Robert Frost's "Desert Places" is a poem about loneliness and isolation. In the first stanza, the speaker describes a snow-covered landscape, saying that "the fields are white" and "the world is white." This white, snowy landscape serves as a metaphor for the emptiness and isolation that the speaker feels. The snow represents a sense of blankness and emptiness, and the fact that the fields are "white" and "the world is white" suggests that the speaker sees the world as devoid of meaning or purpose.
The second stanza of the poem furthers this sense of isolation and loneliness. The speaker talks about how "the woods are lovely, dark and deep," but he also admits that "I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." This line is a reference to a famous line from Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," in which the speaker is also isolated in a snowy landscape. In both poems, the speaker is faced with a choice between staying in the comfort and solitude of the snowy landscape or returning to the outside world and facing the challenges that lie ahead.
In the third stanza of "Desert Places," the speaker describes the sensation of being alone in a vast, empty landscape as "the stillness in the cold, clear night." This stillness and silence serves as a metaphor for the speaker's own inner emptiness and loneliness. The image of the "cold, clear night" also suggests that the speaker is facing a difficult or trying time in his life.
In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker returns to the image of the snowy landscape, saying that "the blank white desert sands" seem to "stretch out to the lonely horizon." This image further emphasizes the sense of emptiness and isolation that the speaker feels. The "lonely horizon" serves as a metaphor for the speaker's own sense of hopelessness and despair, as it represents a seemingly endless expanse of emptiness and loneliness.
Overall, "Desert Places" is a poignant and powerful poem that explores the theme of loneliness and isolation. Through its vivid imagery and evocative language, Frost captures the sense of emptiness and despair that can come from feeling alone in the world. At the same time, the poem also suggests the possibility of hope and redemption, as the speaker ultimately decides to leave the comfort and solitude of the snowy landscape and return to the world, despite the challenges that may lie ahead.
