Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

To be or not to be

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost

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.

I love the poetry of Robert Frost. I guess it’s the New England “flavor” of his poetry. Not bad for a transplant from California. Ay-uh Robert’s adopted, and we’re glad to feel his presence. A wonderful part about poetry is also true of the written word and the spoken word. As the listener or reader we get to provide the scenery. In our minds. That was very true when radio was the strongest medium. If there was a fight, a spaceship, a deep, dark cave—you could picture that inside your head and you’re there.

Consider the scene in the poem above. We know we’re stopped by some woods, it’s evening, and the snow is really coming down. He thinks about where he is, getting his bearings. He wondering hmmm Oh, I think I know who owns these woods. These must belong to old Hiram. Belonged to his family for years. He don’t live up here no more, though. Bought a small place down in the village. So he won’t see me.

As the reader I’m thinking, Why does he care if old Hiram or anyone else for that matter sees him? Is he planning on doing something he doesn’t want anyone to see?

He looks at his horse and thinks he must be wondering why we’re here out in the wilderness on the darkness evening of the year. Well, how would he know that? That it’s the darkest evening of the year? Unless dark means something else. Let’s see.Dark in the dictionary has all the usual meanings but one definition is different. Characterized by gloom or pessimism; dismal or bleak. Well, people can feel gloomy. Some of the words listed as meaning the same as gloomy are depressive, depressing, lonely . So these are also things a person can feel —depressed— feeling very lonely very depressed He’s never felt darker than tonight.

He notes in the next stanza that his horse shakes his harness bells. I think most of us who have had pets would recognize that the driver ‘s attributing human qualities to a pet. You might say to your cat or dog, “Who’s a good boy? Or girl?

So he says that harness shaking his horse is doing is his way of saying, “What are we doing here? C’mon it’s cold. Let’s go. Aside from the harness bells the only sounds that can be heard are a gentle wind and the soft snow fall. This is a point of decision. It’s his to be or not to be moment. Should he end it all here in the lovely dark deep woods? He could walk into those woods lie down and let the snow cover him until he froze to death. Or he could push on. He decides.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

But I have promises to keep,

(I’ve some obligations I must get done.) Then come the final two lines.

And miles to go before I sleep.

And miles to go before I sleep.

Yes the exact same line is repeated but they don’t mean the same thing. One is literal and one is figurative. The first And miles to go before I sleep is literal. He’s got a few miles to go before gets home and to bed, The second And miles to go before I sleep is a metaphor. Sleep here refers to death. He’s got a lot of living to do before he dies..

Thanks for coming along.