"Birches" is a memorable poem, rich and interesting enough to repay more than one reading. Robert Frost provides vivid images of birch trees to contrast the harsh realities of life with the human actions of the imagination. “Birches” has a profound theme and its sounds, rhythm, shape, tone and figures of speech emphasize this meaning. The "Birches" theme provides an interesting aspect of imagination to contrast reality. Initially, reality is depicted as birch trees bending and breaking under the load of ice after a freezing rain. They are dragged by the load on the dry ferns And they do not seem to break; although, once they are bent so low for a long time, they never straighten out: reality has its ups and downs. This passage suggests that people never fully recover from being dragged down by life, even if they don't seem broken. Imagination is described as "a birch swinger". The boy's portrayal refines this image: One by one he subdued his father's trees, riding them again and again. The boy seems to learn life lessons from these encounters with the trees on his father's land: He has learned everything there is to know learn not to jump in too soon. This boy lives far from the city and has to play alone. He learned his father's lessons. Imagination is the gift of escape from reality that each of us possesses. We don't have to depend on anyone to take a mental vacation. Mastering the art of imagination will increase your ability to handle the bad things that life throws at you. This is why the narrator advocates the use of imagination. On Earth we can get tired of the daily happenings of life, that “pathless forest.” However, Earth is the place for poetry......at the center of the card......ture. I could imagine a winter scene: "As the breeze picks up" and the effect of the "warmth of the sun" on the sheaths of ice covering the branches of the trees. But this is where I ended the scene. I didn't imagine the crushing of ice "on the snow crust" as "heaps of broken glass to be swept away". Initially, I didn't have the crushing sensation; I heard the scene was peaceful. Conclusion I enjoyed reading "Birches" and I think my reaction is both personal and aesthetic. This poem was long and complex enough to contain many of the aesthetic aspects of an excellent poem. I will always remember the vivid imagery provided by Frost's use of figures of speech and sound. This poem also aroused my feelings. Frost, Robert. Frost: collection of poems, prose and plays “Introduction to Threescore: The Autobiography of Sarah N. Cleghorn”, New York, The Library of America, 1995.