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Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Decent Essays

Q: In some poems what is described is given a meaning beyond the immediately obvious. Explore any one of the poems where this feature is most memorable. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost is a contemporary piece dealing with the typical human desire for escape. Whether this desire is manifested in avoidance of work, school or simply a relief from the mundane repetitiveness of everyday life this want is present in all humans. Throughout this poem Frost depicts and suggests that the "woods" are his means of escape from the "village", from society, and Frost conveys this by his respectful and almost wondrous diction when describing and referring to, the forest and the nature surrounding it. This poem also clearly …show more content…

When Frost does stop in nature this pause could be thought of as a mental pause in his life as well as physical; when Frost stops in nature his duties and "promises" are also paused so he can truly be with nature without being hindered with thoughts of his responsibilities in the "village", representing society. This shows how the splendour of nature can weaken mans' resolve to adhere to his duties and responsibilities in the stressful life of society. In the second stanza the fact that Frost does not often stop to admire the splendour of nature because of the callings of his duties is clearly conveyed when he writes that his "little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near"; the horse is a creature of habit and is unused to change in its life, the horse could be viewed as a symbol for the mundane and repetitive life Frost leads in society. It is also sad to note that the horse, a creature free and noble creature when in the wild is so accustomed to civilisation that it does not recognise the beauty of nature, its own habitat and can only think of reaching a "farmhouse near." Although here Frost is within the forest and within nature his dutiful mind

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