A Time to Talk
A Time to Talk - meaning Summary
Choosing Conversation Over Work
The poem describes a farmer who abandons his chores to answer a friend’s call from the road. Rather than shouting back or counting unfinished work, he thrusts his hoe into the ground and walks over the stone wall to share a face-to-face visit. Frost presents the moral plainly: human connection takes priority over productivity. The rural setting and simple actions underline everyday choice between duty and companionship, suggesting that moments of social contact are essential and worth interrupting labor for.
Read Complete AnalysesWhen a friend calls to me from the road And slows his horse to a meaning walk, I don’t stand still and look around On all the hills I haven’t hoed, And shout from where I am, What is it? No, not as there is a time to talk. I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground, Blade-end up and five feet tall, And plod: I go up to the stone wall For a friendly visit.
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