What type of poem is choose something like a star?

Decoding Frost, Human Style: Let’s Talk About “Choose Something Like a Star”

Robert Frost. The name alone conjures up images of snowy woods and that quintessential New England vibe. But beyond the surface, Frost’s poetry is seriously deep, right? Take “Choose Something Like a Star,” for instance. It’s not just about stargazing; it’s about finding your footing in a world that often feels… well, a little crazy. So, what kind of poem is it, anyway?

Okay, so you won’t find it neatly labeled in one specific box. It’s a lyric poem, for sure – think personal feelings and observations. But it’s also got this cool mix of old-school and modern vibes going on.

Frost uses a pretty regular rhyme scheme and something called iambic meter, which is basically a rhythm thing in poetry. Specifically, it’s iambic tetrameter. That means most lines have four “iambs” – little pairs of syllables where the second one is stressed. Sounds complicated, I know! But Frost wasn’t a robot. He played with that rhythm, made it sound like actual speech. That’s what he did best. The rhyme scheme is AABAABCBDEDEFGGFGHIIHJKKJ – try diagramming that! It adds to the musicality and weaves the ideas together.

He was all about keeping it real. He wanted his poems to sound like someone talking, not like some fancy poet from way back when. He valued traditional stanzas and lines, but he also wanted to shake things up a bit.

Now, “Choose Something Like a Star” isn’t just pretty words; it’s got a message, too. It’s lyrical, expressing emotion, but it also gets a little didactic – meaning it tries to teach you something. The speaker’s talking to a star, wanting some guidance. But then, the poem kind of turns to us, offering advice about staying balanced in life. That star? It’s like a symbol of light, peace, and keeping it all together.

The poem shifts gears as it goes. First, the speaker’s all, “Hey, star, what’s your deal?” Then, around line 18, it’s like, “Okay, here’s what I think it means.”

And get this: Frost was totally inspired by John Keats, another poet who was obsessed with stars. Keats wrote “Bright Star,” which is all about wanting to be as unchanging as a star. Frost mentions “Keats’ Eremite,” which is a fancy way of saying the star is lonely but permanent. Keats is kind of jealous of the star, but Frost is more interested in what we can learn from it.

So, what’s the big idea? Basically, we all need something to hold onto, something reliable, especially when things get tough. The poem suggests that if you “choose something like a star” – something solid – you can stay grounded and not get swept away by every little thing that comes along. It’s like having your own personal North Star.

In a nutshell, “Choose Something Like a Star” is a poem that wears many hats. It’s got traditional bones, but it’s got a modern heart. And if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that Frost is really just talking to us about how to stay sane in a crazy world. And who can’t relate to that?