The Aim was Song (Poem by Robert Lee Frost)

The Aim was Song

By Robert Lee Frost

Before man came to blow it right

    The wind once blew itself untaught,

And did its loudest day and night

    In any rough place where it caught.

Man came to tell it what was wrong:

    It hadn’t found the place to blow;

It blew too hard — the aim was song.

    And listen — how it ought to go!

He took a little in his mouth,

    And held it long enough for north

To be converted into south,

    And then by measure blew it forth.

By measure. It was word and note,

    The wind the wind had meant to be — 

A little through the lips and throat.

    The aim was song — the wind could see.

Poem Analysis:

Robert Frost's poem "The Aim Was Song" explores the transformative power of human creativity and the capacity to harness natural elements to produce art. The poem uses the wind as a metaphor for untamed nature and song as a symbol of human artistry and refinement.

Untamed Nature

The poem begins by describing the wind in its natural, uncontrolled state:

Before man came to blow it right

The wind once blew itself untaught,

And did its loudest day and night

In any rough place where it caught.

In these lines, the wind is personified as a force that acts spontaneously and chaotically, unbound by any rules or purpose. The phrase "blew itself untaught" suggests that the wind, left to its own devices, lacks direction and refinement. This depiction of the wind serves as a metaphor for nature in its raw, unstructured form.

Human Intervention

The second stanza introduces human intervention, suggesting that man recognized the wind's potential and sought to guide it:

Man came to tell it what was wrong:

It hadn’t found the place to blow;

It blew too hard — the aim was song.

And listen — how it ought to go!

Here, humanity's role is to refine and direct the wind, teaching it how to "blow right" and achieve its true potential. The "aim was song" indicates that the ultimate goal is to create beauty and harmony. This reflects the human aspiration to shape and improve upon nature, transforming raw elements into something meaningful and artistic.

Transformation Through Art

The third stanza describes the process by which man transforms the wind into song:

He took a little in his mouth,

And held it long enough for north

To be converted into south,

And then by measure blew it forth.

This imagery evokes the act of playing a wind instrument, where breath (wind) is controlled and modulated to produce music. The conversion of "north to south" suggests a harmonizing of opposites, a synthesis that creates a balanced and beautiful outcome. The phrase "by measure" underscores the importance of control and precision in this transformation, indicating that art requires skill and deliberate effort.

The Fulfillment of Potential

The final stanza encapsulates the essence of the poem:

By measure. It was word and note,

The wind the wind had meant to be —

A little through the lips and throat.

The aim was song — the wind could see.

In these lines, the wind achieves its intended form through human intervention, becoming "the wind the wind had meant to be." This suggests that the true potential of nature is realized through artistic expression. The wind, now articulated as "word and note," has been transformed into song, fulfilling its purpose and achieving clarity and beauty.

"The Aim Was Song" by Robert Lee Frost eloquently illustrates the interplay between nature and human creativity. The poem suggests that while nature in its raw form is powerful and unrestrained, it is through human intervention and artistic effort that its true potential is realized. By transforming the untamed wind into song, Frost highlights the power of art to refine, direct, and elevate natural forces, creating beauty and harmony from chaos. The poem serves as a testament to the human capacity to shape and enhance the natural world, turning raw elements into expressions of art and meaning.