Design

One modernist of extreme importance is Robert Frost. Many would argue that Frost is not truly a modernist because of his use of traditional rhyme schemes and meters. But to favor the idea that he was a modernist, he did have colloquial speech, and non-poetic diction. He also had the modernist belief that order and purpose is imposed on the universe. Frost's "Design" is an interesting poem in that it brings into question the idea of design in the universe. From first glance at the poem the reader can notice that there are two sections to the poem. From the beginning of the poem we receive the image of death "I found a dimpled spider, fat and white, / On a white head-all, holding up a moth" (lines 1-2). Here we get a scene of death with positive connotations, which immediately allows the reader to question the motives of such contrasting images. In the sestet the speaker asks two questions and gives two answers. The questions are regarding the coincidence of the scene and trying to figure out how it happened. One may conclude that one answer is suggesting a design that is harmful "What but design of darkness to appall?" (13). The last answer suggests that there is no design in the world at all "If design govern in a thing so small" (14). One can conclude that this poem is about seeing the natural order of things, and Frost leaves the answer open for interpretation. It can be argued that Frost was influenced by the Puritans and their ideas of God. The Puritans believed in election, which would suggest design in the universe. Thus, Frost may have been questioning design in the universe due to the Puritan influence.