Imagery and Diction of A time to talk by Robert Frost

Abstract
In this paper, the writer tries to analyze a poem, entitled A Time to Talk written by Robert Frost . The purpose of this writing is to appreciate and analyze the using of imagery in the poem. Theories which are used are textual, contextual, and hyper textual by close reading method. The writer found that this poem is dominated by khinesthethic imagery, auditory imagery, and also visual imagery. The writer also found some dictions which make this poem more beautiful.  It can be concluded that the poem is easier to understand by knowing the imagery and diction inside the poem.

Keywords: Imagery, Diction, Robert Frost, Friendship,  A Time to Talk

1.      INTRODUCTION

        According to Perrine in  Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry (1956: 3,)“Poetry might be defined as a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language”. By analyzing a poem, the readers will know what the poet wanted to tell. And the readers could also feel the poet’s feeling while the poet was in that situation. The author chosen A Time To Talk by Robert Frost to be analyzed. This poem contains many imageries and dictions. This poem is  a poem about friendship. The title shows how important we make communication with our friends.

2.  THEORY and METHODOLOGY

2.1 Theory

“Imagery may be defined as the representative through language of sense experience. Poetry appeals directly to our senses, of course, through its music and rhythm, which we actually hear when it is read aloud.” (Perrine, 1969:54).

The function of imagery in literature is to generate a vibrant and graphic presentation of scene that appeals to the reader’s senses as possible.

The connotations are what is suggests beyond what it expresses: its overtones of meaning. We can find some connotations meaning of a word. We will see the word red in connotation meaning. First, red refers to the color. But red also shows the symbol of braveness, energy, or strong desire. In negative meaning, red expresses hardness and anxiety. The basic part of this meaning is its denotation or denotations: that is, the dictionary meaning or meanings of the word (Perrine, 1969:38).   As in a good dictionary such as Merriam Webster’s or American Heritage, you will probably see blue listed as a noun its primary definition related to a particular color of a certain electromagnetic wavelength.

2.2 Method

    In analyzing the imagery and dictions in the poem, the writes uses close reading method.

3.   THE POET

Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, where his father, William Prescott Frost Jr., and his mother, Isabelle Moodie, had moved from Pennsylvania shortly after marrying. He is an American poet.

In 1895, Frost married Elinor Miriam White, whom he’d shared valedictorian honors with in high school and who was a major inspiration for his poetry until her death in 1938. The couple moved to England in 1912, after they tried and failed at farming in New Hampshire. His most popular poem is POEM IS The Road Not Taken Robert Frost lived and taught for many years in Massachusetts and Vermont, and died in Boston on January 29, 1963.

4.THE POEM

A Time to Talk

By: Robert Frost(1920)

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk,

I don’t stand still and look around

Oh all the hills I haven’t hoed,

And shout from where I am, What is it?

No, not as there is a time to talk

I trust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod; I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit

5. DISCUSSION

5.1 Imagery

Stanza 1 Line 3 : I don’t stand still and look around

This line represents a visual imagery. It can be known from the word “look around”. The poet also use khinesthetic imagery. Because when we “looked around” we make a movement on our neck.

Stanza 1 Line 8 : Blade-end up and five feet tall

It also uses the visual imagery. It is clearly shown because it describes a thing that can be seen by our eyes, that is “blade end up” and “five feet tall.”

Stanza 1 Line 1 : When a friend calls me from the road

This line represents the auditory imagery. The readers can imagine when someone calls the poet so they could hear it by their ear. 

Stanza 1 Line 2 : And slows his horse to a meaning walk

In this line the poet uses khinesthetic imagery. The word “slows” indicates a movement so the readers can imagine that the poet just slower his horse so that he can talk with his friend while riding the horse.

Stanza 1 Line 9 : I plod; I go up to the stone wall

This line uses both khinesthetic and visual imagery. The word “I plod” indicates that the poet tries to take slow steps as if our feet are heavy. And then, the word  “I go up” also shows that the poet tries to climb on “the stone wall” that uses visual imagery because the wall is made from stone so the readers can see the materials. In this line, “stone wall” can be defined as a wall that is made from stone or just a symbol for a hard temptation in life. 

5.2  DICTION

From “A Time to Talk” poem, we can see some denotations. They are:

  FRIEND  : a person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not member  of your family
  ROAD      : a long hard surface built for vehicles to travel along
   HORSE  : a large animal with four legs which people ride on or use for carrying things or pulling vehicles

From “A Time to Talk” poem, we can see some connotations. They are:

  STONE WALL : the hindrance between two friends who want to talk each other. Because of the hindrance, they couldn’t share their experiences  each other.

  HILLS: a petition or job who is had by someone. And they have to finish the petition or the job soon.

  HOE: a worried feeling which is had by someone because he has to finish his job soon, but finally he chooses to visit his friend.

  MELLOW GROUND: the field where the writer works. And in that field there are so many jobs that he has to finish soon.

6. CONCLUSION

        ATime to Talk by Robert Frost is  a poem about friendship. In A Time to Talk talks about how  if a friend comes to talk to him while he is busy doing something, and he will put down what he is doing and talk to his friend. Frost uses imagery, denotation, and connotation in explaining his poet. He uses visual imagery, auditory imagery and kinesthetic imagery. It makes the poem can be imagined easily. The denotations and connotations also make the poem is more interesting to be analyzed. The moral value of this poem is: Even though you are busy, you can stop your work and make some talks  for your friends. The work will always still be there to complete, but your friend might not. You append time with them to keep your friendship strong.

References

Perrine,Laurence. 1988. Literature, Structure, Sound and Sense. Florida : Harcourt         Brace Jovanovich.

Eliopulos, Tina D., Todd Scott Moffet. 2005. The Everything Writing Poetry Book.         Massachusetss: Adams Media Avon. 

http://www.poets.org/poet/robert-frosthttp://www.literarydevices.net  (accessed on November 2, 2015)

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-time-to-talk/ (accessed on June 6, 2016)

http://literarydevices.net/imagery/ (accessed on June 6, 2016)

http://literarydevices.net/diction/http://literarydevices.net/diction/ (accessed on June 6, 2016)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship (accessed on November 2, 2015)