An Apple a Day....

("After Apple-Picking", Frost)

This lovely poem reeks of one central tone: growing old and tired. Throughout the entire work, the speaker discusses his long life, now drawing its strung-out ending; this is best displayed by the quote: "Of apple picking I am overtired, of the great harvest I myself desired". This exhausted person isn't only tired of apple picking; many of the objects in this poem seem to represent not only apple picking, but also life in general. The ladder works as a symbol of life's journey, contributing to the tone by placing focus on the hardship and end of the ladder. The ladder "sticking through a tree toward heaven still" is one of the worker's greatest tools providing a "constant pressure of the ladder-round" and a chance to touch the "ten thousand thousand fruit"; the ladder reflects the tone by representing life's path with may hardships and opportunities. This tone is further revealed in the desire to sleep of the woodchuck, in a deep peaceful slumber, and the lure of sleep throughout the piece. This poor worker simply wants to "reach the winter" and finish their hard yet fulfilling life, expressed in the abundant diction, imagery, and voice. This poem almost adds years to the readers...