Out, Out— / Robert Frost

"Out, Out-" is a poem by American poet Robert Frost, published in 1916. It tells the story of a young boy who dies after his hand is severed by a "buzz-saw". The poem focuses on people's reactions to death, as well as the death itself, one of the main ideas being that life goes on. The poem was apparently based on a true event which is believed to have occurred in April 1915. Raymond Fitzgerald, the son of Frost's friend and neighbour, lost his hand to a buzz saw and bled so profusely that he went into shock, dying of heart failure in spite of his doctor's efforts.

Frost uses personification to great effect throughout the poem. The buzz saw, although technically an inanimate object, is described as a cognizant being - "snarling" and "rattling" repeatedly, as well as "leaping" out of the boys hands in excitement.

Frost concentrates on the apparent innocence and passivity of the boy - which is relevant to the time period - as Frost was forced to move back to America due to war in England just a year before the poem was written. Bearing this in mind, the poem can be read as a critique as to how warfare can force innocent, young boys to leave their childhood behind, and ultimately be destroyed by circumstances created by the 'responsible' adult.

The last line is detached and blunt, mirroring the soldier's attitude and ability to detach themselves from their emotions and continue killing despite the dead bodies surrounding them. It also appears to be somewhat sarcastic; Frost disapproving of our disposable attitude towards life.

The title of the poem is an allusion to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth ("Out, out, brief candle ..."). Macbeth is shocked to hear of his wife's death and comments on the brevity of life. It refers to how unpredictable life is.

This poem uses some figurative language including onomatopoeia, alliteration, imagery, and many others. Harold Bloom said it is "one of Frost's most respected poems, but it has not received the same depth of critical attention and explication as poems such as "The Road Not Taken (poem)" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."