Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
Robert Frost
The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.
As long as it takes to pass 5
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull.
The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be— 10
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.
They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar 15
To any watch they keep?
Making Meanings
Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
1. Why do you think Frost included the words out far and in deep in the poem’s
title?
2. What is the one simile that Frost uses in the poem? How does it affect the
scene described?
3. In what way are lines 11–12 tinged with irony?
4. What might the sea and the land symbolize in this poem? What larger meaning
might the “watch” (line 16) take on?
5. Comment on the poet’s tone in the last line. Does he admire the watchers for
keeping their vigil, or does he feel scorn or pity for their failure to
recognize their limitations? Do you have another interpretation? Explain.
6. On a literal level, why is it that the people in the poem can look neither
“out far” nor “in deep”? What more general human limitations might be symbolized
by our inability to probe the distance and depth of the sea?