An Analysis of Once by the Pacific by Robert Frost Most readers are familiar with the poetry of Robert Frost, but may not be familiar with his poetry "Once by the Pacific". This poem stands out from most of his popular poems, which often refer to rural New England life. Many critics have therefore commented that his works are too simple. "Once by the Pacific", however, seems to challenge this opinion, as it is one of Frost's most "difficult" poems to interpret. Although this poem is also connected to nature, the theme is more universal as it could be related to Armageddon, or the end of the world. While this theme may seem simple, it is actually complex because we don't know how Frost could connect to the events that lead to the end of the world. This is an “uncertain” and sometimes controversial topic, and even if everyone was certain it was coming, we don't know exactly how it will happen and when. So how did Frost imagine this event? Are you portraying it in a religious context, a naturalistic context, or both? The last line (14) talks about God turning off the light, which brings out a religious reference, but the majority of the poem is entirely about nature. The physical images of water, clouds, continents, and cliffs present a much more complex setting than the simple setting of "Stop in the Woods on a Snowy Evening" or the yellow woods of "The Road Not Taken." on the waters, all waves are intent on pounding the land with destructive forces, and Frost appears to personify these waves. For example, the waves "thought they would do something to the shore / That the water had never done before to land." Frost is portraying God as the one in control of t...... middle of paper......wn. In this poem, Frost challenges this doubt with his "certainty" of these future events. Although Frost lays out an ultimatum about these events to come, it is up to the reader to find their own resolution to these images. This is why Frost paints this intense picture by the waters, to challenge the reader in a natural setting on how to deal with it. As James Guimond stated in the anthology, "it assumed that the solitary individual could question and work out his or her relationships with God and existence, preferably in a natural setting and with some discreet references to Christianity and transcendentalism" (1147 ). Therefore, it can be interpreted that Frost intended to merge nature with religion in these images. The confusion the reader is confronted with is equal to his own epiphany in dealing with the experience, and the result is a balance between the two..