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 here
To 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.
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.
Summary / Analysis
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a wonderfully absorbing poem by Robert Frost that captures the serenity of a snowy evening in the woods, reflecting on themes of nature, solitude, and the responsibilities of life. The speaker pauses, "To watch his woods fill up with snow," owned by an oblivious neighbor. However, despite the enchanting scene, the speaker remembers the obligations that await him, leading to tension between the desire to ponder the "easy wind and downy flake" of this peaceful setting and the "promises" he has "to keep."
The poem is written in four stanzas of four lines each (quatrains), employing a consistent AABA rhyme scheme (Rubaiyat) for the first three. This scheme contributes to its lyrical quality. The final stanza breaks the form using a medieval Georgian verse (shairi) with an AAAA rhyme scheme. Frost uses simple, yet evocative language to create vivid imagery of the tranquil winter landscape. The repetition of the final line, "And miles to go before I sleep," reinforces the idea of having obligations to meet, so as not to linger in "The woods" that "are lovely, dark and deep."
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is not a complex poem strewn with metaphors and word pictures; it is a simple moment in time that describes a place of beauty and momentary escape, contrasting with the speaker's obligations, represented by "promises to keep." This conflict speaks to a universal theme of the human condition: the conflict between the call of nature and the demands of everyday secular life. Robert Frost encourages readers to stop and appreciate the beauty of life and nature.