Forget The Money

          What could be done in the time life allows if money were no object? People get so caught up in making a living that requires money that they forget to live. The time allowed by life should be spent doing what one enjoys, rather than mindless work that is not satisfying. Robert Frost’s poem “After Apple Picking” brings a version of this question to mind. The poem uses the apples that the subject did not pick to represent the regrets left behind in life while distracted by a menial task. Through the use of his metaphors, Frost conveys a message of the end of life approaching and the regrets left behind to haunt afterwards.

            Frost’s metaphors leave the feeling of the conclusion of life nearing. Frost states, “It melted, and I let it fall and break” (L 13). The melting is slow and represents the long time life gave to accomplish set goals. When he states that he let it fall and break, that is the end death brings after the melting, or time, has passed. Death comes after time has been given and melted away possibly leaving behind regrets of goals that were not accomplished in that time.

            Frost’s metaphors continue to leave that concluding feeling, but darker in the end of the poem. In his poem Frost states, “his / Long sleep, as I describe its coming on, / Or just some human sleep” (L 39-41). Laying down at night for rest is the simple human sleep. After the long days life brings, one can become exhausted and fall into a deep sleep. The long sleep that Frost refers to is the lengthy slumber of death. The long sleep is complete rest from the menial tasks of life that distract from important goals.

            Frost’s message of life ending and not leaving regrets to linger is conveyed through the use of his metaphors. Life should not be spent on a repetitive task that does not bring about satisfaction, even when you are completely burned out. People waste their life in a sense and teach proceeding generations to do the same. This cycle needs to be broken. A short life of doing what brings joy is much better than a long life doing what brings about misery and no satisfaction. If I had my choice of anything, I would like to live in one of the many National Parks. I could not see myself as one of those extreme tree huggers, but I do want to help protect the only land safe to remain in its natural state unharmed by mining, loggers, and hunters. I realized just how important these areas of our nation are to me while watching a presidential debate turn to the subject of their future. When one candidate supported opening them up to oil drilling I did not warm up to that idea one bit.  If I could live in the parks, I could speak on behalf of them with more force. I have always loved camping and have gone with my family my whole life. Nature is what brings my joy in life. The conservation and protection of these sacred pure lands is a very important topic to me personally, and is one of the few issues I will speak out against without hesitation.