In the poem "After Apple-Picking" by Robert Frost there is a lot of repetition of the word sleep. Through this repetition the meaning of the word changes, it gets the deeper, Frost changes the meaning of the word from normal sleep to eternal sleep. After we understand this we see that the poem is not really about a farmer just being tired of his work but about him dealing with his mortality and his end drawing near.
Conclusion: From this observation i concluded that the speaker in the poem is ready for death. There are hints that give this away, in the poem he says "i am overtired" he is referring to his life, he is too tired for life and he wants to "sleep". He also talks about all the apples that are left to pick and how he just wants to leave them there and just rest.
Question: In the poem the speaker does not really state whether he is ready for death or not, from what you have read in the poem do u think he is ready for death or does he fear it?
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Yes I agree with Marcos, the speaker is most definitely ready for death. Throughout the entire poem there is a sense of acceptance and a sort of transcendent tone. This is evident in the diction of the poem. "I am done with apple picking now..." I've had too much of apple-picking now...I'm overtired". Now I want to just venture an idea about the dream where "magnified apples appear and disapear" I personally interpret this as an unpleasant dream, might even be called a nightmare because throughout the speaker's dream, when, notice, he is supposed to be resting and recovering from a hard day's work, "{He} hears the load on load of apples coming in..." this is almost like a haunting, not just a dream. Therefore, the "sleep" Marcos asked about is not viewed by the speaker as "death" but rather as a rest and the chance to rejouvinate his aches and pains it's "just a human sleep" to the speaker, even if it may be literal death
ReplyDeleteI think that he is completely ready for death. He states that he is "overtired of the great harvest i myself desired." Being a farmer it's his job to want to a good harvest, but since he's so tired it seems like he wants it to be over. It seems like he doesn't want the harvest to take over his life. he continues to wonder if the sleep is "just some human sleep". This statement seems to show that he doesn't want his sleep to be disturbed. he wants the long sleep that the woodpeckers gets in the wintertime
ReplyDeleteI think that the speaker is ready for "sleep" and he approaches it with a curiosity, rather than a fear. He is curious as to what he is approaching, especially in the ending lines when he states "Were he not gone,
ReplyDeleteThe woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep." He is curious as to how this "sleep" is going to be; whether it is going to be a sleep over a long-period of time (understood as "death" "as [he] describes it) or a short period of time, like "human sleep". He doesn't appear as fearful, but rather curious and accepting of this "sleep".
I think in general the speaker is ready for death. Like Karley and Ismael quoted the speaker is both overtired and done with apple-picking, and he is ready for sleep now. However there is no sense of dire urgency throughout the poem which suggests that although the speaker is ready for death he is not desperate for it. He is at a point in his life when, if death came, he would welcome it because he is so weary. Yet he is not begging for it.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the poem, Frost points to death as one possible form of sleep. The season of the year emphasizes nature's death, while the woodchuck's hibernation suggests a pattern of death and resurrection. The speaker needs to regenerate himself, like the hibernating woodchuck, by a long, deathlike winter sleep. He is tired of apple picking and needs a long rest. The apple picker wonders about the relation of his "sleep", to that of another creature, "the woodchuck," for whom sleep hibernation is a sort of protection. The closing metaphor of the poem, the woodchuck's 'long sleep,' adds to the intensity of 'winter sleep' by bringing in the non-human death-like sleep of hibernation. I think this makes it clear that the poem is about death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that at first the speaker was confused and unsure about about his death but towards the end it is expressed that he is indeed ready for death. When the speaker first goes to sleep he dreams of "magnified apples [that] appear and disappear", he keeps envisioning the "stem end and blossom end". The ends of the stems and blossoms represent death and the end of the speaker's life, he continues to see them and dreams about them revealing a sense of confusion and wonderment. But later in the poem the speaker muses that he has "had too much of apple-picking" meaning he is tired and ready for death,
ReplyDeleteThe speaker is not only ready for death, yet he has accepted it and understands that it's a natural part of life. He clearly states "I am done with apple-picking now," which alludes to the ideal that he is done accomplishing the achievements that he wanted to accomplish in his life. He's ready to finally rest. He continues the poem with "Essence of winter sleep is on the night,/The scent of apples: I am drowsing off." The speaker is so tired and ready for death that he has to catch himself from completely drowsing off. He understands that he is naturally becoming "drowsy" and accepts that he is going to "sleep" or die soon.
