Plots and Events
Robert Frost
Who are the two main characters?
A husband and his wife.
What is one major theme of Home Burial?
Grief and loss.
What literary technique is heavily used throughout the poem?
Dialogue.
Who says something about going downstairs and talking?
The husband.
Where does the wife see something that upsets her?
She looks out the window and sees the child’s grave.
Which character has difficulty talking openly about the child's death?
The wife and the husband
What does the poem show about grief?
People can experience and express grief in very different ways.
What does the grave symbolize?
The child's death and the couple's unresolved grief.
Who is more emotionally upset when looking at the child's grave?
The wife.
What has happened to the couple’s child?
The child has died.
How does the husband deal with his grief differently from his wife?
He tries to deal with it practically and move forward.
What theme is shown by the couple's inability to understand each other?
Communication.
What does the staircase help symbolize?
The emotional distance between the husband and wife.
Who believes the other person does not understand their grief?
The wife.
What does the husband want his wife to do?
He wants her to stay and talk to him about their grief.
Why is the wife angry with her husband?
She believes he does not understand or properly share her grief.
How does the poem explore relationships?
It shows how tragedy and different ways of coping can create distance between people.
How does Frost use imagery?
He uses descriptions of the graveyard, house, and weather to create a serious and tense atmosphere.
Who tries to convince the other person to stay and communicate?
The husband.
What is the main conflict between the husband and wife?
They grieve differently and cannot communicate or understand each other.
What causes the husband and wife to become emotionally distant?
Their different ways of grieving and their inability to communicate.
What larger idea does Frost suggest about grief?
Grief can isolate people and damage relationships when people cannot communicate or accept different ways of grieving.
Why is the dialogue important to the poem?
It reveals the couple's different views of grief and shows how their communication breaks down
Who ultimately decides to leave the house?
The wife