeding to death.
Frost’s concentration continues into lines 25/26 –‘don’t let him cut my hand off-the doctor, when he comes don’t let him sister!’’ What shines out in these lines is that the boy hopes to maintain his physical dignity in his death, rather than die with a missing hand. The fact that he is telling his sister not to let the doctor cut his hand off, the boy is saying this in a desperate tone, that makes the reader overwhelmed with emotions, horrified at this young man losing his hand, again a sense of anguish arises from the reader at the people who made him do the work. The reader is also left with the sense of pity for the boy and also a sense of horror, that a young man , ‘a child at heart’ is having the horrifying prospect of losing his hand, which makes someone basically dependant on others for help.
Frost’s use of bold short sentences is shown in line 33 ‘No more to build on there ’ The narrator no longer has anything to say about the tragedy of the boy’s death. While the first twenty six lines contain elegant metaphors and descriptions of the scene, the final lines are detached and unemotional. The narrators “so” and “no more to build on there” reveal that even the narrator is unable to find an explanation for why such a young boy had to die. This is also shown in lines 33/34 ‘Since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs’. The narrator enters a state of complete detachment, most as if indifference is the only way to cope with the boy’s death. Attitudes towards death was very different in that time period, the reader is left quite shocked on this harsh view and the fact that the family just got over it with in an instant, because to them life goes on.
To conclude, I think the poem focuses on people's reactions to death, as well as the death itself, one of the main ideas being that life goes on. This poem was published in 1916 when the war was happening in Europe, I think that’s why the last line is detached and blunt, mirroring the soldier's attitude and ability to detach them from their emotions and continue killing despite the dead bodies surrounding them. It also appears to be somewhat sarcastic; Frost disapproving of our disposable attitude towards life. Frost channels the horrors already occurring on the battlefields in Europe, where death from enemy shells was automatically devoid of dignity.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Fall Out or Sell Out?

...addiction to cocaine. Kristina was no longer Kristina, she was Bree, whoever that was. By the end of Crank, Kristina ends up pregnant and swears she will sober up for her son. In the beginning of Glass, Hopkins second book of the series, Kristina does everything but turn her life around and she's bringing her baby into the mix. She leaves home and starts doing illegal things to keep up her habits. She moves from home to home, with man to man, and drug to even more serious drugs. Kristina, or Bree, finally gets to point where her child is taken away from her. By the end of the book, Kristina is completely out of control and is now pregnant again. Fallout is the third and final book of the Crank series. I had been greatly anticipating this book since I am a huge fan of Hopkins and her fans have been waiting since 2004 to see Kristina's fate. So, when the book finally came out, I couldn't put it down. It wasn't because it was fantastic like I had hoped, but I felt like I had to finish it to finish the series. The book was told from the perspective of three of her five children. Hunter, who is her oldest and who we learned about in the first two books, Autumn,...

Words: 714 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Crowding Out

...Crowding Out The term “crowding out” often refers to the action of one organization dominating resources so that another organization cannot benefit from those resources. In terms of macroeconomics, this term is used when describing the United States government’s spending of loanable funds hindering a private company’s ability to obtain loans for their own investment purposes. In Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Principles of Economics, crowding out is defined as “when a fiscal stimulus pushes up the rate of interest, which in turn results in a lower level of investment spending (Salvatore and Diulio, 1996).” Recent economic turmoil has brought the concept of crowding out into focus as the government tries to stabilize this crisis by offering stimulus packages to encourage consumer spending as well as help prevent larger companies from failing. The heart of the issue of crowding out is control of loanable funds. When there is overabundance of loanable funds, interest rates are normally low. This relates to the concept of supply and demand where the supply is abundant and the demand is seemingly low. When the government demands these loanable funds, the supply of loanable funds is directly impacted sometimes driving interest rates up. Alvin H. Hanson writes, “according to the loanable-fund theory, the rate of interest is determined by the intersection of the demand-schedule for loanable funds with the supply-schedule (Hanson, 1951).” (See chart below) In recent...

Words: 454 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

In-N-Out

...In-N-Out Case Study 1. Describe In-N-Out in terms of the value it provides for customers. In-N-Out has really achieved in building customer relationships. In fact, it is mentioned that its customer satisfaction scores are the highest compared to any fast-food restaurant in its market areas. The average per-store sales for In-N-Out eclipse those of McDonalds and are double the industry average! The fact that there are “secret menu” items I believe adds a customer lifetime value. It has kept customers coming back and has made them share the secrets to their friends from word of mouth. 2. Evaluate In-N-Out’s performance relative to customer expectations. What is the outcome of this process? Satisfied customers buy again and tell others about their good experiences. When people go to In-N-Out burger, they expect quality, from the slogan “Quality you can taste.” Their performance has been so successful that hey have never changed their formula. More importantly, they have never changed their menu. For In-N-Out, quality food means fresh food and they have lived up to their name. The outcome of them having great customer satisfaction has led them to have the highest scores. 3. Do you think In-N-Out should adopt a high growth strategy? Why or why not? In-N-Out should stick to its slow growth strategy. They have been the exception to all of the rules and they have been extremely successful, exceeding everyone’s expectations! I agree that its scarcity adds to its allure. The fact...

