What is the figurative and literal meanings of this poem?

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;


And give us not to think so far away


As the uncertain harvest; keep us here


All simply in the springing of the year.











Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,


Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;


And make us happy in the happy bees,


The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.











And make us happy in the darting bird


That suddenly above the bees is heard,


The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,


And off a blossom in mid air stands still.





For this is love and nothing else is love,


To which it is reserved for God above


To sanctify to what far ends he will,


But which it only needs that we fulfill.





by robert frost

What is the figurative and literal meanings of this poem?
I don't know what Frost intended but I would say the poem is about the glories of nature and the present moment. Frost seems to be saying that God created all this loveliness for our appreciation and if we don't appreciate it, we aren't loving God and we aren't loving. Happiness, too, can only be found in the present moment. I think he's also saying that God's creation requires a response from us; responsibility = our response to God's ability.


Oops! I see you want literal and figurative. I think I answered the literal (with poetic license). Figuratively I think he means, in the first stanza, keeping the mind focused on the here and now and not what things will be or how it's all going to turn out; let's just enjoy "what is".


The orchard white could have something to do with purity and innocence. The ghosts by night in connection to the orchard white could mean the terror of the light of truth shining on our deeds; memories of life lived badly or agonizing losses.


By allowing ourselves to be happy in the happy bees, we're getting outside ourselves and not so self-consumed but sharing in the joy and beauty that surrounds us.


The hummingbird he's describing in the 3rd stanza is a marvel of nature which can make us humble as we contemplate The Mind from whence it sprang. Could we create such magnificence? How great is our God that could create such magnificence?


The sanctification of the 4th stanza could be the awareness of the Oneness of which we participate in our minds to recognize his wonders and in our hearts to be able to stand in awe, with the willingness to appreciate and be grateful and praise the essence from which they come.
Reply:it means that because god loves us he makes us die
Reply:What a lovely poem! It means that we should enjoy the beauty that is all around us in nature. It also means that we should enjoy its beauty right now, not put it off until later because the future is uncertain, and the present is really the only thing that we can truly say is ours.