Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a poem that gives off different feelings the more times one re-reads it. At a first glance, it seems like a simple momentary encounter for the speaker with beautiful Mother Nature, who stops to enjoy it before returning to the long journey that awaits him. However, with the second read, as one thinks more deeply, it becomes clear that the poem is actually illustrating the speaker’s journey through life. The unforeseen stopping depicts a point in life, where the speaker debates whether he wants to continue on with life or not. The poem turns from being a transparent fancy for nature to a more dramatic one, which possesses deep significance. While nature is beautiful, the speaker is …show more content…
The horse reminds him of the promises that he must keep and thus is symbolic of the logical part of a mind.
The last two lines “And miles to go before I sleep” repeat to emphasize the idea that though the woods are luring, there are still promises that need to be kept. Metaphorically speaking, the word “miles” could mean places, destinations or even tasks that require attention. The repetition makes one notice the significance of the line, which ultimately stresses the point that the speaker must give up this beauty for reality. His conscience makes him realize, that the utopia he is experiencing is short-lived. His obligations outweigh his personal indulgences, and so he repeats this mantra to himself, in order to focus back on what is important. The man is constrained by the obligations to his job, family and society. Consequently, all these obligations prevent him from realizing, how they are holding him back from living a more pleasurable life.
In conclusion, Robert Frost, through his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” presents a traveler’s momentary encounter with Mother Nature. He illustrates a striking and a meaningful picture, with the use of imagery, symbolism and repetition, of what a person experiences whilst observing the beauty of nature. As the narrator gets back to his senses, he recognizes that he must finish his duties and keep his promises. Although,
While reviewing “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, it should be noted that the key is the rhythm of the language. The first, second, and fourth sentence rime while the third sentence of each rimes with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sentence of the next stanza. In relation with the cryptic language draws the question, there is a more sinister back drop of loneliness and depression in this poem much deeper than the level of nature orated by the Narator.
Self-discovery is often accompanied by internal metacognitive dialogue due to its ability to allow individuals to re-evaluate their outlook on life and develop a better understanding of the world. Frost’s ‘Stopping by Woods’, his 1922 lyric poem provides a pre-eminent example of an internal monologue. Use of first person present tense language allows for the reader to relish the quiet splendour of the dark woods and ponder, if only for a moment, the allure of escaping indefinitely from the exhausting world of people and promises. The confronting and emotionally significant discovery of the persona’s morbid attraction to oblivion is conveyed through the furtive tone in the first stanza “He will not see me stopping here/ to watch this wood fill up with snow” suggesting a feeling of delight that may be associated with the deep, dark woods. Potent connotations of the words ‘dark’,
The two poems “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “Acquainted with the Night” written by Robert Frost are very similar to each other because of the simplistic form of language used and the uses of metaphors. When we first read the poem, it looks like an ordinary poem but once we go in depth and understand the meaning, it becomes so much more. Both of the poem has a very dark, gloomy and lonely setting with a really mysterious tone. There are different metaphors used in each poem to symbolize death; “Sleep” in “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “Night” in “Acquainted with the Night.” The characters in the two poem are both in a journey and has come
The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
The speaker's depression stems mainly from his unwanted responsibility and feeling of regret. The basic conflict in the poem, which is resolved in the last stanza, is between an attraction toward the woods and the drudgery of life and responsibility outside of the woods. "And miles to go before I sleep,/ And miles to go before I sleep" (line 15-16).
In the next four lines, the speaker goes on to express the isolation of the woods and on the winter solstice, or “the darkest evening of the year”. The speaker lays the responsibility of saying that it is strange to be her on his little horse who “must think it queer”. The speaker is in isolation in the growing dark, yet he stops and stays in the lonely woods. The line, “between the woods and frozen lake” gives a sense of being trapped and having no escape. He is ensnared between the ever growing foreboding of the woods and an icy expanse that could prove deadly. Also, throughout history, the winter solstice has been a night of superstitions, of fear and loathing. It seems strange that with all of this, the man still desires to be alone in a dark wood when he has a long way to travel yet before he gets home. In a way, the speaker is intentionally isolating himself from society.
