Frost’s Homer Noble Farm Treated Most Ignobly
We’ve posted a number of times here about “the poetry of place,” poetry’s often-intimate connection with the poet’s home place, and the celebration of poets’ homes after their passing as sources of their artistic power. How disheartening, then, to read the news that one of Robert Frost’s former homes in Vermont, Homer Noble Farm, was wrecked by a group of partiers who broke in and trashed the place during the New Year’s holiday:
from Associated Press:
“Robert Frost Home Vandalized in Vermont”
Frost was probably the most celebrated American poet of the 20th century. His work is rooted in New England farm life and its iconic images -- “white farmhouse, red barn, stone walls.” But as usual, there’s some truth in the myth -- and a lot of back story that makes Frost much more interesting -- more poet, combining a modernist sensibility and sense of language in traditional verse forms, and less icon Americana. Still, it’s a shame to learn that one of his iconic farmhouses has been trashed...
More on Robert Frost:
Profile of Robert Frost, our American farmer/philosopher poet
Study Guide to “The Road Not Taken”
A Robert Frost poem handwritten & hidden away: “War Thoughts at Home”
Library of Poems by Robert Frost
More articles on poets’ homes and the celebration of poetic places:
“Archipoetry 101,” Gary Mex Glazner explores community building & Poet’s Plaza becomes a reality (1999)
“Poets’ Way,” Boulder blazes a poetic trail, by Michael Evans Smith (2000)
“Herman Berlandt’s International Poetry Museum,” by Marj Hahne (2002)
“The Empty House Tour,” Tom Devaney explores Edgar Allan Poe’s Philadelphia house (2004)
The connection between a poet & his chosen place, Charles Olson (2005)
Langston Hughes’ home brought back to artistic life (2007)
Artistic power remains in the place where poetry was made: the poet’s home, Federico García Lorca (2007)
Comments
That is horrible. Can something be organized for poets to go there to meet and put it back together again?
Where was the watchman? Why wasn’t the house alarmed? Todays youth have no respect for anything. Th fifty people who did (or their parents)this should be sued for every penny they have. This is a national treasure. Poets will not have what it takes to repair the damage. This is a job for professionals and send the bills to the kids parents.
In one sense this is shocking, and yet, we have all come to accept this stupidity as commonplace. If the house and its contents have already been cleaned and repaired, then these young people have missed a growing experience. They should have been sentenced to clean up the mess they made. Their parents should have helped them do so. Obviously, fines and jail time are not enough of a deterrent for idiotic behavior. Forced labor and taking away privileges like cell phones, ipods, and computers might elicit their complaints but it should fall on deaf ears. They deserve corporal punishment but that will never be administered in this day and age. Too bad for them.
Is the place for sale? Foreclosaure?
Abandoned? Neglected?
Lets put some poetry together to keep
Homer Noble Farm protected !