Explication of Bereft

The poem "Bereft" by Robert Frost uses a metaphors and personification to present its meaning and message to readers. Frost also uses an interesting rhyme scheme in the poem that appeals to the reader's ear. The poem also has an immense relation to the character Lear from the play "King Lear" by Shakespeare. Both the speaker and Lear are at similar points in their life and are experiencing similar emotions over a major change in their lives. First off both characters are facing the strong forces of nature head on. In the play Lear is locked out in the middle of a huge storm and chooses to stay outside instead of taking shelter from the storm. Similarly the speaker is standing staring at the wind instead of taking shelter from it: "What would it take my standing there for, / Holding open a restive door, / Looking down hill to a frothy shore?" (Frost, 3-5). Both characters seem to not be bothered by the danger that the immensity of nature poses to their lives.

Also, both characters are aging and having trouble accepting that fact. Lear seems to be going mad in his old age, he is realizing that he is not ever so powerful and is becoming increasingly weak. The speaker however is more aware of his aging and seems to be a bit more okay with this fact of life but still resents it, he says: "Summer was passed and day was passed" (Frost, 6). both the speaker and Lear seem to have gone a bit mad in their old age both standing out in a storm and both regarding nature as if it were human.

Also the most noticeable relation between both the speaker of the poem and Lear is how they both seem to be alone in life. Lear used to be an all powerful King but in his old age he decided to give his power away to his daughters who have now betrayed and abandoned him forcing him to fend for himself. Lear felt that all he had left was nature which then betrays him also which is shown through the huge storm. The speaker also makes it clear that he is all alone: "Word I was in the house alone [...] Word I was in my life alone" (Frost, 13-15). It seems as if everyone has left the speaker just as everyone Lear cares about has left him. Just as Lear felt that nature was all he had left, the speaker sees God as his lone companion in life: "Word I had no one left but God" (Frost, 16). Both the speaker of the poem and Lear seem to be miserable, lonely, sad characters who are not accepting of their old age and lonely state.