The Influence of Others

Poets have changed their style of writing and format over the years, but still have been influenced by poets from an earlier generation. While some show extreme differences others, like Robert Frost, seem to show similarities with poets from periods like the British Romantics. Also, the same concept is shown in the poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay as was shown in the poems by Emily Dickinson.

British Romantics was a time period when poets used to write about things that did not necessarily exist, nature and experiences of childhood. Although, Robert Frost does not include too much of imaginary things and childhood experiences, he does make heavy use of nature in his poems. For example, in “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening” he talks about how he has miles to go and the entire time he is in the woods. “To stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen lake” Robert Frost spent his childhood on a farm and therefore, seems to be very influenced by the Romantics poets who wrote about nature; as it seems most of his poems have something to do with nature.

Emily Dickinson also was a very influential poet in the eyes of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Dickinson focused writing about the reality and how the world really is. Millay seemed to show a lot of reality in her poems, usually giving a negative atmosphere. For example, in “Spring” she writes: “know what I know. The sun is hot on my neck as I observe” Millay also shows resemblance with Dickinson’s poems by writing about how life in general is not positive. Dickinson showed that life had no mercy and everything seemed to be falling; the same concept is seen when Millay writes “Life in itself, Is nothing,”

There were many other poets who also seemed to be influenced by earlier poets and their themes. Poetry itself is many times written to influence or send a message to people or the poet’s chosen audience. Although, there will be many different styles of poetry, influences from the past will never fade or lessen.