Design in White Analysis

“Design in White” by Robert Frost is a poem about the mystery about of living object’s creation. In it, he stops while taking a walk to observe a flower and other nearby items then questions their “design”. Frost uses several forms of figurative language such as simile, imagery, and symbolism to help convey the theme that life is a delicate balance.

Similes –a comparison using “like” or “as”, are used throughout the poem. For example Frost says “holding a moth like a piece of rigid satin cloth” (Lines 2-3). This is a comparison between how the moth is being supported by the flower to a piece of fabric. He points this out because he wants the reader to imagine how fragile and light the small insect is since satin is a soft and practically weightless material. Another instance where simile is used is in line 6 when Frost says “like the ingredients of a witch’s broth.” Obviously the contents of a witch’s soup are evil and deadly. This is why when Frost refers it to the objects being discussed; he is expressing how they seem lifeless to create an understanding that even though it is alive right now it can easily die. Both examples focus on the fragileness of life and use comparison to represent a more meaningful idea of the delicacy of any living organism.

Imagery, which is the use of words or phrases to create a specific image in reader’s mind, is also portrayed in “Design in White”. “A dimpled spider, fat in white” on line 1 is an example of this. The color white creates a visual of a snowy winter time and what the spider looks like compared to its surroundings. The use of “fat” and “dimpled” impose that the weight that the spider was putting on the flower was great. Line 8 “Dead wings carried like a paper kite” is also imagery. Paper is extremely thin and has crisp movement. So when compared to the moths wings, Frost wants the insect to appear frail possibly because he wants the reader to think again about how fragile life is. Imagery is figurative language...