Out, Out by Robert Frost

In “Out, Out”, Robert Frost

Robert Frost makes the buzz saw appear sinister as well as friendly. For starters, the first line describes how the saw rattles and snares, which makes it appear sinister. The reader can get the impression that the saw is a snake in regard to Frost’s description as well as how Frost grants it life in line 8 by depicting it as a creature that is alive. These illustrations reveal a sense of darkness as if the buzz saw is having a personality of its own.

The beast that ravages

The second line also illustrates how the saw made dust and dropped sticks of wood. Frost makes an impression that the buzz saw is a beast that is ravaging around and wants to attack. Additionally, in line 15, Frost infers that the saw is making decisions of its own and that it has a mind of his own. This is seen when he writes that the saw jumps off the boy’s hand and cuts off his hand.

The friendly bond

Frost makes the buzz saw seem like a friend by illustrating how it worked with the boy for a long period of time sawing firewood. In essence, the time that these two spent together illustrates a kind of bond that sees them together most of the time. Additionally, when the boy is called by his sister for a meal in the 14th line, the saw seems to jump out of his hand, injuring him in the process. The audience can gather from this part that the saw did not want to be left behind and thus the reason why it jumps out of his hand as if intending to follow him. Therefore, in these lines, Frost makes buzz seem like a friend.