The Nature of Place in ‘The Chalk Pit’ by Edward Thomas...

‘The Chalk Pit’ by Edward Thomas and ‘The Woodpile’ by Robert Frost are both about being transported to a specific place and these places have an effect on the speaker(s). The setting of ‘The Chalk Pit’ is most likely at the foot of Wheatham Hill in Hampshire and nearby is an abandoned chalk mine. ‘The Woodpile’ is set in a frozen swamp/wood in wintertime. Both of the poems have similar settings and this verifies the fact that Frost and Thomas were both very similar people, both in poetry and in real life. Both poems are arranged in one large stanza. This is to keep the conversational nature of ‘The Chalk Pit’ flowing and realistic. Although ‘The Chalk Pit’ is essentially one large conversation, there is evidence of this speech or†¦show more content†¦This contrasts with the feeling of being included which is present in ‘The Woodpile’. The speaker in ‘The Woodpile’ is similar to speaker B in ‘The Chalk Pit’, in the sense that they are both very much deep thinking and inquisitive individuals. For example, the speaker in ‘The Woodpile’ is easily led by his surroundings, i.e. the small bird which he follows. He tries to imagine what the bird is thinking. This is known as anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is applying human attributes such as feelings and emotions to animals. As he tries to imagine what the bird is thinking, this provides a comic piece in the poem. He imagines that the bird is trying to maintain a distance from him, as if to think he is after its white tail feather. Speaker B in ‘The Chalk Pit’ is equally inquisitive as he tries to imagine the chalk pit being full of life and energy immediately before he and the other speaker enter. He uses the nouns ‘emptiness’, ‘silence’ and ‘stillness’, and then goes onto use the adjective form of these words. â€Å"...as if just before/It was not empty, silent, still but full/Of life of some kind, perhaps tragical†. This emphasises how abandoned and empty the chalk pit really is, but immediately contrasts with the idea that as soon as their backs are turned, the chalk pit comes to life. You feel