October

"The Tuft of Flowers" by Robert Frost (1915)

“The Tuft of Flowers” is another pastoral poem written by Frost that appeared in A Boy’s Will alongside “October.” This poem differs from “October,” as it provides more direct interaction with nature and the natural world. The speaker here talks about another person, a mower of fields, who has spared a cluster of flowers for the butterflies and, as a result, for the speaker to enjoy and feel less alone. The direct suggestion of another person adds an element of shared humanity to this pastoral that is not overtly present in “October.”

"The Code" by Robert Frost (1922)

This poem exhibits Frost’s range, as it is entirely different than “October” in both its form and style. While it is still grounded very much in farm life and nature, it takes on a more narrative form and includes moments of dialogue. As with “October,” the lines are written with attention to meter, yet in a departure from it, they do not maintain a rhyme scheme. Frost often wrote using dialogue in poems, and he even wrote plays.

"The Prophets Really Prophesy as Mystics the Commentators Merely by Statistics" by Robert Frost (1962)