Words: 459 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Coming Out the Closet

..."Ich bin schwul und das ist auch gut so"---I am gay and that is a good thing”. This is what Berlin’s Mayor Klaus Wowereit prior to the 2001 mayoral elections said. In a matter of seconds, everybody throughout Germany knew about it. There was positive feedback about his coming out, but it also aroused criticism. In this essay, I would like to discuss the assets and drawbacks of coming out the closet. I think this is a very important subject because many people struggle with their sexuality. Reflected in this struggle, many people are flawed to the degree at which they hide their sexuality. It takes a lot of courage to come out the closet and therefore many homosexuals decide to rather stay anonymous. How different one can react in regard to this subject is shown in Tony Kushner's play “Angles in America". Most of the characters in this play struggle with their sexuality as well. Roy, Joe, Louis and Belize all deal with the issue of coming out throughout the play. However, every single one of them deals differently with this issue. Prior is definitely one of the most openly gay characters in the play. He demonstrates certain openness about his sexuality within the play, he shows his dependence on his boyfriend Louis when he is not feeling very well. Prior says at the end of the play: “I can handle pressure, I am a gay man and I am used to pressure". (Here Prior implies that being gay has made him stronger than most people; discrimination towards him, has made him "tough.") Contrary...

Words: 693 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Coming Out Process

...The Coming Out Process; Athletes Edition For most collegiate and professional athletes life is hard, with the media critiquing their every move and also trying to stay on top of their game so they can succeed to the best of their abilities. Now they are all facing change and for few they have to fight adversity. NBA Player Jason Collins, Division 1 College Football player Michael Sam, and Division 1 College Basketball player Derrick Gordon will now have to face one of the biggest adversities and that’s being in active in their current sport as an openly gay player. This will be new for not only them but also the league they each are individually apart of, as they become the ‘First’ openly gay player in each of their sport. As silly as it may sounds the NBA and College sports haven’t been exposed to this sexual preferences for varies reason, people keep it to themselves, players or staff are scared to the be the ‘first’, or simply because players were heterosexual for the most part so no one was ever concern about a homosexual in what is called a “MAN” sport. This source said best, ‘despite decreasing homophobia, openly gay male athletes are still rare in organized, competitive team sports.’ (Anderson, 2012). Its funny because people change sexual preferences everyday and their coming out stories aren’t nationally televised but yet when these three individuals came out to the public seems like red flags when up all over the sports world. A player could’ve had the best...

Words: 2659 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

In N Out

...Inside the Marketing Strategy of the In-N-Out Burger Chain By: Nichole Fitzhugh Ted Watterson Cathy Nguyen Chris Nguyen Kieu Le California State University, San Marcos Marketing 302 Professor George Sharghi May 5, 2011 Introduction While cruising the freeway along the Sothern California coastline, it is becoming increasing possible to spot a giant sign with a yellow boomerang; this brightly illuminated boomerang is most associated with the infamous restaurant In-N-Out. It was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder in 1948, and established in Baldwin Park, California. Since then, the restaurant has continued to satisfy and entice customers from all over, including the East, West, North, and South coasts. Its popularity stems from its simple yet appetizing menu, which consists of three types of burgers: hamburger, cheeseburger, and the Double-Double. They also carry fresh cut fries, and three varieties of drinks, including milk, shakes, and sodas. In-N-Out’s arguably most unique item is its “spread,” also referred to as its special sauce. The Businessweek article, In-N-Out Burger’s Marketing Magic, outlines the restaurant’s marketing strategies. In-N-Out does not advertise on television, but relies on advertising through their billboards, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and satisfied fans. The yellow boomerang is wielded as an arrow to point in the direction of their restaurant. However, their most successful marketing...

