Summary
The poem describes a pastoral scene of New England rural life in autumn. Initially, the speaker describes his abandoned equipment that is left in the orchard, after the tedious task of apple-picking. The speaker can still smell the “scent of (the) apples” (8) as he begins to approach sleep. The speaker seems to envision a distorted sense of reality,which is reflected in the blurriness of “a pane of glass” (10). The speaker then repeatedly sees apples of varying magnitudes, which “appear and disappear” (18).
The poem then offers insight into the physical exhaustion associated with apple-picking as the speaker has “had too much” (27).
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.
— Robert Frost, After Apple-Picking, Lines 37-42
Versification
The poem's first line is in iambic hexameter, the second is in iambic dimeter. In the third line, the poem shifts to iambic pentameter. The majority of the lines continue in iambic pentameter. In lines 13-17, the meter alternates between iambic pentameter and dimeter. The remainder of the poem is composed of variations on the iambic meter, containing iambic pentameter, trimeter, dimeter, and monometer.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is inconsistent beyond the first few lines. Lines 1-4 follow an ABBA rhyme pattern, lines 5-6 follow CC, and lines 7-9 follow DED. After this, however, there is no standard pattern, with lines instead rhyming sporadically.
Interpretation
Scholarly interpretation of the poem often focuses on themes of sleep, dreaming, and the sombre conclusion to the piece, in which the narrator wonders if his oncoming sleep is a normal slumber, or a "long sleep." The varying meter of the poem is thought to be indicative of the narrator's fitful state of mind as he drifts off to sleep.
The inconsistent rhyming structure contradicts Frost's typical use of rhythm. The use of the irregular rhyme scheme thus mirrors the speaker's perplexed state of mind. This disoriented rhyme scheme further induces effects of physical weariness within the reader, too. The continuous exhaustion is also suggested through using inconsistent verb tenses, from the past and present simple tense, as implied in “I am done with apple-picking now” (6) and “I am drowsing off” (8). This reinforces the blurring of the distinctive boundaries of sleep and consciousness.
The process of picking apples is symbolic through both the action itself and the apparatus used. The apple-picking ladder is a symbol, both metaphorical and real, that points to a destination beyond itself, while the act of picking apples is a metaphor for the power of labour. The power of labour is its ability to go beyond natural occurrences such as the shifting of seasons, or bodily exhaustion.
Frost highlights the idea of repetitive labour being portrayed through alliteration. By using alliteration in these lines (30, 18, 22) Frost conveys that life, just like the labour, is circular in nature. Frost utilises the rhyming scheme and vowel and consonant repetitions to form nuanced coherence. This immerses the reader in the physical descriptions of the poem.
There are metaphors throughout the poem that hint at something almost spiritual; the ladder at the start of the poem points "towards heaven still" (2). Combined with the speaker's weariness, the acknowledgement of the coming winter (winter having strong metaphorical associations with death) and the rumination on whether the oncoming sleep is a "long sleep" (41) "or just some human sleep" (42), we can deduct that the poem culminates in a reflection on mortality and the arrival of an ambiguous slumber. The theme of death is inescapable within the image of sleep. The unknown "whatever sleep it is" (38) aspect creates tension between the known and the unknown, "human sleep" being the known and "long sleep", (or death) being the unknown.
The speaker’s state of mind throughout the poem is that of someone who is hovering between wakefulness and sleep. The speaker states “I am drowsing off” highlighting the fact that the poem is written hypnagogically. Future, past and present come together in the poem, and it is hard to pinpoint the exact time that Frost is referring to in lines 14 -17 . The lines seem to refer to both the memory of the morning and his current state of falling into sleep.
The poem initially lends itself to the familiar Biblical allusion of the Garden of Eden. The poem takes certain notions from the allusion, including explicit references to “apple,” (5) “heaven” (2) and “fall,” (3) which tie the poem to connotations of sin, human temptation and the Fall of Man. However, the poem explores other dilemmas that human beings experience in their daily lives. The speaker draws the reader's attention to aspects of the human condition such as working in a diligent manner, but facing self-critique. This contradiction is depicted in how the speaker does not let the multitude of apples “fall,” (3) but his sleep is still troubled, suggesting a lack of fulfilment.
On the 22nd of February in 1914, Frost wrote a letter to John Bartlett in which he developed the proposed notion of The Sound of Sense. Frost emphasised the importance of sentence sounds, suggesting that when poetry is read aloud, the sounds that are vocalised can convey additional meaning. The concept of The Sound of Sense is depicted in the alliterative /t/ sound in phrases such as “tree...two...three...” (1) where the repetition suggests that the act of apple-picking and physically handling apples requires caution and continuous effort. The contrast between the soft /s/ sounds in words such as “sleep” (7) and “scent” (8) and the harsher /k/ sounds in “looking” (10) and “break” (13) symbolises the tension between desiring rest and the overwhelming nature of tasks. This is further reinforced through Frost’s use of enjambment, which reflects the relentless and the incomplete nature of labour.
North of Boston/After Apple-picking at Wikisource