A Boy's Will by Robert Frost

A Boy's Will perfectly exemplifies the best aspects of Robert Frost's writing. Just as Frost's poems contain layers of meaning, so does this work as a whole. Each poem can be read and interpreted independently of the other poems in his work without the loss of any themes or ideas. But when read together, the poems describe the life of a young man growing into adulthood. In this collection of poems can be seen three distinct themes, almost like three distinct phases of the boy's life. Throughout the first poems in the book, there is a continuing idea of turmoil and questioning. The opening poem describes a type of renunciation in an effort to find oneself. The common desire for individuality and self-understanding that almost universally defines adolescence can also be said to define the first poems collectively. The poems in the book then progress to a period of revelation, begining with the not-so-subtly named poem "Revelation". Here, the boy begins to find himself and reassess his ideas on things such as love, death, and friendship. A Boy's Will then takes on the form of one who is in the autumn of life looking back on his past. All the ideas of regret, nostalgia and trepidation then culminate in the final poem of frost's collection: "Reluctance".
One of the most interesting things that can be seen in this publication is the developement of the narrator as he progresses through life. Each poem can be seen as a single idea of the narrator, and these ideas change as the narrator grows from youth into adulthood. Another key feature of this work is that not only do the ideas change as the narrator developes, but because these ideas are represented as originating from an inquizitive narrator rather than some omniscient source, they become open to interpretation giving the reader the oportunity to assess the validity of the boys thoughts for himself, making the themes both more pertinent and more meaningful.
As with most of Frost's works, A Boy's Will is riddled with beautiful images of nature and seasonal change. And while this book can be said to exemplify the best of Frost, it can also be said that it does not contain any deviation from his usual style of writing. Robert Frost's poetry tends to be uniform in its use of rhyme scheme, technique, and imagery, and A Boy's Will is no exception. However, those same techniques employed by Frost in his other works are highlighted here by the interconnectedness of the individual poems in the book.
For anyone who is familliar with and enjoys the work of Robert Frost, this book is a must read. And for anyone who is unfamilliar with his work or would like to see his writing at its best, A Boy's Will should be on the top of the list of the reading list. However, if you are looking for some innovative deviation from Frost's other works, then this is probably not the book for you.