English

Unit 4: Literature (Poem)

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
-Robert Frost
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (text)
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
(Satnza 1)
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
(Satnza 2)
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
(Satnza 3)
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
(Satnza 4)
Facts about the poem
• It is one of Robert Frost’s finest poems, written in 1922 and was published in 1923 in his volume
“New Hampshire” for which Frost won Pulitzer Prize.

• This volume accalaimed him as an important American Writer/Poets.

• He wrote this poem while living in the village of Franconia in New Hampshire.

• It appears to be simple, descriptive record of minute observation in the form of an interior

manologue.

• Word choices here are the simplest vocabulary that comes handy even to the common reader.

• This is a deeply meditative poem that reflects on the 'realistic' and 'romantic' attitudes to life.
Themes:
• Conflict_Man vs. Nature: The central theme is that of a conflict between the triumph of worldly duties and the pleasure
principle. In other words, the conflict between one’s desire to enjoy life and the need to work hard to get somewhere in life.
Apparent, it is also a conflict between Nature and Materiality. One can also see the poem as the daydream versus the real
world, play versus work, fun versus duty.

• Isolation: There is also the theme of solitude of the narrator who is all by himself in the woods with his horse and he seems
to quite enjoy it. He is even glad that no one is there to watch him. We get the feeling that he'd rather be all by his lonesome
in the freezing cold than back in the village.

• Choices: The theme of making a choice is another theme, where the poet wrestles with whether to return to the warmth and
safety of the village or to stay and watch the woods fill up with snow.

• Secrets: Another theme is of secret is indicated by ‘promises’ that symbolize the obligations and commitments that one
might make during a lifetime and is known to oneself only.

• Death: There is the theme of death indicated in the last line,” “Miles to go before I sleep.” It speaks of that time in life
when all activities either come to a halt or meet an end. It also indicates that one must accomplish all one can before
reaching that point.
Poetic Technique
Whose woods these are I think I know. (A)
His house is in the village though; (A)
He will not see me stopping here (B)
To watch his woods fill up with snow. (A)

My little horse must think it queer (B)

Iambic pentameter is a style of writing
To stop without a farmhouse near (B) poetry where each line is five feet long. Each
Between the woods and frozen lake (C) foot contains two syllables, one is stressed and
The darkest evening of the year. (B) another is unstressed.

He gives his harness bells a shake (C)

To ask if there is some mistake. (C)
The only other sound’s the sweep (D)
Of easy wind and downy flake. (C)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, (D)

But I have promises to keep, (D)
And miles to go before I sleep, (D)
And miles to go before I sleep. (D)
Poetic Devices
• Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the beginning of nearby words.
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

• Personification is attribution of human characteristics to non-human objects.In the lines

below the horse has the ability to think like humans and to ask if there is a mistake.
My little horse must think it queer
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.

• Symbolism: The ‘promises’ are symbolic of life’s responsibilities and ‘sleep’ is symbolic
of death. The village and farmhouse can be seen as symbols of society and civilization.
The lonely journey of the poet symbolize the journey of an individual through life.
Poetic Devices
• Metaphors: "Between the woods and frozen lake" is metaphorical to be stuck between two places or
two decisions. "And miles to go before I sleep" is a metaphor for life and the long journey that it is.

• Repetition: The last two lines are repeated. At the first place, it gives the illusion that the sentence has a
higher meaning, where the readers. believe that the poet means the miles he has to go to get back home,
but then it seems like the miles are actually the years in his life, and the sleep being more of an eternal
sleep.

• Imagery help the reader visualize and immerse his or herself into the poem.
• Visual Imagery: ‘woods fill up with snow,’ ‘the woods and the frozen lake,’ ‘miles to go.’
• Auditory Imagery: ‘gives the harness bells a shake,’ ‘sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy
flake.’