Stopping by woods on a snowy evening

Shabnam Kalbasi


Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow.
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.
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.T
he 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.
-Robert Frost

Even though the poem is set in a tranquil almost stream like tone it leaves a strong effect on the reader. Speaking in first person, Frost speaks of only a moment’s passing but successfully elaborates on his experience in the woods during the evening. In a way, this is a conflict of the real world where Frost’s obligations lie and the surrounding environment of nature where he does not want to leave. The poem also is set in contradictory settings. The night implies darkness and loneliness and the snow implies lightness and innocence. As the speaker is alone in a surrounding environment of purity he finds it hard to leave but feels responsible for his obligations ex: “…and miles to go before I sleep”. The example of the horse is a metaphorical symbol, one which reminds him of his responsibility in the real world versus his ‘escape’. The poem ends with a somber note as the speaker must abandon the beauty of his serene surrounding to continue on his journey: “the woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep.”