Introduction:
Design is one of the best known of Frost's sonnets. It shows Frost's poetic
qualities compressed in one small poem. Unlike many of his other sonnets in which
meditative quality reigns rampant, the present one, along with 'On a Bird Singing in
its Sleep' is a fable in miniature.
Summary:
The heal-all is a common plant found in the countryside. It is generally always
blue in colour and is supposed to have healing and curing properties. Some varieties
of it also have white flowers. One day, the poet comes across such a plant. The poet
observes and communicates to the reader that he saw a white spider on the white
heal-all. The poet describes the spider very lovingly and sympathetically using words
like 'dimpled', 'fat' etc. - words we use for sweet, small children. Incidentally, the
spider has in its mouth a white moth which he holds like 'a piece of rigid satin in
cloth'. These three brought together in this manner complete a pattern of white
This sets the poet thinking and he reflects and broods upon this. He asks himself
and the reader if the coming together of the while heal-all, the white spider and the
while moth is a sheer accident, a stroke of chance or is it a well-planned scheme or
design of some controller of the universe. Very logically, the poet senses a designer,
a prime-mover behind this pattern of whiteness: there definitely is a guide who sets
the pattern and guides the course of movement. Though the pattern is white, it is an
assimilation of Various ingredients of 'death and blight'. The comparison of these
ingredients to those of a witches' broth is only too apt. The ingredients in witch's
broth are plain, ordinary and as innocent as a lamb. But when mixed together in a
particular manner by the witches, they assume rare, devastating and wicked
qualities. The poet travels further on the string of logic and concludes that the
contriver of a diabolic world must also be devilish and diabolic. The poet comes to
the conclusion that there is some terrible and malevolent power responsible for the
propulsion of things in the manner as they happen; a power that weaves appalling
and fearful 'designs of darkness'. Here, perhaps Frost's tone is that of Blake who is
at once awed and scared by the "fearful symmetry" of the Tiger.
But this is not the end. And it is the ending that is important. The last line is
suggestive of another possibility and gives to the poem an open ending. It suggests
that there might not be such an awful design after all, and the coming together of the
white flowerthe white spider and the white moth might be a pure accident. But the
implications of this suggestions are far more terrifying than those of the earlier
conclusion. It presupposes a chaotic world where anarchy reigns. There might be no
design in it because man's universe is too petty and insignificant to grant any scope
for design or planning. In such a world, everything could be attributed to chance and
accident, completely devoid of any planning. Pertaining to this point, Randall Jarrell
Design is one of the best known of Frost's sonnets. It shows Frost's poetic
qualities compressed in one small poem. Unlike many of his other sonnets in which
meditative quality reigns rampant, the present one, along with 'On a Bird Singing in
its Sleep' is a fable in miniature.
Summary:
The heal-all is a common plant found in the countryside. It is generally always
blue in colour and is supposed to have healing and curing properties. Some varieties
of it also have white flowers. One day, the poet comes across such a plant. The poet
observes and communicates to the reader that he saw a white spider on the white
heal-all. The poet describes the spider very lovingly and sympathetically using words
like 'dimpled', 'fat' etc. - words we use for sweet, small children. Incidentally, the
spider has in its mouth a white moth which he holds like 'a piece of rigid satin in
cloth'. These three brought together in this manner complete a pattern of white
This sets the poet thinking and he reflects and broods upon this. He asks himself
and the reader if the coming together of the while heal-all, the white spider and the
while moth is a sheer accident, a stroke of chance or is it a well-planned scheme or
design of some controller of the universe. Very logically, the poet senses a designer,
a prime-mover behind this pattern of whiteness: there definitely is a guide who sets
the pattern and guides the course of movement. Though the pattern is white, it is an
assimilation of Various ingredients of 'death and blight'. The comparison of these
ingredients to those of a witches' broth is only too apt. The ingredients in witch's
broth are plain, ordinary and as innocent as a lamb. But when mixed together in a
particular manner by the witches, they assume rare, devastating and wicked
qualities. The poet travels further on the string of logic and concludes that the
contriver of a diabolic world must also be devilish and diabolic. The poet comes to
the conclusion that there is some terrible and malevolent power responsible for the
propulsion of things in the manner as they happen; a power that weaves appalling
and fearful 'designs of darkness'. Here, perhaps Frost's tone is that of Blake who is
at once awed and scared by the "fearful symmetry" of the Tiger.
But this is not the end. And it is the ending that is important. The last line is
suggestive of another possibility and gives to the poem an open ending. It suggests
that there might not be such an awful design after all, and the coming together of the
white flowerthe white spider and the white moth might be a pure accident. But the
implications of this suggestions are far more terrifying than those of the earlier
conclusion. It presupposes a chaotic world where anarchy reigns. There might be no
design in it because man's universe is too petty and insignificant to grant any scope
for design or planning. In such a world, everything could be attributed to chance and
accident, completely devoid of any planning. Pertaining to this point, Randall Jarrell
