Introduction to “Out, Out”
Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out—” is a pungent narrative that focuses on the vulnerability of life, and the harshness of human existence. The poem, published in 1916, is titled ‘Out, Out-’ after a line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth where life is described as a candle that burns out. This is the story of a young boy who dies in a tragic accident while using a buzz saw in a farm in rural New England. The poem offers a rather grisly look at death and the indifferent attitude of the people around the boy, which indicates the themes of mortality, the evils of fate, the uncaring nature of the universe and the loss of the boy’s innocence.
It is for this reason that in using simple but strong language, and striking picture, Frost is able to create one of the most profound and emotionally stirring pieces in “Out, Out—”. It is not only the description of one particular disaster but the vision of life and death, and how they are interrelated in the world.
Themes in “Out, Out-“
Theme#1
The Fragility of Life
The major theme of the poem “Out, Out—” is the fragility of life and a tangible danger that can strike at any moment, even to a young boy with a bright future ahead. The boy suddenly dies in one moment of carelessness, which shows how fragile people’s lives are.
This theme has been vividly portrayed in the lines describing the boy’s fatal accident:
“At the word, the saw,
As if to prove saws knew what supper meant,
Leaped out at the boy’s hand, or seemed to leap—
He must have given the hand. However it was,
Neither refused the meeting. But the hand!”
Here, Frost personifies the saw, which makes it appear as if it has a mind of its own. In this case, the saw ‘leaps’ at the boy’s hand as if it had been aiming to hit him. This violent and sudden event never seen coming serves to bring the fragility of the human life, which can be taken at any moment by factors that are out of one’s control. The death of the boy has been presented as an casual event, as if it is just another momentary misfortune that culminate in a fatal accident.
Theme#2
The Cruelty of Fate
In the poem, the fate has been portrayed as cruel and arbitrary. The death of the boy is an example that how events of life can be beyond our control. The poem reflects that fate is apathetic to human desires, hopes and capacity, dealing out death without reason or warning.
The inevitability of the boy’s fate is hinted at early in the poem, even before the accident occurs:
“The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard
And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood,
Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.”
The presence of saw has been portrayed as threatening: with its “snarling” and “rattling” reflecting the tragic event. The metaphor where the saw turns the wood into ‘dust’ is used to show that the boy’s life will soon be terminated, and what is left of him would be but dust. Thus, the boy’s fate is predetermined by the very nature of the work he is doing, and there is an element of fatalism.
Frost also shows how fate can be random and how the boy dies from a small mistake:
“He must have given the hand. However it was,
Neither refused the meeting.”
The death of the boy occurs due to a slight mistake, which suggests that death can happen at any time and for any reason, or even without any obvious reason at all. The fact that this event happened without any apparent devastating outcome, makes the people understand the harshest side of fate described in the poem. It is terrible and unexpected especially because the boy is so young and innocent, and there is no logic which can explain why this has happened; it is the way fate turns.
Theme#3
The Indifference of the Universe
The indifference of the universe is the striking theme in the poem. The poem indicates a world where the tragedy impacts without warning, and where the life and death are met with a sense of detachment. This theme is particularly evident in the reaction of the adults around the boy after his death:
“No one believed. They listened at his heart.
Little—less—nothing!—and that ended it.
No more to build on there. And they, since they
Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.”
The poem describes the boy’s death without emotion. People quickly move on with no care. This indicates society’s indifference to individual suffering. Nature also seems indifferent, staying beautiful despite the tragedy. This shows the universe does not care about human life and pain.
The natural setting also shows indifference. The saw that kills the boy keeps working, oblivious to the tragedy. The landscape stays beautiful, untouched by the boy’s suffering. This contrast between nature’s beauty and the boy’s awful death highlights the universe’s indifference to human life and pain.
Theme#4
The Loss of Innocence
The theme of the lost of innocence is considered the central one, as the poem shows the death of a boy and the struggles he experienced before dying. The boy who is supposed to be enjoyed a carefree childhood, was tainted by the weight of mature duties and risks that no child should have to bear.
The poem starts by setting the scene of the boy working with the buzz saw, a task that seems far beyond what should be expected of a child:
“Doing a man’s work, though a child at heart—
He saw all spoiled.”
The boy is refer to as doing man’s work, which shows how he has been put into a wrong stereotyped work of a man. The labor takes the boy’s innocence and this loss is further emphasized by the tragic accident that follows. The final line of the poem “a child at heart” refers to the boy who is still a child in heart though he has the responsibilities which are brutally killed by the saw.
The loss of childhood is not only physical but also symbolic, which represents the broader loss of innocence that occurs when one is confronted with the harsh realities of life and death. The boy’s death provides a harsh reminder of the vulnerability of the innocence and the helplessness with which such characters can be destroyed.
Theme#5
The Disregard for Individual Human Life
The theme of the disregard for individual human life is also contemplated by Frost in his poem. The murder of the boy is depicted as it is part of ordinary life, a tragic but not entirely unexpected consequence of the hard labor he is forced to do.
The adults not reacting much to the boy’s death indicates how the society often does not value the life of the individual, especially working class life. The boy’s life is not termed as special, but he is treated just like another victim of the hard rural work.
The final lines of the poem defines this disregard:
“And they, since they
Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.”
The manner in which the subjects of the story briefly pause before resuming their normal lives after the boy’s death also hints at the fact that such things are simply expected in society. There is no sorrow for the boy when he dies and no moment of mourning for him. Instead, there is merely a shoulder shrug and a productive resumption of work.
It represents a social order that does not care much about human lives and all that is important is production and sustenance of that stream.
Theme#6
The Futility of Human Effort
This aspect of futility of human effort is also visible in ‘Out, Out—.’ The boy works hard, strives to meet his responsibilities, and tries to help his family as much as he can but all his efforts turn to be useless when he dies a young and instantaneously; tragic death. The poem implies that, no matter how hard we work and try; life can be shortened and all efforts and accomplishments we make turns to waste.
The boy’s work is described in detail, emphasizing the physical effort he puts into his tasks:
“He saw all spoiled.
‘Don’t let him cut my hand off—
The doctor, when he comes.
Don’t let him, sister!’”
The boy’s plea to his sister shows him still holding on to a very faint hope that by trying to save his hand and by extension his ability to work again, he will not have been wasting his time. But, the fact that he is going to die makes these attempts meaningless. It captures the brutalist notion that no matter the efforts made, life is a capricious affair and that death can come at any time, knocking off one’s work and dreams.
This theme of futility is also continued to the end of the poem when the boy die and no one really care. His life and the things he did have no apparent effect on the world and the people in it; this is a common theme that builds on the idea that people’s efforts are for naught since they are mortal.
