18 pages 36 minutes read

Robert Frost

October

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1913

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Literary Devices

Form and Meter

Frost uses a traditional leaning yet unique brand of form and meter. “October” is written in a single stanza punctuated by distinct sentences within the stanza block. While the poem is presented in only a single stanza, each sentence serves to suggest a stanza, as each sentence introduces its own idea. The lines within Frost’s poem “October” range from eight to nine beats per line, with only the line “Slow, slow!” (Line 17) falling outside of that convention.

Frost’s form and meter make a clear stylistic nod to something he felt was integral to his poetry. He believed poems should sound conversational in the way natural speech is, and his adherence to a steady meter reflect this desire. The verse within the poem is formal in that it provides a distinct rhyme scheme yet does not adhere to any specific mode or traditionally understood form of verse. Typical to other Frost poems, “October” has a unique rhyme scheme determined not by a traditional mode, but by Frost’s own ear.

Related Titles

By Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Acquainted with the Night

Robert Frost

Acquainted with the Night

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

A Time To Talk

Robert Frost

A Time To Talk

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Dust of Snow

Robert Frost

Dust of Snow

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Fire and Ice

Robert Frost

Fire and Ice

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Robert Frost

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Once by the Pacific

Robert Frost

Once by the Pacific

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Out, Out—

Robert Frost

Out, Out—

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Putting in the Seed

Robert Frost

Putting in the Seed

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Robert Frost

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

The Death of the Hired Man

Robert Frost

The Death of the Hired Man

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

The Gift Outright

Robert Frost

The Gift Outright

Robert Frost

Study Guide

logo

West-Running Brook

Robert Frost

West-Running Brook

Robert Frost