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First published in 1916 in the collection Mountain Interval. The title alludes to a passage from Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy, “Macbeth” V.v.23-28:

…Out, out, brief candle!
Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth’s speech in relation to the Frost poem is significant in that it suggests that life is short and transient, lacking meaning and purpose. The boy in the poem dies needlessly and his death has little impact on the community and its values.

The poem is one continuous stanza, unbroken, broadly unrhymed imabic pentameter, apart from occasional internal rhyme. A noticeable feature is the thoughtful use of punctuation to reinforce the drama.

The voice is that of a third person narrator, we may assume the poet, and the tone is largely conversational, though with a lyrical interlude from lines three to six. Yet there is high drama at the end when the boy loses his life. The composition is skilled and subtle, as the detailed annotations show.

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The reference to the “dark” is foreshadowing death. Ether was a primitive anaesthetic. Administering it was risky as monitoring of quantities was inaccurate.

An interesting suggestion relates to the title as a reference to Macbeth’s speech. The phrase ‘Out, out, brief candle’ seems specially apt here, where the boy’s life is being puffed out.

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Disoriented and quickly losing blood, the boy pleads with his sister to have the doctor find a way to keep his hand. The irony of the line is that he has already lost his hand.

The boy is trying to convince himself that he will survive. He may also be terrified that he would be unable to do farm work, so his status and value to his community would be lost.

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The boy came from a hardworking family with a strong work ethic. He would have cherished the time that he didn’t have to spend at the buzzsaw.

The first person pronoun is used; the poet is speaking directly to the reader. The commentary, with the sad-sounding ‘I wish’ foreshadows the future disaster

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If one were to look up, one would see the vast landscape of Vermont. The five mountain ranges are the Appalachian Mountains, Green Mountains, Notre Dame Mountains, Presidential Range, and Taconic Mountains.

All this beauty surrounds them, yet the workers are too exhausted to even lift their eyes to take in this scene.

The phrase ‘those that lifted’ suggests either overt or lack of inclination. The workers are clearly too tired or preoccupied with practicalities to admire the environment

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“Fuck You” was the first single from True North, and received some airplay, likely due to its controversy-grabbing name. The song is a sarcastic endorsement of those who cannot formulate their own argument, resorting to ad hominem attacks. Where have I heard that before?

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The first single from The Klaxons' 2007 album Myths of the Near Future

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Many people assume this song is about a prostitute and some poor sap.

However, it’s just as naive to be overly cynical and suspicious as it is to be overly innocent and trusting. Wisdom and experience lead to objective views.

In this case, it’s more likely a one night stand, as hookers and their John’s don’t often sit in parks as evenings grow dark. It is a business transaction and they are professionals, after all.

The line about her dropping a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate also suggests that this is a woman who helps out needy strangers. She doesn’t ask the blind man for anything in return, as a prostitute would.

Also, Dylan altered the lyrics to this song many times during his performances over the years, often switching the roles of ‘he’ and ‘she’ throughout the entire song, through one verse, or even just in one line.

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‘Flatlander’ – a reference to the novella Flatland written by Edwin A. Abbott in 1884.

In the novella, ‘Flatlanders’ inhabit the world of Flatland; they are two-dimensional beings with no concept of height (Z dimension) and are oblivious to the three-dimensional world above and around them.

This lyric presents the idea that technologies (such as the internet and thusly social networking) have indadvertedly regressed us culturally. It is morbidly ironic how a culture with such ease of access to news (real issues) focus their devoted attention on ratemypoo.com

Flatlander is also the stage name of Death Grips DJ Andy Morin (right in below picture), who disappeared from Death Grips as well as the public eye (supposedly for legal reasons) following their performance at Coachella 2012.

‘Flatlander’ could also refer to the term opposite of Highlander. Basically someone who lives in a easy to live place that’s highly civilized.

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A largely indecipherable and ambivalent track from Sunny Day Real Estate’s debut album, “Diary”.

The song features lyrics sung in both English and Greek by lead singer Jeremy Enigk.

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