Words: 2407 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

In N Out

...In-N-Out Burger Review | | | | | Santosh Gowda | | | IN – N – OUT BURGER 1. Feedback found on page 141. “. . . They were given specific on-the-job training during slow periods and a considerable amount of feedback on their performance.” 2. Communication found on page 136-137. “. . . Rich had relied heavily on verbal and visual communication techniques.” 3. Giving back to Community found on page 156 “. . . It came from Rich’s belief that improving the lives of children was the cornerstone to creating a better society.” Giving back to Community found on page 157. “. . . Rich looked to fund outlets that shared his desire to help, supporting several groups that aided victims of child abuse, organizing several fund-raisers. He was said to have denoted thousands of dollars to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the organization that granted wishes to terminally ill children.” Giving back to community found on page 157. “. . . In 1984, they established the Child Abuse Fund specifically to raise awareness of and channel funds to abused and disadvantaged children in the cities and counties where in IN-N-Out Burger did business.” Giving back to community found on page 93. “. . . Harry and Esther believed in serving the communities in which In-N-Out operated. The Snyder’s made any number of charitable donations, and their efforts at promotion were often connected to grassroots community and philanthropic endeavors.” 4. Rumors found on page 197. “. . . Following...

Words: 2935 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

In N Out

...n-N-Out Case Study 1. Describe In-N-Out in terms of the value it provides for customers. In-N-Out has really achieved in building customer relationships. In fact, it is mentioned that its customer satisfaction scores are the highest compared to any fast-food restaurant in its market areas. The average per-store sales for In-N-Out eclipse those of McDonalds and are double the industry average! The fact that there are “secret menu” items I believe adds a customer lifetime value. It has kept customers coming back and has made them share the secrets to their friends from word of mouth. 2. Evaluate In-N-Out’s performance relative to customer expectations. What is the outcome of this process? Satisfied customers buy again and tell others about their good experiences. When people go to In-N-Out burger, they expect quality, from the slogan “Quality you can taste.” Their performance has been so successful that hey have never changed their formula. More importantly, they have never changed their menu. For In-N-Out, quality food means fresh food and they have lived up to their name. The outcome of them having great customer satisfaction has led them to have the highest scores. 3. Do you think In-N-Out should adopt a high growth strategy? Why or why not? In-N-Out should stick to its slow growth strategy. They have been the exception to all of the rules and they have been extremely successful, exceeding everyone’s expectations! I agree that its scarcity adds to its allure. The fact...

Words: 349 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Coming Out Of The Closet Essay

...Coming out of the closet involves risks, it's like a game of Russian roulette, pull a trigger and hope to survive, the game seems simple, but it’s not, peers, family, and strangers become chambers and their reactions are the bullets ready to be launched, the game becomes a matter of life and death. The process of coming out involves strategy and planning, there are risks, however, the risks are premeditated and calculated; this game of Russian roulette slowly turns into a game of chess. Family, strangers, and peers morph into pawns, the chamber becomes a chessboard and the individual becomes a player; the individual swiftly and deliberately formulates their next move. The individual’s movements are composed of a series of stages: 1). The Opening/Development stage, 2). The Promotion/Under-promotion stage, 3). The Gambit/Middlegame stage, and 4). The Endgame stage. These stages become the catalyst for how an individual will reveal their identity to the mainstream world. The initial phase of the individuals “coming out” process refers to the Opening/Development stage, this is the discovery of the individual’s sexual identity and the process of obtaining additional information in order to grasp a better comprehension of the identity in question. The initial...

Words: 1207 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: Coming Out Of The Closet

...Of course coming out of the closet isn’t easy. Some people have know all their live some people found out while playing spin the bottle, I realized when she cut her hair. So kinda like spin the bottle. Anyways, I’m talking about the gay or the bi or the consed- whatever the case may be, it’s not easy. Whether it be because of society's take on it or your own personal feelings coming out is never easy. It’s scary and vulnerable. If you are unsure f how people are going to react; don’t do it. You don’t wanna be kicked out or sent to some conversion camp where they teach you that god in fact does not love all his children, only the straight ones. I guess that's the cold-hard truth. I myself am no where near religious and could give...

Words: 263 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

In-N-Out Burger

...In-N-Out Burger History and Overview. The history of In-N-Out Burger starts with the company’s founders, Harry and Esther Snyder. Harry was a WWII veteran who worked as a caterer of baked goods. Esther was a surgical nurse in the Navy, and later got a degree in Zoology. They met each other at the restaurant Esther was managing after she graduated from college. Neither had experience in the fast food industry, which was just starting at that time, but in 1948, the couple opened the first In-N-Out in the Los Angeles, California. Harry was the first to allow drivers to make orders over a two-way intercom system, creating the first Drive-thru experience. Snyder had a simple goal for his restaurant, to give the customers “the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy” while providing “friendly service in a sparkling clean environment”. Soon people started to become interested in this idea. Two years later the couple opened the Second In-N-Out Burger. The chain had huge potential to explode but the couple was very focused on quality control. This resulted in only 18 restaurants being opened over the next 28 years before Harry Synder passed away in 1976 from lung cancer. After Harry died his son who had worked in the restaurants all his live, took the role as company president being just 24 years old. While Rich controlled the company it experienced huge growth. In twenty years the company opened over ninety In-N-Out Burgers. Over this time only one new thing was added to the menu...

