Frost, Robert Lee (1874-1963), American poet, known for his verse concerning New England life. Born in San Francisco, Frost was educated at Dartmouth College and Harvard University. In 1885 his father died, and his mother moved with the family to Lawrence, Massachusetts. After graduation from high school, Frost attended college sporadically and earned a living by working variously as a bobbin boy in a wool mill, a shoemaker, a country schoolteacher, the editor of a rural newspaper, and a farmer. He also wrote poetry, but he had little success in having his poems published.

Frost's poetry is based mainly upon the life and scenery of rural New England, and the language of his verse reflects the compact idiom of that region. Frost's colloquialism, however, is structured within traditional metrical and rhythmical schemes; he disliked free verse. Although he concentrates on ordinary subject matter, Frost's emotional range is wide and deep, and his poems often shift dramatically from a tone of humorous banter to the passionate expression of tragic experience. Much of his poetry is concerned with the interaction between humans and nature, but he did not share the vision of benevolent nature held by the romantic poets. Instead, Frost regarded nature as a beautiful but dangerous force, worthy of admiration but nonetheless fraught with peril. The underlying philosophy of Frost's poetry is rooted in traditional New England individualism, and his work shows his strong sympathy for the values of early American society.