Subsequently, from line 2 onwards, Frost humanizes the tree as he writes: “But let there never be curtain drawn between you and me (lines 3-4) … Not all your light tongues talking aloud could be profound (lines 7-8).” Not only does Frost reinforce the tree as the narrator’s existential equal, but by writing, “[b]etween you and me”, Frost draws our attention to the intimate (more than simply nature-versus-human) relationship between the tree and the narrator. He also draws our attention to the physical wall, that is the “sash”; and perhaps also to the narrator’s sound resolve that he will not lose sight of the tree by letting the “curtain [to be] drawn.” And the narrator’s resolve is one that springs from his awareness, a realization that, should the curtain cover the sole lens through which he sees the tree that is his source of reflection and satisfaction, he will have lost something tremendously valuable. Therefore, lines 3-4 reinforce the significance of the tree to the narrator’s mind, reaffirming the tree’s role in this poem as a central leitmotif.
On top of all this, Frost uses certain techniques to instill in us a sense of familiarity and connection for this leitmotif that is the tree. Firstly, anthropomorphism of the tree establishes a sense of connection between the tree and the narrator. The narrator’s direct and explicit address to an abstract and nonhuman entity—the tree—effectively humanizes the tree, thereby establishing a stronger connection between the two. Secondly, by associating the tree with an entity as ubiquitous and diffuse as “cloud,” Frost establishes a sense of familiarity and tenderness. The association of the leaves with diffuse clouds also evokes in us the notion of physical maneuverability and, conceptually, freedom.
Whereas “Tree at my Window” evokes in us these positive emotions that comprise the narrator’s psychic experience, Frost runs with a far gloomier picture in his poem “The Sound of the Trees.” As can be seen in both poems, Frost has a penchant for nature, and namely the kinds of revelations into human thoughts derived from his observation of nature. In “The Sound of the Trees,” we are introduced to an emotionally debilitated narrator who is inclined to make “the reckless choice” as he sees the “trees sway, from the window or the door (lines 17-18).” The reckless choice is most probably suicide, taking into consideration the overall context of the poem. What starts off as the narrator’s complaint about the “noise of these” trees soon develops into a more serious and depressing contemplation. With the final line, “But I shall be gone,” the narrator forebodes his death.
“The Sound of the Trees” is not a tale of perpetual gloom and despair; for instance, as is clear from lines 15-16, “My feet tug at the floor/And my head sways to my shoulder,” there are lyrical representations of a trees’ movements. And Frost’s close attention to the trees’ swaying movements is yet another commonality between the two tree poems. In “The Sound of the Trees,” these tree movements reflect clearly a need for contentment, which has to be pursued by a change, but the roots which “tug at the floor” perhaps are illustrating the limitations of that end. But as to what the source of that limitation is, not much is apparent.
With regard to “The Sound of the Trees,” another interesting thing about the poem is its sudden shift in point of view, as Frost switches from “I” to “We” in the 2nd and 6th lines of his poem upon mentioning bearing and suffering, obviously two words with similar, negative connotations. In these lines, Frost questions us as to why “we” desire to listen to such a disturbing “noise.” Here, Frost humanizes the trees—as he did repeatedly in “Tree at my Window”—as being “that that talks of going but never gets away.” Going back to the point about the narrator’s portent of death towards the end of the poem, the aforementioned line may be the point in which the narrator “talks of going” to death but never in fact manages to do so.
Subsequently, Frost writes, “And that talks no less for knowing as it grows wiser and older, that now it means to stay.” As the trees grow “wiser,” they also need to realize that they are rooted to the spot and are, therefore, not able to leave the place; however, they keep making the “noise” despite this irremovable limitation. Clearly, this is another line that reaffirms the tree’s role as a metaphorical leitmotif, not an object to be taken literally.
Going back to the “Tree at my Window,” there is something to be noted about the role window plays in this poem. It is apparent that the narrator has created a semi-imaginary and semi-authentic field of vision for himself—using the window as a frame—through which he associates the gently swaying leaves with diffuse clouds and the rustling sound of the leaves with the “light tongues talking aloud (lines 6-7).”
Meanwhile, Frost does not cease to incorporate words with long, complaisant vowels, and thus the notion of fragility and serenity continues to permeate the poem. Though the tiny facet of nature that is visible through the window frame may seem delicate, and perhaps even fragile, its freedom and maneuverability are definitely envied by the narrator.
And with these evidences, the role of the window becomes clearer: it is a human construct that represents neither the control and constraint man has placed upon nature nor the struggle between man and nature, but the very constraint that man places upon himself, or in this case the narrator. In short, this poem is about the profound--and perhaps spiritual--psychic experience of the narrator. The ‘enclosed rhyme’ (abba rhyme) that is apparent in each stanza is a structural representation of the human spirit that desires freedom.
With regard to “Tree at my Window,” the most interesting lines are the last four. Whereas the tree is most concerned with the stormy or capricious weather conditions, Frost is most concerned with the weather, or thoughts, in his head. The tension between the nature and man comes to an end when, as Frost writes, “she put our heads together. It’s not perfectly clear to what or to whom “she” is referring; however, clearly, this line is a reflection of Frost’s ambiguous feelings. Frost sees in nature, namely in the tree, man’s relation to the world. He realizes, basically, our place in the universe, and what it truly means to be a human. In fact, the remoteness of nature—and how it’s partially covered by the lowered “sash”—reveals the tragedy of the narrator’s solitude, and his relative insignificance in the face of vast forces, such as the diffuse cloud.” To Frost, nature is obviously appealing, but it’s also partially dangerous. It is the mirror of the human world that reflects our blemishes as manifestly our world’s beauty. In conclusion, the most fundamental common ground between the two Robert Frost poems seems to be Frost’s ambivalence towards nature, and in this case, trees.