Deconstruction is a technique of literary criticism that seeks to analyze one work as thoroughly as possible in relation to other works works. It provides a way of playing with language and meaning that teases and delights (Dobie, 2002, p. 138). In other words, according to the creator Jacques Derrida, “there is nothing outside the text” (Wikipedia) because every written source is in itself a connected text; Derrida believed that no objectivity was possible. The main purpose is to understand why the work was created by examining the “context” of its creation: history, era, culture, society and other similar works. In this philosophical poem by Robert Frost there are symbols and images used by him that require various readings and interpretations making the text good material for deconstruction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In For Once, Then Something, the character had often been mocked and ridiculed by people for kneeling at the edge of the seashore village. wrong side, so that the light was obscured and he could not see clearly into the well. The well was dark and he could only see up to the surface of the water at the bottom of the well. There he could see only a mirror image of his own face, of his own "divine image"; shining from a crown of ferns and puffs of clouds. As both Brower and Lawrence Thompson agree, the use of the word "God-like", for one's image, indicates the character's self-centered nature or narcissism. However, one day as he was looking into the well with his chin resting on the edge of the wall, his gaze could penetrate through the surface of the water and his own image on it, and see beneath the surface, in the depths of the well, something white. He saw it only for an instant, then it vanished. He could no longer see it, because a ripple had formed in the water, most likely due to a drop of water falling from the ferns growing above him. Since then he has always wondered what that candor was. Was it a vision of the truth he had or was it simply a piece of stone? Who can answer this question? The person may have this transient vision of something at the bottom of the well only once, and has been trying to understand its meaning and meaning ever since, but to no avail. Deconstruction recognizes that any human expression has a multitude of possible meanings. In deconstructive terms, Saussure's sign, the combination of a signifier and a signified that refers to a mental concept, is not a stable and immutable entity (Dobie, 2002, p. 143). In poetry, the signifier "water", for example, will bring to mind a series of mental associations. Life is a common meaning for water, but destruction and rebirth or the Holy Spirit are also its other meanings. In the poem, we find the character mocked by “others” because he never sees “deeper into the well.” ' as if he were referring to the person as a superficial and only superficial meaning of things. The poem gives the impression that the narrator only sees things one way (surface), and for this reason cannot delve into the truths (depths) that the "others" claim to know. 'Surface' and 'depth' are both contrasting signifiers and concepts (binary opposition) inherent in the text. We know the axiom that tells us not to judge a book by its cover, that we must look deeper and deeper within ourselves and others to fully understand things. But this remains only an impression. The surface of the water is only what we see, butwhat is underneath or deeper we cannot perceive clearly. It is a reflective surface especially when it is silent and still. Finally, after putting in so much effort and receiving no support, he sees something. But he's not even sure what it is or if it's even more important than a pebble, but he sees something. The surface of the water is what we perceived as reality. And when we try to look further, a drop falls "from a fern", almost jokingly, obscuring and erasing every deeper truth. Here, Robert Frost perhaps rejects the idea that there is a truth, truth, that can be felt beneath the surface. The character may have thought that 'beyond the image' there is 'something white' (the truth), but this is 'uncertain'. For a while, he thought about the deeper meanings of the hints of truth he perceived but 'missed' them. This perhaps means that no matter how hard he tries to look deeper into whatever truths exist, he can never fully understand the larger scheme of things because truths cannot be fully known. Another signifier is the color white. White, for example, is considered by most of us to be a symbol of purity, goodness, clarity, innocence or truth. But in the poem, "something white" becomes "rebuked" and undermined by the ripple of a single drop of water. It is as if Frost is telling us that, although it is human nature to settle for and trust a distorted and manipulated version of reality, we must try to see beyond appearances and illusions and see the truth. But I repeat, the truth is never absolute, it is relative. The character reflects on what he saw, whether or not he had an encounter between the "Truth" and reality, or simply the perceived reality, "A pebble of quartz". Furthermore, the character in the poem sees himself in the "summer paradise as a god". and surrounded by "a crown of ferns" and "puffs of clouds". Perhaps these images allude to Narcissus who is forever destined to see his own reflection in water due to excessive pride or admiration for his appearance. But the images also have obvious implications on the nature or character of the person. He is probably a person who thinks highly of himself and is full of pride just like Narcissus. Or perhaps one who is unable to listen or think about others around him because he sees only his own private beliefs and haughty ambitions. Since he seems to trust only what he knows to be the truth for himself, others ridicule him for not considering all perspectives necessary to create a subtle difference or shade of meaning. This superficial way of seeing things may reflect a nuance of the human condition. The poem recalls the saying of the Greek philosopher Democritus: "We know nothing about the truth because the truth is at the bottom of a well". With Frost, as with Democritus, the immediate emphasis is noticeably on the ultimate truth. But the symbolic overtones of the opening lines imply that the speaker has previously acknowledged to others his own limitations of intuition regarding ultimate truth. Man's observation of the truth can only be unclear and comparative; he will never be able to arrive at the absolute truth. However, the research must continue. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay “For once, then, something” is quite simple, but it is actually a symbolic poem , symbolizing man's endless search for knowledge of truth and the ambiguity of life and death. It is only in unusual moments that man can have a fleeting vision of the truth, which manages to penetrate the heart of things. It's like peering into a dark well,.