Robert Frost is considered one of the greatest American poets of the 20th century. His writings have been praised for their pastoral imagery, emotional depth, and their masterful use of American colloquialisms. Frost's poem, Home Burial, is an exquisite combination of these elements, exploring the depths of emotional suffering and its effect on marriage. The poem is framed in the form of a deeply emotional dialogue between husband and wife about the coldness of their marriage following the death of their young son. Home Burial is Robert Frost's semi-autobiographical retelling of the death of his youngest son and the impact this tragic event had on his marriage. Robert Frost's poem, Home Burial, uses exquisite setting and imagery to develop the relationship between Amy and her husband. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem Home Burial is set in the rural countryside of New England. Setting is an important part of understanding the poem, as the New England tradition of home burial takes a prominent role in the poem's history. In the 1800s it was common for deceased family members to be buried near the family home. Since homes usually remained within the family, small cemeteries spanning several generations were a common sight. At the beginning of Home Burial, Amy looks out the window, seeing the small family cemetery that lies on the outskirts of the house. The unnamed husband describes this small plot of land as “the place where my people can be found,” confirming that it is indeed a family cemetery. Amy is very upset by the sight of the cemetery, while her husband is more comfortable with the idea. As she looks at the graves with a terrified face, Amy's husband tells her, “Little broad-shouldered slabs there in the sunlight on the hillside. We don't have to worry about those. The way the husband talks about the graves tells the reader about the husband's familiarity with seeing the headstones and how it is a normal sight for him. This could imply that Amy is actually a foreigner, and thus it might bother her to have a constant reminder of the dead. If she was from the city, this would explain why Amy finds burying her son to be a disturbing event (Burns 11). This implies that Amy is not very accustomed to the New England tradition of home burial. When Home Burial was written in 1914, infant mortality rates were extremely high. It was common for children under the age of five to die from disease. The poem presented a very real fear to early 20th century readers that they might actually bury their child. The setting of the poem gives the reader insight into how different characters in the poem experience their loss. The husband had already seen three generations of family buried in the same place where he buried his son, so the reader can assume that he is intimately familiar with death. Amy on the other hand is mortified by the constant reminder of the graves. The poem's setting in New England helps make the differences between the two characters apparent, which sets up the conflict in the rest of the work. This parallels Robert Frost's experience when he had to bury his youngest child, Elliot, at the age of eight. It is likely that Frost himself used home burial, as his family lived in rural New England. This experience would put a strain on his and his wife's marriage, inspiring the events of Home Burial. Home Burial.