Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Though born in San Francisco, Robert Frost is well known for his poems about pastoral life in rural New England. What are some elements of life in this rugged but beautiful landscape that may appear in Frost’s poetry? What would life be like for a young man struggling to raise a family on a New England farm? 

Teaching Suggestion: If students are struggling to start this discussion, consider providing them with some familiar titles set in rural New England (“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “Mending Wall,” and “The Pasture”), or show them the following clip.

• Robert Frost--Biography - This 3-minute biography touches on Frost’s early life and career as one of America’s most well-loved poets. It also touches on the Anxiety and Worry of a young father trying to provide for his family on a struggling New England farm, as well as the Balance of Life and Death.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the poem.

How do you feel after a day of hard physical labor? Maybe you have worked in a field, harvested fruits or vegetables, raked leaves, mowed grass, gathered trash, or helped a friend move.