Figures of Speech in Birches OR Poetic Devices in Birches: 2022

Robert Frost has used a number of figures of speech to enrich the quality of the language of the poem. These include simile, onomatopoeia, repetition, contrast, and personification. Here we take a look at the various figures of speech used in the poem Birches by Robert Frost. 

Simile in Birches

1. Simile- It is a figure of speech in which a similarity between two different objects is explicitly stated, using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. Examples of simile in this poem are-

“…trailing their leaves on the ground/ Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair/Before them over their heads to dry in the sun”.

“…life is too much like a pathless wood”

Personification in Birches

2. Personification- It is a figure of speech in which wither an inanimate object or an abstract concept is endowed with human attributes or feelings. For instance, the poet has used a beautiful personification to describe the man’s desire to quit his present life and return to childhood-“…Half grant what I wish and snatch me away”.
Another instance occurs in the line “Truth broke in/With all her matter of fact about the ice storm”.

Onomatopoeia in Birches

3. Onomatopoeia– It is a figure of speech in which the sounds of the words convey the sense. An instance of onomatopoeia can be seen in the poem when the ice covered branches strike with each other and produce a clicking sound.
“…They click upon themselves”.

Contrast in Birches

4. Contrast- Contrasts in a poem are used to put two contradictory ideas together to highlight the theme of the poem. Some examples of contrast in the poem are –
“Sunny morning after a rainy night”.  
“both going and coming back”
Hope we have covered the major figures of speech and poetic devices of the poem Birches by Robert Frost. You may share additional figures of speech and poetic devices which we may have missed in the comments section and we will include them in the list here. Thank you for visiting Beamingotes!