In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost describes a thick patch of woods that are a long way from anything. He does not go into great detail describing them, leaving that to the reader’s imagination. He merely describes them as “lovely, dark and deep.” This lack of detail is to help us focus not so much on all the things that are there, as the things that aren’t. He mentions that the horse must be thinking that this is strange to stop here, with no barn near. The only thing that is nearby is nature. The lake is frozen and the trees and ground are covered with snow. During a snowstorm, sound does not travel very well. It is very muddled and muted. The only sounds that are mentioned in the poem are the bells on the horse’s harness and the wind. So, the rider is stopping to smell the roses. He is taking a break from the world around
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a very well know poem by Robert Frost. The poem appears to be very simple, but it has a hidden meaning to it. The simple words and rhyme scheme of the poem gives it an easy flow, which adds to the calmness of the poem. The rhyme scheme (aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd) and the rhythm (iambic tetrameter) give the poem a solid structure. The poem is about the speaker’s experience of stopping by the dark woods in the winter evening with his horse and admiring the beauty of the fresh fallen snow in the forest. Then, the speaker projects himself into the mind of his horse, speculating about his horse’s practical concerns and the horse
Robert Frost also shows his touch of imagery in the poem, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
Everyone feels burdened by life at some point. Everyone wishes they could just close their eyes and make all the problems and struggles of life disappear. Some see death as a release from the chains and ropes with which the trials and tribulations of life bind the human race. Death is a powerful theme in literature, symbolized in a plethora of ways. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve" Robert Frost uses subtle imagery, symbolism, rhythm and rhyme to invoke the yearning for death that the weary traveler of life feels.
Most of Frost’s success in American literature came from his capability to speak in poetic but plain language to common people and scholars. His poetry is the culmination, combining all elements of poetic craft and modern themes. What separates him from most poets is instead of writing about his own experiences, Frost wrote about the process of discovery and the relationship between people and their surroundings. Because Frost’s poems operate on so many levels, it is possible for almost everyone to find his or her own beliefs about life reflected in Frost’s poetry. Furthermore, the
Like “The Road Not Taken”, in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, the speaker has to make a big decision in his life. He has to choose between isolation and social obligation. At first glance, this poem might denote stopping in the woods to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Different symbols in this poem though reveal that stop in the poem could be referring to death. In this phrase “Between the woods and frozen lake”, the wood becomes a symbol of life where frozen lake signifies death. When the speaker reaches the woods, he finds a world offering perfect, quiet and solitude, existing side by side with the realization that there is also another world, a world of people and social obligation. Both
Poetry is a literary medium which often resonates with the responder on a personal level, through the subject matter of the poem, and the techniques used to portray this. Robert Frost utilises many techniques to convey his respect for nature, which consequently makes much of his poetry relevant to the everyday person. The poems “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ and “The mending wall” strongly illuminate Frost’s reverence to nature and deal with such matter that allows Frost to speak to ordinary people.
Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” was written in 1922 then later published in 1923. In the poem, the speaker expresses his feelings and thoughts of the woods during the darkest night of the year. The speaker and his horse makes a random stop in a certain area of the woods. The speaker seemed very interested in the scenery of that part of the woods. Although the speaker wants to stay, he has to keep his promise and continue on. Frost uses personification, imagery, and alliteration to express the feelings and moods from the snowy night in the woods.
As time goes on, society becomes more and more disconnected from nature. With each year that passes new gadgets are put onto the market. Technology has recently released a device known as a virtual reality headset. This is for those who want to see the world without actually taking a step outside. Technology has become the forefront of people’s lives. In his eye opening poem, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowing Evening”, Robert Frost addresses the idea that nature is a blessing that should be appreciated, not ignored, and seen for its true beauty. In order to convey the meaning of his poem, Frost includes elements such as relaxing language, vivid imagery, and an appreciative tone.