Words: 1335 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

In N Out Marketing Plan

...In-N-Out Burger is a chain fast food restaurants in the Southwest and Pacific coast of the U.S. It is established in Los Angeles suburb of Baldwin Park, California by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther Snyder in 1948. Currently its headquarter has moved to Irvine in California. In-N-Out Burger has expanded in California areas, as well as into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Oregon. After 68 years, the In-N-Out has past three generations, and current owner is Lynsi Snyder who is the only grandchild of the Snyders. In-N-Out Burger started with a drive-thru hamburger stand. The first restaurant at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Francisquito Avenue. It is very small, and only allowed drivers to place orders via a two-way speaker system....

Words: 654 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Fin Marof in N Out

...Describe In-N-Out in terms of the value it provides for customers? Ans – the service they provide to their customers . Its impeccable freshness and quality sums up how important their customers are to them. Many people enjoy coming here not only for their friendly environment, but for their food because customers can trust their practices (it’s cooked right in front of you). This restaurant has gone way back to the 1940s and is still standing strong today. To In-N-Out, freshness and quality is always important! If you think about it, many places like McDonalds have food additives and are pre-packaged. You do not want that in your body; you want the good stuff. Also, if you have not already noticed, the burgers prepared at In-N-Out look exactly the way they are presented in their commercials and their ads. The only downside to this fast food restaurant is that their locations are limited. Their burgers are quite exceptional. Their simplicity of the menu makes it so much easier for customers to order instead of taking a good 15 minutes looking through the big menu like other places. If you want, you can even customize your fries and burgers to your own liking. Just take this in mind, when you are in there is no more Out. In-N-Out has really achieved in building customer relationships. In fact, it is mentioned that its customer satisfaction scores are the highest compared to any fast-food restaurant in its market areas. The average per-store sales for In-N-Out eclipse those of...

Words: 411 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Why Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Needs Support

...Running head: WHY YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE NEEDS SUPPORT? 1 Why youth aging out of foster care needs support? Antoinette Knowlton Strayer University Critical Thinking PHI 210 Dr. Ed Yancy March 16, 2013 WHY YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE NEEDS SUPPORT? 2 Why youth aging out of foster care needs support? Can you imagine today is your 18th birthday and you have no biological family to give you heartfelt happy birthday wishes and hugs? No one there to give you the “you’re eighteen years old today now what are you going to do with your life speech”. Can you imagine coming to the realization that you’re on your own now. Not even the government is responsible for you anymore. You’re now a member of a group that most don’t think about. You’re aging out of foster care. In 2005, 24,407 youth did what’s known as “aged out” of foster care. Aging out of foster care means youth between the age of 18 and 23 is no longer receiving state care without being reunited with their families nor adopted before leaving care (Collins, Clay & Ward, 2008). This represents an increase of 41% since 1998. Now it’s over 25,000 a year of youth aging out of foster care (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2006). It’s all on you to decide what road you will travel. But, how do you determine your route towards your destiny. This can be a very scary and intimidating time for these youth as they transition from the life...

Words: 2169 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Outline and Critically Evaluate Research Into Out-of-Body Experiences

...Outline and critically evaluate research into out-of-body experiences (10 marks) An out-of-body experience, first defined by George Tyrell, is when a person appears to see his or her own body from above or outside themselves. This phenomenon has proven popular with psychologists who are trying to verify or falsify them however research is inconclusive. Miss Z was an American student who claimed to have out-of-body experiences during her sleep. Charles Tart arranged for Miss Z to spend four nights in a sleeping laboratory, during which time he would test to see whether her out-of-body experiences really occurred. In order to test it, Tart hid a random five-digit number in the sleeping lab each night and asked Miss Z to find and remember the number during her out-of-body experience. She managed to get the number correct every night – the probability of this being due to luck is 1/100,000 therefore Tart concluded that she must have had out-of-body experiences each night in order to get the number correct. Sceptics have since questioned the reliability and validity of the findings of Tart’s research. Miss Z moved away straight after the experiment, meaning it could not be replicated. The results therefore cannot be verified and compared to other results therefore they lack reliability. Tart (1969) did attempt a similar study using Robert Monroe who also claimed to have out-of-body experiences but the experiment was unsuccessful and the findings were never published. ...

Words: 529 - Pages: 3