Though very short and conveying a simple image of a spider landing on a flower, we soon realize that Frost is also questioning life and its cruelties.
Unlike most famous poets of the 20th century who were known for writing free-form poetry, Frost’s best-known poems stuck with traditional rhymes and meters (e.g. Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, The Road Not Taken)–“Design” is not an exception.
This poem takes the form of a Italian (or Petrarchan) Sonnet it consists of an ABBAABBA rhyming octave; the sestet is in a ACAACC form – the Italian sonnet allows for variations such as this in the sestet.
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Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning