In the early 1900's, Robert Frost, emerging from a troubled life of poverty, sought to reform and revive his life. His efforts were met with great success. This paper analyzes the influences on Robert Frost's poetry, which led to his large scale achievement.
             Although Robert Frost is widely known as a New England poet, he was actually born in San Francisco, California, on March 26, 1874 (American Writers 150). His father, William Prescott Frost, was a native of New England,and his mother, Isabelle Moodie Frost, was a Scottish emigrant from Edinburgh. They met while they were both teaching school in Lewiston, Pennsylvania, and moved west after their marriage (Robert Frost 5).
             The relationship between Robert's father and mother was later a major influence on the subject of his poems in his collection, "North of Boston." In this collection, there were frequent appearances of instances where husbands and wives were at odds due to their inability to communicate their feelings and to find common ground. These grueling portraits seemed to depict the Frost's failing marriage (Parini 10).
             Many of the problems in the family were caused by William's overuse of alcohol. A few months after Robert's birth, William began to get an extrodinary fondness for whiskey. This once loving, caring, family man became an abusive husband while under the influence. William became so violent that Isabelle began to fear for her and her son's lives (Robert Frost: the Early Years 10).
             Wanting an escape from her failing marriage, Isabelle turned to the Swedenborgian Church, whose elaborate system of beliefs kept her focused on religion rather than her unhappiness. Robert learned many things about this religion. The mysticism in his poems he accredited to his mother. Unfortunately this strict church had a negative effect on Robert's life. He later traced his own mental crisis back to his mother&ap...