# New Hampshire — Themes

> Major themes in New Hampshire by Robert Frost.

## Commerce vs. Authenticity

The book contrasts the commercialism and 'selling' of other states with New Hampshire's pride in having nothing to sell, treating trade as a disgrace and valuing specimens over commodities.

## Nature and Transience

Poems like 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' and 'The Runaway' explore the fleeting beauty of nature, the loss of innocence, and the harsh realities of the natural world.

## Isolation and Community

The work examines rural solitude, as in 'The Census-Taker' and 'Stopping by Woods,' alongside the quirky, interconnected lives of small-town New Englanders.

## Work and Labor

Themes of physical toil, craftsmanship (as in 'The Axe-Helve'), and the dignity or disgrace of work are central, contrasting honest labor with the shame of selling.

## Perception and Truth

Poems like 'For Once, Then, Something' and 'The Star-Splitter' question human understanding of reality, exploring the limits of sight, knowledge, and the search for deeper meaning.

## Mortality and Loss

Death, grief, and the passage of time pervade the collection, seen in 'In a Disused Graveyard,' 'To E.T.,' and the haunting presence of the dead in 'The Witch of Coös.'

## Regional Identity

The book celebrates New Hampshire's distinct character—its mountains, small towns, and people—while satirizing other states and reflecting on what defines a place.

## Art and Poetry

Frost reflects on the role of the poet, the difficulty of selling poems, and the tension between artistic inspiration and the practical world, as in 'A Fountain, a Bottle, a Donkey's Ears and Some Books.'

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