Robert Frost is by far the most celebrated major American poet of the twentieth century. In part, this is because his poetry seems, on the surface, to be so accessible, even homey. But, argues Peter J. Stanlis in this major contribution to American literary study and philosophy, Frost was not just a powerful writer of popular lyric and narrative verse. His work was also deeply rooted in a complex philosophical dualism that opposes both idealistic monism. centered in spirit, and scientific positivism, which posits that the universe can be understood as nothing but matter. In Robert The Poet as Philosopher, Stanlis shows how Frost's philosophical dualism of spirit and matter is perceived through metaphors and applied to science, religion, art, education, and society. He further argues that Frost's dualism provides a critique of the monistic forces that were instrumental in the triumph of twentieth-century totalitarianism. Informed by his twenty-three-year friendship and correspondence with Frost, Stanlis' volume is the first attempt to deal with the poet's philosophy in a systematic manner.