Frost on Design

[Mr Spinkles]

Design
by Robert Frost

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth--
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth--
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.
------------------------------------------

The man has a point.

[½ Sane]

Originally Posted by Mr_Spinkles

Design
by Robert Frost

The man has a point.

Cool poem. I enjoyed it even though I'm scared to death of spiders.

[Scuba Pete]

I love points like that too. No matter how you comb your hair, you still can't cover them up. They make your eyebrows furrow just a bit as you get your mind wrapped around the reality of it all.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Mr Spinkles]

NetDoc-- What'chu talkin' bout?

[Scuba Pete]

Sometimes there are "points" made that you can easily ignore. But like the "point" on your head, no matter how you comb your hair, it's still THERE. You have to deal with it. It's a good thing. I liked the poem.

[Mr Spinkles]

Do you agree with the point Frost is making?

[Scuba Pete]

Maybe we are seeing different points... what point do you think he is making?

[Mr Spinkles]

Originally Posted by Robert Frost

What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.

[emphasis added] I believe he's questioning the nature of a hypothetical designer.

[Scuba Pete]

And I think he's showing us that he just "can't figure it out".