Finding Freedom

She is as in a field a silken tent
At midday when a sunny summer breeze
Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,
So that in guys it gently sways at ease,
And its supporting central cedar pole,
That is its pinnacle to heavenward
And signifies the sureness of the soul,
Seems to owe naught to any single cord,
But strictly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To everything on earth the compass round,
And only by one's going slightly taut
In the capriciousness of summer air
Is of the slightest bondage made aware.


So often, structure denotes function. This handy saying is especially relevant when analyzing Robert Frost’s poem “A Silken Tent.” This one-sentence Shakespearean sonnet appears quite relaxed, but is really strict in nature. Frost explores the emotional ties a woman has to her relationships and the effect they have on her. At the same time, Frost exercises his artist license by toying with the sonnet and elevating it to new heights. The structure of this poem enhances the poem’s function and meaning.

Frost begins the poem with a simile that morphs into an extended metaphor. Frost departs from convention by comparing a woman to a silken tent, not merely to a silk cloth. Silk is beautiful but deceptively strong, like the woman he is describing. She is supported by a central cedar pole, which is connected to the earth by multiple silken ties. Cedar is a fragrant wood that is known for its durability. Cedar also has spiritual and religious undertones since it is famous for being used in the construction of King Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. Not surprisingly, Frost describes it as pointing heavenward. This sturdy, heavenly-bound pole represents the strength of the woman’s soul. Although the cedar pole stretches towards heaven, the tent is grounded by a circumference of silken ties of love and thought that gently keep it stationary. These ties are delicate and the woman seems almost detached and free from their pull. In the ending couplet, Frost changes his tone. He describes the silken ties of love and thought as bondage. We, the readers, are thrown off course. Were not the ties of love and thought a good thing? Bondage is a much stronger force than a gentle tug of the fabric. Now the silk seems more like spider silk, as strong as steel. And when it tugs at her soul, it forcefully pulls her. Remarkably, the woman in this poem still seems free of any bondage whatsoever. She, the tent, softly sways in an Arcadian summer breeze.

This extended metaphor describes the nature of women and their relationships and responsibilities. The sureness of her soul is supplied by a deep investment in the world around her. She is “loosely bound / By countless silken ties of love and thought / To everything on earth the compass round.” This particular woman sees her relationships as uplifting yet grounding, but never binding or restrictive. The silken ties keep her (the tent) in place when the wind tries to sway her. The woman’s “sureness of the soul” is a product of her ties of love and thought. And yet, the ties seem like emotional bondage when circumstances cause them to tug on her. She lives happily, comfortably, and freely within these barely noticeable boundaries. Frost too seems to defy limitations in this poem.

Frost flaunts his technical mastery of language and form. The sonnet form is the backbone of the poem, like the cedar pole is the center of strength for the woman. From this point, both the woman the poem exert their freedom, while never losing sight of what supports them. He transforms a strict, Shakespearean sonnet into a loose, conversational description of a woman. Frost conceals the rhyme scheme by using a technique called enjambment. He does not place most of the natural pauses at the end of a line, thereby diminishing the effect of the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. However, once read with alert ears, the rhyme is clearly noticeable. By de-emphasizing the rhyme, this piece seems less formal and more personal. This conversational undertone is further enhanced by the fact that the entire sonnet is a single sentence and is in iambic pentameter, the natural meter of speech. For writing one of the strictest and most difficult poem forms, Frost achieves a great deal of freedom within the confines of a traditional sonnet.

The structure of this poem echoes the condition of the woman it describes: it exercises a great deal of freedom within strict boundaries. The tent is bound to the earth by countless silken ties but still seems free. We all exercise our freedom within the confines of life. As Robert Frost himself said, “You have freedom when you're easy in your harness."
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1. Do you believe the woman in this poem is free?
2. What do you think Frost means by "bondage"? What is holding the woman down?
3. Why does Frost turn the tone of the poem in the last line?
4. What is the implied meaning of this poem?