Robert Frost wrote the revered poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” at his home in Shaftsbury, Vermont in 1922. It appeared in his fifth collection of poems entitled, “New Hampshire,” published in 1923, which won his first Pulitzer Prize. In this poem, the reader is privy to a few moments of the thoughts of a man who pauses in the silence and solitude of the winter woods. It’s a poem with such simplicity that a child can commit it to memory and such complexity that scholars repeatedly explicate it. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a closed form, lyric poem that’s written in iambic tetrameter, containing a total of eight syllables in each line. It has four quatrains that follow the rhyme scheme aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd. The …show more content…
Having experienced his first success in London, he returned to New Hampshire where his work continued to reflect the scenes and values of nature he experienced there. In 1947, Frost spoke of the poem to a student at a reading he was giving at Bowdoin College. When asked which of his poems his favorite was, Frost replied, “I’d have to say ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ is that poem” (Bleau 175). Continuing, he revealed the inspiration for the verse was a personal experience he had just before Christmas in 1905. Frost failed to sell his produce at the local market and had no money for gifts for his children. As he neared his home on that snowy evening, he stopped his wagon. Overwhelmed, he cried in frustration. Beginning with the title, Robert Frost sets the scene and topic for the poem: an informal, spontaneous “stopping by” a private wooded spot during a snowfall at the end of a day. The narrator’s progression of thought during his contemplation is seen in each stanza. In the first stanza, the speaker thinks about the owner of the woods. He considers he might know who the woods belong to, but he is not certain. Even though, he knows the owner lives in town and is not nearby. So, he won’t see the traveler, or trespasser. The narrator is safe and alone in his brief
Robert Frost takes our imagination to a journey through wintertime with 
his two poems "Desert Places" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". These two poems reflect the beautiful scenery that is present in the snow covered woods and awakens us to new feelings. Even though these poems both have winter settings they contain very different tones. One has a feeling of depressing loneliness and the other a feeling of welcome solitude. They show how the same setting can have totally different impacts on a person depending on 
their mindset at the time. These poems are both made up of simple stanzas and diction but they are not straightforward poems.
In “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” Frost uses a voice that recognizes how humanity has somehow forgotten nature, it is a mourning for the natural world. The speaker displays some disdain for the responsibilities at home. For example, the speaker laments how, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep,” which show how the speaker desires to stay and look over the beautiful scenes of nature but cannot because of accountabilities at home (13-14). The speaker exhibits a longing for inner peace; however, the speaker cannot achieve what this peace because of “promises” or responsibilities that the speaker holds in his/her life, (13-14). The responsibilities may also be attributed to the ringing of the bells, which are on the horse of the speaker’s carriage, symbolizing as a reminder for what the speaker still needs to do before taking time to observe the woods. The speaker is taking time to notice the implied
In the article Ford summarizes the main ideas in Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Ford explains how there are many meanings to the poem. Throughout this poem, Ford is giving his opinions on what he thinks about Frost’s poem. Also, he explains how there could be many more meanings beneath the surface symbols that Frost presents. Ford proves his ideas and shows what he thinks about the symbols in the poem.
"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
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
Robert Frost also shows his touch of imagery in the poem, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
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 was one of America’s most influential poets. He won countless awards for his work, including four Pulitzer Prizes. Many of Frost’s writings discuss nature and its effect on man. Two of his poems, “Acquainted with the Night” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” exemplify his frequent use of nature. While both poems are similar in topic and contain similar aspects of nature, the speakers differ on their responsibilities, and views of isolation.
“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost is about the loneliness and darkness in his own life. Frost uses the woods in the story as a way to portray his current situation in life. In the poem Frost writes, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep…” (Lines 13-15). Frost describes the woods as dark and desolate which is a metaphor for how he feels in life. He explains how they are far from town and there isn’t anyone near him. This could mean he keeps himself guarded from others to avoid getting hurt or hurting others. In “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” Frost writes, “Between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year” ( Lines 7-8). Frost compares a dark evening with the darkness and sadness in his life, saying that right now he is as depressed as he has every been.
The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Authors write poetry for many reasons including to prove a point, share life stories or to just make the reader think. Robert Frost is a great example of a poet influenced by his experiences. These influences show up in most of his poetry, but especially in “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening”, and “Birches”. Moving to the New England region the nature and people helped him become a poet of worldly fame.
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
In the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, the speaker is an unknown figure that is not the author. In the poem, the speaker can either be identified as to be speaking to himself about his travels. The speaker says “But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep” (14-15). Besides talking to himself, the speaker also addresses his horse.
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.
"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