Introduction

Have you ever wanted to know more about Robert Frost? Do you even know who Robert Frost is? Well, now it’s time to delve into his world and acquaint yourself with his world-renowned poetry. In this WebQuest, you will use the internet to learn about life and poetry of Robert Frost, developing a sense for who he was and his poetic style.

Task

In this WebQuest, you will use the links provided in the process and resources sections to find out information about Robert Frost. You will read about his life and learn who he was as a person. Then, you will read a selection of poems and get a taste for his poetry, while developing your own interpretations and practicing identifying literary elements. When you have finished the process, you will leave a comment on the conclusion section of this page.

Most importantly, try and have fun exploring the poetry of Robert Frost!

Process

1. Go to http://www.frostfriends.org/ and access their short biography on Robert Frost called “Places and Poetry.” Read through it and when you have finished write a short paragraph highlighting the main events in his life.

2. From the biography page, click on the photograph of Frost’s gravestone for Bennington, Vermont. When you scroll down on the following page, you will see a larger picture of the gravestone. What strikes you about it as interesting? What does it tell you about Frost?

3. Feel free to explore the photo links for other places that were important in Frost’s life.

4. Go to http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html and select Frost’s Mountain Interval collection. Find and read the popular poem, “The Road Not Taken.”

5. Once you’ve read the poem, go to http://town.hall.org/radio/HarperAudio/012294_harp_ITH.html (links provided via http://www.frostfriends.org/ web site also) and select a version of Robert Frost reading “The Road Not Taken” to listen to (audio file may contain more than one poem, but you only have to listen to this poem). Answer the following questions: Did you like being able to hear Robert Frost read his own poetry? Did he sound different than you expected? Did you prefer to listen to the poem read or to read it yourself? Did you like the poem?

6. Return to http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html and go to the “Miscellaneous Poems to 1920” section. From here, find Frost’s short poem, “Fire and Ice.” Write a paragraph about what you think the poem means. Remember, there’s no wrong interpretation as long as you can support your idea.

7. Return to http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html and select the “North of Boston” collection. Find and read “The Mending Wall.” Print out this poem and mark examples of literary elements you see within the poem, such as imagery, personification, metaphor, simile, etc.

8. Once again, return to http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html. This time, look through all of his collections and pick a poem of your choice to read. Afterwards, spend some time thinking and writing about the poem. What does it mean to you? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it?

9. Go to http://www.frostfriends.org/frostfaq.html and read the answers to questions about Robert Frost that interest you. Is there anything you still want to know about him?

10. When you’ve finished your WebQuest, leave a comment in the conclusion section of this page. What did you like about your search? What didn’t you like? What did you learn? What do you still want to know about Robert Frost? How do you feel about his poetry? Of the poems you read, which was your favorite?

Resources

All of the information resources needed to complete this WebQuest can be found on the following websites:

http://www.frostfriends.org/
and
http://www.bartleby.com/people/Frost-Ro.html

Criteria for Evaluation

Click image to enlarge rubric.

Conclusion

I hope this WebQuest helped you learn about Robert Frost and familiarize yourself with some of his poetry!

Now that you’ve finished, comment here about the process and what you’ve learned.

Consider the following questions: What did you like about your search? What didn’t you like? What did you learn? What do you still want to know about Robert Frost? How do you feel about his poetry? Of the poems you read, which was your favorite?

Please make sure your comment is appropriate and thoughtful.

In order to identify yourself, you may either create your own account or use the OpenID option to log in from a screen name you have from another site/program.

Optional Extra Credit

Do you feel inspired by Frost’s poetry? Write your own poem and turn it in with your work for this WebQuest!