Thinking activity on Robert Frost's design

Thinking activity: Comparison  and Interpretation of two different pictures on the basis of the poem "Design" by Robert frost

Normally whenever someone asks  to draw picture of nature, the above image came in our mind. We are only drawing goody-goody things about nature. We are only celebrating the beauty of nature by drawing such type of picture. We all have tried to gives a perfect shape to nature, that is round shape for sun, triangular shape for mountains, rectangular or sometimes round shape for rivers and ponds. But the reality is totally different. Every things have its pros and cons,i.e good as well as bad quality.

Design by Robert Frost

The poet through this poem speaks about the harsh reality of nature. He is not highlighting the only good aspects of nature, but has draws out attention towards the problem and bitter truth about the nature. After readind the poem ones. the following image came in my mind which is totallly different from the above image.

In the above image the situation is totally different, the spider is eating up the moth. this image came in my mind after reading these lines-
"I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
on a white heal-all holding up a moth...."

The poet by using these kind of metaphors assorted the characters of  death and blight. In a way he is trying to make moth as a 'tragic hero' and spider as a 'villain'. The intesity of pain was there. All wants to survive, the spider eats moth just to live long.

The poet knows very well that the intensity of pain is always greater than the intensity of happiness. So he was successful in his attempt to attracts the readers towards his poem by drawing the picture of harsh reality, need for survive, fight or killing other for food.

The very first line about the white color of spider breaks the archetypal symbol of white which stands for peace and innocence. Here the white spider is totally contrasting character. He is violent, aggressive, can do anything for food. Everytime white is not look beautiful someimes white is more uglier than black. The spider has taken moth's life and proves himself as a fighter.

Thererfore the poem Design is not something about beautiful design, but a design of darkness, death. The designed web of spider attract insects and they get caught in the web of death.