Poem Analysis - The Witch Of Coos

Robert Frost's Chilling Narrative of Rural Gothic

Robert Frost’s “The Witch of Coos” is a chilling narrative poem that unfolds as a disturbing confession. The poem masterfully blends the mundane with the macabre, creating a pervasive atmosphere of unease. Told primarily through the voice of an old woman, the "witch," the poem explores themes of guilt, repressed secrets, and the haunting power of the past. The tone shifts between casual storytelling and moments of intense, almost hallucinatory, horror, leaving the reader questioning the reliability of the narrator and the nature of reality itself.

Guilt and its Manifestations

A central theme in "The Witch of Coos" is the consuming nature of guilt. The mother's prolonged account of the skeleton's ascent and the circumstances surrounding it reveals a deep-seated remorse. Her insistence on detailing the events of that night, from Toffile leaving the door open to her vision of the bones as a "chandelier," suggests an attempt to process or rationalize her actions. The line, "I promised Toffile to be cruel to them / For helping them be cruel once to him," highlights the cyclical nature of violence and the mother's attempt to justify her role in the original crime. The bones themselves can be seen as a physical manifestation of this guilt, a constant reminder of the past that refuses to stay buried.

Secrets and Shared Burdens

The poem explores the weight of secrets and their corrosive effect on relationships. The mother and son have maintained a shared lie for years, revealing it only in the poem's present moment. This secret, the truth about whose bones are in the attic, has clearly shaped their lives and their relationship. The son's initial reluctance to speak and the mother's sudden confession indicate a breaking point. The line "Son looks surprised to see me end a lie / We’d kept all these years between ourselves / So as to have it ready for outsiders," encapsulates the performative nature of their deception and the toll it has taken. The secret becomes a burden that has alienated them from others and, perhaps, from themselves.

The Ambiguity of Perception and Reality

The poem deliberately blurs the line between reality and perception, inviting the reader to question the mother's sanity and the truthfulness of her narrative. The vivid imagery, particularly the description of the skeleton with "a tongue of fire" and "smoke rolled inside the sockets of his eyes," borders on the surreal. Are these literal occurrences, or are they manifestations of the mother's disturbed psyche? The fact that Toffile doesn't seem to perceive the bones in the same way further complicates the matter. Perhaps the bones are only visible to those who carry the burden of guilt. The poem's ambiguity leaves the reader to grapple with the subjective nature of experience and the unreliability of memory.

Symbolism of the Bones and the Attic

The bones themselves are a powerful symbol of the past, of buried secrets, and of the consequences of violence. They represent not only the murdered man but also the guilt and trauma that haunt the mother and son. The attic, where the bones are confined, becomes a symbolic repository of repressed emotions and unresolved conflicts. It is a space that is both present and distant, a constant reminder of the past that is never fully forgotten. The act of nailing the door shut, pushing the headboard against it, is a futile attempt to contain the past, to silence the voices of guilt and remorse. It is worth pondering what it means that the bones are specifically *in* the attic, a place for forgotten or unwanted things, suggesting the family's desire to discard or ignore their dark history.

A Haunting Legacy

In conclusion, "The Witch of Coos" is a complex and unsettling poem that explores the enduring power of guilt, the corrosive effects of secrets, and the ambiguity of human perception. Through vivid imagery, a shifting tone, and a haunting narrative, Frost crafts a chilling tale that lingers in the mind long after the final lines are read. The poem serves as a stark reminder that the past, like the bones in the attic, can never truly be buried, and that the secrets we keep can ultimately consume us.