Correspondence Between Robert Frost and Louis Untermeyer: A Literary Analysis

Correspondence Between Robert Frost and Louis Untermeyer was published in 1963, presenting a collection of letters exchanged between Robert Frost and poet, critic, and anthologist Louis Untermeyer. The correspondence spans several decades of literary friendship and professional collaboration, documenting discussions of poetry, publishing, and literary criticism. The volume appeared in the same year as Frost’s death on 29/01/1963 and offered readers direct access to the evolving relationship between the two writers, who first became acquainted in the 1910s when Untermeyer promoted Frost’s early work in anthologies and reviews. The letters include Frost’s reflections on poetic craft, including his idea that poetry should follow the cadence of natural speech, a principle he described as the “sound of sense.” The correspondence also records Frost discussing personal experiences, literary disputes, and the emotional context surrounding periods of loss within his family. Exchanges between the two men often shift between serious literary discussion and informal, playful commentary, illustrating both professional respect and personal familiarity. The collection has been used by scholars to trace Frost’s views on poetry, his reactions to contemporary writers, and his articulation of themes that also appeared in his published work.