Poem Analysis - The Times Table

Introduction: A Grim Calculation

Robert Frost's "The Times Table" initially presents a seemingly simple scene of a farmer and his mare encountering a water source on a mountain pass. However, beneath this surface lies a darker undercurrent of fatalistic resignation. The poem's tone shifts from descriptive observation to a chillingly detached pronouncement on the nature of life and death. The speaker's bleak "multiplication table" creates a sense of impending doom and questions the value of existence itself.

The Weight of Existence: Exploring Mortality

A central theme of the poem is mortality, presented through the stark metaphor of the "multiplication table of life." The farmer's equation, "A sigh for every so many breath, / And for every so many sigh a death," reduces life to a predictable and ultimately depressing calculation. This is not a celebration of life's moments, but rather a somber acceptance of its inevitable decline. The mare's "monster sigh" foreshadows this theme, acting as a physical manifestation of the burden of existence.

Nature's Discomfort: A Mirror of the Human Condition

The poem uses the harshness of the natural world to reflect the harshness of the farmer's philosophy. The "broken drinking glass" symbolizes the imperfection and fragility of life, while the "water-bar" that the mare struggles with embodies the obstacles and pain inherent in existence. The setting of a mountain pass, with its implication of arduous ascent, reinforces the idea that life is a constant struggle against a steep incline. Nature, therefore, isn't presented as a source of solace but as an echo of the human condition, amplifying its difficulties.

Closing a Road to Hope: The Symbolism of Destruction

The poem's latter half introduces a new layer of meaning through a series of destructive actions. The phrase "close a road, abandon a farm, / Reduce the births of the human race" is not literal advice but a symbolic representation of the consequences of adopting such a fatalistic worldview. The road, farm, and births all represent hope, progress, and continuity. To close the road is to cut off opportunity, to abandon the farm is to relinquish nurturing and sustenance, and to reduce births is to reject the future. The image of bringing back "nature in people's place" carries a grim symbolism, suggesting a return to a primitive state devoid of human progress and compassion. This raises an open-ended question: Is this destruction an inherent consequence of the farmer's philosophy, or a deliberate act of malice?

Conclusion: The Peril of Despair

"The Times Table" is a powerful meditation on the human condition, particularly the themes of mortality and the potential for despair. Through vivid imagery and a bleak pronouncement on life's equation, Frost paints a picture of a world where hope is suffocated by resignation. The poem ultimately serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the destructive consequences of embracing a philosophy that reduces life to a mere calculation of suffering and death. It suggests that while acknowledging the inevitability of mortality is important, dwelling on it to the exclusion of hope and progress can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of destruction.