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ReplyDeleteThe speaker feelings towards death is a mixture of fear and acceptance. The speaker admits that he is tired of living and welcomes the eternal sleep of death, but he is also afraid of what eternal sleep is like. When the speaker wonders what eternal sleep is like, he wishes he could ask the woodchuck what eternal sleep is like because hibernation is a bit like eternal sleep.
ReplyDeleteThe speaker lived a hard life: picking apples and harvesting them; he is now, just like the wilting season ready for death. Although the speaker's fatigue and optimism have dropped completely, there is still a sign of anxiety in his acceptance of death. Yes, the speaker is "overtired," but his thoughts lie constantly on his harvest, his past, and his deeds. He is afraid that what he has picked, is not enough; he is afraid that those apples he left on the tree may have been missed opportunities. He is ready for sleep(death), none-the-less, yet he is apprehensive of it. Just like the woodchuck, which hibernates, he wonders if he too harvested all he needed for his sleep; he then wonders, how much more should he have harvested, if his sleep is eternal.
ReplyDeleteConclusion: the speaker is accepting of death; he is not accepting of the path he has chosen and the number of apples he has picked.
The speaker is definitely aware of his approaching death and it does seem as if he has accepted his death, but at he same time the poem does inlcude hints of his fear and worriness towards his death. He clearly states "For I have had too much/ Of apple-picking: I am overtired/ Of the great harvest I myslef desired." This shows his acceptanmce towards death. He then goes on to describe "the world of hoary grass" which shows his accpeatcne of growth and time and how he himself is aging. He is ready to leave and is at peace with himself but at the the end of the poem he states his dilemma " One can see what will trouble/ This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is./ Where he not gone,/ The woodchuck could say whether it's like his/ Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,/ Or just sme human sleep." This clearly states his fear and worry towards death as he wonders what will be of him th next day: will he be dead or will he continue living? When will he die and will his his death be like that of the woodchuck's sleep? This is what troubles the speaker.
ReplyDeleteThe speaker has accepted the fact that he is dying because the poem is saturated with phrases that signify the persona's acceptance of impending death.
ReplyDeleteWhen the speaker notes that "Essence of winter sleep is on the night," he does not panic. Instead, he remarks, "The scent of apples: I am drowsing off." In the time he could have spent regretting or reminiscing, he focuses on trivial things like the scent of apples before drowsing off instead.
Also, the diction and imagery he uses points to his recognition of death. His ladder points "toward heaven still" instead of simply the sky, and this could be his ladder to heaven. Although bewildered at first, he looks "against the world of hoary grass" through ice and soon accepts that he is aging faster than he can tell.
Even if he regrets the "two or three/Apples [he] didn’t pick upon some bough," he realizes that he cannot go back in time and change it. He just finally says, "I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired"
I think he is indifferent about the subject of death. I think his "applepicking" is coming to an end. But when Frost says "toward heaven still" at the beginning of the poem I get the connotation that he knows it is there but doesn't really want it.
ReplyDeleteHe also regrets "two or three apples" he didn't pick up, to me, that seems that he wants to go an do them, maybe fix the two or three he forgot. I also get the feeling he wishes he could have done more then applepicking in his life.
i believe that the woodchucks "long winter sleep" is something the speaker wish he could have, instead of "just human sleep". "human sleep" never ends sine the woodchuck just wakes up after its hibernation. I think he wants that the most.
