North of Boston

Robert Frost’s second book gathered the poems that made his reputation, among them “Mending Wall,” “The Death of the Hired Man,” and “Home Burial.” Published in 1914, it turns away from lyric prettiness toward something quieter and harder: New England farmers, neighbors, and married couples caught in ordinary moments that open onto grief, stubbornness, and isolation. Frost writes much of it as dramatic dialogue, letting his people speak in the plain rhythms of rural talk while the blank verse holds everything steady underneath. Beneath the calm surfaces lie the fences, silences, and quiet cruelties of country life. It is one of the essential books of modern American poetry and the foundation of Frost’s lasting fame. Free to read as a PDF or EPUB edition.