The Life of Robert Frost - Paperback

by Henry Hart (Author)

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

Back Jacket

BLACKWELL CRITICAL BIOGRAPHIES

"The life and work of Frost are endlessly compelling, and Henry Hart has done a splendid job here of bringing these strands together. It's a seamless narrative, beautifully told by a master biographer and poet-critic. Hart's portrait brings a great deal of new material into view, and Frost becomes only more human, only more impressive in his rendering. I really admire this book, which sees Frost steadily and whole."
Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life

Henry Hart's The Life of Robert Frost goes beyond current biographies to present a unique and rich approach to the poet, revealing new details about his life and background.

This illuminating new biography includes original genealogical research concerning Frost's ancestors in New England, England, and Scotland. Hart also includes new information about Robert Frost's father, who died from consumption when Frost was eleven. Past biographies have tended to discount the traumatic effect of his father's death, but Hart reveals how the death haunted both Frost and his sister (Jeanie), who died in a mental hospital, demonstrating how mental illness - especially depression and schizophrenia - plagued the Frost family and heavily influenced Frost's state of mind and, as a result, his poetry.

Hart places great emphasis throughout the biography on Frost's turbulent marriage and family life, revealing how they provided important inspiration and material for his poems. Since Frost periodically described himself as "a mystic," there is also essential discussion on the effect of his mother's Swedenborgian mysticism - and mysticism in general - on Frost's writing. The result is a fascinating portrayal of a brilliant poet who persevered through repeated family tragedies to eventually achieve iconic status around the world.

Author Biography

HENRY HART is currently the Mildred and J. B. Hickman Professor of Humanities at the College of William and Mary, and Poet Laureate of Virginia. He has published several books of literary criticism about modern poets, including The Poetry of Geoffrey Hill (1986), Seamus Heaney: Poet of Contrary Progressions (1991), Robert Lowell and the Sublime (1995), and James Dickey: The World as a Lie (2000).