by DC Aries

Created on: September 19, 2011   Last Updated: September 21, 2011

Robert Frost was one of the most popular American poets of all time. He was born in California, but spent much of his life in New England where he worked as a farmer, teacher and writer. Frost eventually became a successful poet with many accomplishments and went on to win four Pulitzer prizes. In 1923, he won the prize for the collection of poetry entitled “New Hampshire.” One of Frost’s most recognized poems is “

Stopping By the Woods On a Snowy Evening.” Frost wrote the poem in 1922 and included it in this impressive volume of poetry.

This poem is written in iambic tetrameter with an AABA rhyme scheme. In the final stanza, all four lines rhyme. This gives the poem a great flow, making it easy to read and recite. The poem has a mysterious feel. It’s frightening, but calming at the same time. It explores feelings of uncertainty, loneliness, obligations, and perseverance. Like many of his poems, Frost also incorporates the beauty of nature into this poem. He uses a number of different poetry elements including imagery and diction.

The poem is set at night near the woods as a man stops with his horse to take a break on his journey. The woods do not belong to him, but he stops anyway. He seems unsure if he should stop, but realizes that he is alone and no one will know. The first stanza reads,

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.

Despite the fact that the woods are owned by someone else, the owner is far away and this man is alone with his horse. No one will have any idea where he is or what he is doing and he has the moment to himself. He goes on to talk about the confusion this causes his horse.

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 horse is not accustomed to stopping when there is no place to rest. The man and horse are vulnerable in the darkness. Even though they seem unprotected, the dark night provides them with a place to be alone and away from the stresses of their journey for a moment. In the last two lines of the third stanza, he reiterates that they are alone, but this is not necessarily frightening or bad. It seems somewhat contradicting. Perhaps they should be frightened,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>