I don't think that the speaker in this poem fears death. Instead death appears as a natural thing to him. In this poem death is something that overpowers the speaker, like sleep. Frost writes, "I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough and held against the world of hoary grass. It melted, and I let it fall and break" in order to establish the ambiguity between conscious thought and unconscious thought. In this quote Frost communicates the surrender the speaker experiences. He "let" it fall and break without resistance. Instead of his language indicating fear, it indicates acceptance.
ReplyDeleteI think that the speaker is ready for death and does not fear it. I think that in a way the apples represent his life. When apples are harvested they can not grow anymore, like humans when they reach a certain age they do not grow anymore. Then Frost writes, ''For all that struck the earth, no matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble, went surely to the cider-apple heap as of no worth''. I think Frost meant that all people die whether they are a good or bad person. The speaker understands that no matter what people will always die and he has accepted it. The speaker shows no fear because throughout the poem he does not panic.
ReplyDeleteIn After Apple Picking I think the speaker is not just ready for death, but curios to see what it brings. This is represented by the last three lines. “The woodchuck could say whether it's like his long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep.” By this point in the poem it has already been established that sleep is death, so what this line is the speaker pondering as to what death will be like. At the very least he accepts death, but I believe he is almost awaits it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the speaker in "After Apple-Picking" is afraid but at the same time, accepting the fact that his end is near. By him stating that he is "overtired of the greatest harvest [he himself] desired" creates the idea of him being weary and satisfied. He is "overtired" making him sound weak; "greatest harvest [he himself] desired" captures the fulfillment of his life/work. He is satisfied with the results/"fruitfulness" of his work/life to a certain extent. He asks for nothing more but just living the days as it passes. By saying so, he is accepting the fact that he is aging and is waiting for death. He is afraid because after talking about his work, he says "one can see what will trouble this sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is. [Either it is a] long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep." He feels troubled and uneasy about his dream/"sleep" and he questions if it will be a "long sleep...or just some human sleep". Human sleep is momentarily because humans sleep to restore energy while the long sleep he mentions is death; the never ending rest.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the speaker in the poem is ready for death. He just accepts it is coming. He has done all he can for his apple picking job. This man is just growing older and weaker from age and it is his time to pass on. It shows when he is not filling barrels up all the way with apples. It's a sign of his old age. There is a lot of talk of death and I do believe this old man is ready to die since he has done all he can in his life for the world.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the speaker in the poem is ready for death because he does not speak in a fearful tone, but in patience. Almost as if he is resigning from Apple picking. He says that the barrel is half full, but he's done. So he has chosen to move on with his life. He reverences his life, and is tired. The speaker is ready to take a deep sleep, one that can be implied to be death. It is clear that the speaker is of old age, so he has done his work and cannot do it as well anymore, therefore, death is approaching and he does not fear it.
ReplyDeleteIn "After Apple-Picking" the speaker appears to be ready and unafraid of death. Through out the poem, the speaker has an indifferent tone about the years that have passed him while apple-picking. For example, the speaker states "This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is." He seems careless about the sleep, or death, he's about to go into. The speaker knows his time is near and has accepted his fate.
ReplyDeleteI think that the speaker in this poem is not only ready for death, but ready for whatever state of consciousness he finds himself in as exemplified in the last line. The speaker is an aging person, tired of the trials and tribulations of everyday life. He has gained all he can from this world and hopes to move onto the next, if not just for a change of scenery. The curious and emotionally grounded diction regarding the speakers transition into sleep is what convinces me of the legitmiac oof this interpretation.
ReplyDeleteNowhere in the poem can it be taken that he is afraid of what is ahead. The speaker knows his time is limited, and he looks back to when he was able to pick apples regularly with full effort. Now there are empty barrels and a ladder standing tall with no man on it. His age is getting to him, and there is not much left for him to do but reflect.
ReplyDeleteHe also may not even be dying, he may just need some rest. Yes, he is getting old, but he is not necessarily dying yet. Whether he is going into hibernation (like a woodchuck) or whether he will wake up is unknown, but he is prepared for whatever comes his way.