The Line-Gang by Robert Frost (1947)
This poem explores the relationship between two men who work together to cut a line of trees. The speaker reflects on their labor and the consequences of their actions, highlighting the tension between progress and preservation.
By Robert Frost · First published 1947 · Genre: Poetry, Pastoral, Modernist · 141 words
First lines
Here come the line-gang pioneering by.
They throw a forest down less cut than broken.
They plant dead trees for living, and the dead They string together with a living thread.
They string an instrument against the sky Wherein words whether beaten out or spoken Will run as hushed as when they were a thought.
What this Textopian page supports
The Line-Gang is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Frost, dated 1947 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Frost
- Date: 1947 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Pastoral, Modernist
- Length: 141 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as meter, rhyme, and imagery.
- Pastoral — The poem contrasts the natural environment with human technological advancement, a common theme in pastoral literature.
- Modernist — The poem reflects modernist themes of industrialization and its impact on nature, as well as a focus on the mundane aspects of life.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Railroad · Work · Labor · Isolation · Solitude · Mortality · Existentialism · Philosophy · Symbolism · Imagery