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Home: Poetry: Robert Frost: The Fear
| THE FEAR |
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a poem by Robert Frost
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- A LANTERN light from deeper in the barn
- Shone on a man and woman in the door
- And threw their lurching shadows on a house
- Near by, all dark in every glossy window.
- A horse's hoof pawed once the hollow floor,
- And the back of the gig they stood beside
- Moved in a little. The man grasped a wheel,
- The woman spoke out sharply, "Whoa, stand still!"
- "I saw it just as plain as a white plate,"
- She said, "as the light on the dashboard ran
- Along the bushes at the roadside--a man's face.
- You must have seen it too."
- "I didn't see it.
- Are you sure----"
- "Yes, I'm sure!"
- "--it was a face?"
- "Joel, I'll have to look. I can't go in,
- I can't, and leave a thing like that unsettled.
- Doors locked and curtains drawn will make no difference.
- I always have felt strange when we came home
- To the dark house after so long an absence,
- And the key rattled loudly into place
- Seemed to warn someone to be getting out
- At one door as we entered at another.
- What if I'm right, and someone all the time--
- Don't hold my arm!"
- "I say it's someone passing."
- "You speak as if this were a travelled road.
- You forget where we are. What is beyond
- That he'd be going to or coming from
- At such an hour of night, and on foot too.
- What was he standing still for in the bushes?"
- "It's not so very late--it's only dark.
- There's more in it than you're inclined to say.
- Did he look like----?"
- "He looked like anyone.
- I'll never rest to-night unless I know.
- Give me the lantern."
- "You don't want the lantern."
- She pushed past him and got it for herself.
- "You're not to come," she said. "This is my business.
- If the time's come to face it, I'm the one
- To put it the right way. He'd never dare--
- Listen! He kicked a stone. Hear that, hear that!
- He's coming towards us. Joel, go in--please.
- Hark!--I don't hear him now. But please go in."
- "In the first place you can't make me believe it's----"
- "It is--or someone else he's sent to watch.
- And now's the time to have it out with him
- While we know definitely where he is.
- Let him get off and he'll be everywhere
- Around us, looking out of trees and bushes
- Till I sha'n't dare to set a foot outdoors.
- And I can't stand it. Joel, let me go!"
- "But it's nonsense to think he'd care enough."
- "You mean you couldn't understand his caring.
- Oh, but you see he hadn't had enough--
- Joel, I won't--I won't--I promise you.
- We mustn't say hard things. You mustn't either."
- "I'll be the one, if anybody goes!
- But you give him the advantage with this light.
- What couldn't he do to us standing here!
- And if to see was what he wanted, why
- He has seen all there was to see and gone."
- He appeared to forget to keep his hold,
- But advanced with her as she crossed the grass.
- "What do you want?" she cried to all the dark.
- She stretched up tall to overlook the light
- That hung in both hands hot against her skirt.
- "There's no one; so you're wrong," he said.
- "There is.--
- What do you want?" she cried, and then herself
- Was startled when an answer really came.
- "Nothing." It came from well along the road.
- She reached a hand to Joel for support:
- The smell of scorching woollen made her faint.
- "What are you doing round this house at night?"
- "Nothing." A pause: there seemed no more to say.
- And then the voice again: "You seem afraid.
- I saw by the way you whipped up the horse.
- I'll just come forward in the lantern light
- And let you see."
- "Yes, do.--Joel, go back!"
- She stood her ground against the noisy steps
- That came on, but her body rocked a little.
- "You see," the voice said.
- "Oh." She looked and looked.
- "You don't see--I've a child here by the hand."
- "What's a child doing at this time of night----?"
- "Out walking. Every child should have the memory
- Of at least one long-after-bedtime walk.
- What, son?"
- "Then I should think you'd try to find
- Somewhere to walk----"
- "The highway as it happens--
- We're stopping for the fortnight down at Dean's."
- "But if that's all--Joel--you realize--
- You won't think anything. You understand?
- You understand that we have to be careful.
- This is a very, very lonely place.
- Joel!" She spoke as if she couldn't turn.
- The swinging lantern lengthened to the ground,
- It touched, it struck it, clattered and went out.
| "The Fear" is reprinted from North of Boston. Robert Frost. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1915. |
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