How Anti-classic Publishing Almost Gave Up Robert Frost

A new blog by Arthur P. James, former staff member of Poetica Victorian

Part 1

It's an interesting thing to note that when our journal talks about the literary world being anti-classical and refusing to publish works written in rhyme and meter we usually discuss the current literary world. However, history actually tells us that this anti-classical movement began nearly eighty years ago when literary journals and presses began only publishing works which they felt resonated with the existentialism and abstract movement of the time, i.e. no rhyming or form. And it was in those early days when the literary world had changed its views on what was considered good poetry that they refused to publish a poet who wrote in rhyme: none other than the great Robert Frost.

Yes, you read right. Robert Frost was nearly never published. The man who many critics view as one of the greatest poets of the past century was nearly given up by the literary world of the time because he wrote in form. In fact, Frost had to move to London to get his works published and the editors in America scorned him and said he would never get anywhere. The literary world was so sure that their new found distaste of formal poetry was resonating with their audiences that they let Robert Frost go away to England, and truly believed that they were right in doing so.

Fast forward ten years and three bestselling collections, Robert Frost is now the most well known poet of his time. Everyone in England reveres his works and speaks his name in the same breath as Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Tennyson. He is loved all over Europe and Americans are running to the stores to buy the collections that had captivated Europe. What do the literary world say about the man they let go to Europe and make British publications fat and rich?

Nothing. They didn't invite Frost home or try to publish his works. They could not admit that they were wrong about Frost's classical works. Because the poem they let go was none other than "The Road Less Traveled" and they weren't jumping to get their hands on "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." It wasn't until Frost moved back to the United States with fame and glory to teach at the University of Vermont that the poetry publications decided to give in and publish him.


To Be Continued and Edited...