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Inner StrengthRobert Frost, in the poem, "The Silken Tent," is describing a woman he admires. His description is one that looks beyond the outer beauty and focuses on inner strength. Frost begins the description of the woman by stating, "She is an in a field a silken tent." The "silken tent" gives an image of beauty. It is also seen as a rarity, much as the sight of a tent would be to a child. The woman is an attraction, a new subject to discover and explore. Frost notes an inner strength in the woman: "At midday when a sunny summer breeze/ has dried the dew and all its ropes relent." The "summer breeze" helps the woman to be seen as a refreshing interlude to the heat and bustle of everyday life. The ropes of the tent relent against the breeze as the woman gives an image of being somewhat carefree yet at the same time stable. "So that in guys/ it gently sways at ease" indicates the smooth involvement of the woman's soul through any trouble or misfortune which may confront her. The soul is strong, as the poet describes, "And its supporting central cedar pole/ that is its pinnacle to heavenward/ and signifies the sureness of her soul." The "cedar pole" is symbolic of the steadfastness of her soul, which will repel any decay and wear throughout her lifetime. The tent must have its inner strong point, much as the women has. The cedar pole is this inner strong point, which will hold the tent steady through any breeze. As the pole forms a pinnacle in the top of the tent, the narrator views the woman's strength guided heavenward in what can be seen as his interpretation of her final destiny. The "sureness of [her] soul" helps support her to the final destination and makes the reader feel she will not change her good ways. Amid the images of inner strength, Frost shows a complete woman with a sense of independence. "Seems to owe naught/ to any single cord, but strictly held by none/ is loosely bound" helps to give a clue to the woman's sense of being carefree. She is so sure of herself that she could exist totally on her own. She is free as a solitary tent in a field would seem, but is still capable of conveying love to all who come in contact with her. Frost explains that she is committed "By countless silken ties of love and thought/ to everything on earth the compass round." The "silken ties of love and thought" show the woman as a thinking and intelligent person. She does not subject herself to being taken advantage of, but is not harsh in her handling of anything or anyone. In bringing his description to a close, the poet reinforces the images of the woman's stability. "And only by one's going slightly taut/ in the capriciousness of summer air/ is of the slightest bondage made aware" portrays the woman as a caring and loving person who will react to help anyone as she is needed. This is much as a tent's guidelines would react to compensate for one's going tight. The "capriciousness of summer air" is the random force against the tent, much like the role fate plays on a human life. This random force, though at times peaceful like the "sunny summer breeze," can be brutal. The brutality, or "slightest bondage," is always sensed by the woman, and she reacts accordingly to cancel it. This helps to complete the image of her inner strength being conveyed as warmth and caring. While reading this poem, one gets the sense of a flowing pattern created by the use of rhyme. Though it is easily readable because of this flow, the poet manages to hold the reader's attention by using repetitious consonant sounds at strategic points. All these point contribute to an overall feeling of admiration, beautifully conveyed by the poet. --posted by permission of the student
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