"Two Tramps in

Mudtime"
Regarding context, one cannot forget that the poem was written during the Great Depression
of the 1930's. Not an uncommon sight, "tramps" were people to be both pitied and feared.
Pitied because of their lamentable state, often due to no fault of their own, victims of a failed
economy. Feared because they may have sinister intent; also feared because "there but for the
grace of God go I." I believe this plays into Frost's poem in no small way, which translates
into his reluctance to let another take on his task. He wants to help them, on the one hand, and
allow them to keep their pride by working for whatever he may have to offer as assistance,
but he does not want to be taken advantage of nor give away a task that signifies his own
independence and ability to care for himself and his own. He has not lost everything, but
giving over this task may be a symbol of giving up.

Frostian poetry is often a very poignant and dreary topic of study. howeverthis doesn't mean i
don't have to study it for AS level (with the exam tomorrow 16/5/08) so i am just going over
this poem, it makes such little sense it has become an incredulously difficult poem to
understand.
Our teacher hasn't actually gone over it based on the hope it won't arise in the exam, but if it
does i need to analyse it thematically and poetically
so here goes.
The poetic persona sems somewhat afraid of losing his jobs to those who need it, even if he
(we assume it's male based on masculine word endings) enjoys the work and therefore will
work harder for it seeing as though it is more of a hobby than a chore. However this could
express Frost's insecurity with regards to his position in nature and the greater good. The
greater good could e a nother liturgical reference seeing s though Frost appears to be a
particularly god-fearing chap and as such it features within his work a lot. He holds the world
in great disdain as he sits back and watches it become over-run with urbanisation and the
demise of nature takes over. The poignancy becomes clear as this poem could be allegorical
for a better time, Frost sees the world changing and problems that never were have become
problematic to him now as he finds his job (within the poem) in comprimise.
The work itself could allude to society as a metaphor, much in the same way Mending Wall
acts as an extended mtaphor for society and it's crippling problems. Frost's poetic persona
sems very happy to chop wood and live life isolated and self reliant. The tramps could be a
microcosm for society and it's need for integration in order for it to function, this could point
to Frost's own lack of belonging in the ever modernising world.
Overall the poem is sad, reflective (much like The Road Not Taken) whch all in all proves that
Robert Frost lived a somewat miserable existence and expressed this through his poetry,
which i have been forced to learn and analyse in order to prove i can write properly.
brilliant
hope this helps someone at some point
by
Jepha Howard

IN THIS POEM I SEE A NEW ENVISIONMENT OF LIFE. IT IS ABOUT THE LOVE AND
NEED TO DO SOMETHING. FOR EG IF YOU LOVE ENGLISH/ AMERICAN LITERATURE YOU
WILL PUT YOUR ALL BUT IF YOU NEED ITS DIFFERENT
I think the point of this poem is that we have to settle and that's sad. I
think that's why the "sun was warm but the wind was chill."

The lumberjacks needed the work. And their need trumped the narrator’s
pleasure. That's life. We don't get exactly what we want; we make
sacrifices and compromises, because that's the only humane thing to do. If
we don't, if we try to live as our heart longs, others suffer. That's
because our hearts, as made obvious by the course of history and the
activities of the rich who could make choices, are egocentric.

That's why rich people cause so much damage. They're trying to live the way
they want to, and won't compromise with the rest of us. The poem, I think,
is about a person who, while he pays lip service to being socially
conscious, resents the lumberjacks, the "hulking tramps," for presenting
their need in such a way that the narrator must give up his fun.

I think it's a poem about a rich person being bothered by a poor person.
That's how I take it. Even more, I think the rich person is trying to say
that living as he wants is what Heaven will be like and the only way we'll
progress as a people, thus justifying his failure to "strike for the common
good."

Like everyone, I want to love what I do, but there's nothing wrong with
compromising. That's the only way we'll reduce poverty, war, sexism,
racism, etc.... Compromise is at the heart of politics. I know the hippie
generation, all the baby-boomers taught us differently, but that's because
their own sense of entitlement trumps that of probably any generation
before them.

What does it mean the title in that poem?

It means two tramps came in the part of Spring known as Mud Time. The 'Two' connotes
conflict and the 'Time' refers to rhythm in poetry and rhythm in chopping wood.