Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a renowned American poem by Robert Frost. The poem was published in 1923, and although it became famous and memorable poem, the real meaning of the poem lies with the poet. The poem creates a subtle tension as the reader is left to guess the real meaning of the poem, whether it is a suicide note or just a final goodbye from someone embarking on a long journey. However, although the real meaning of the poem is ambiguous, the poem depicts the dilemma of living in a fantasy or fulfilling obligations in real life.
The persona of the poem is a traveler who is using a horse to travel. On his journey, he stops by the woods to admire the scenery. The persona describes the landscape from the woods to the frosty lake nearby. In the first stanza, the persona claims to know the owner of the woods, but the owner lives in the village. Thus, the persona is sure that the owner of the woods cannot see him admiring the woods. In the second stanza, the persona talks about his horse. The persona is on a long journey, and he only stops where there is a farmhouse. The persona says that his horse is surprised that they stopped by the woods instead of a farmhouse. The third stanza talks of the sound of the bells and the wind in the atmosphere. The persona snaps from the admiration in the fourth stanza. The persona claims that even though the woods are lovely, dark, and deep, he has promises to keep and miles to travel before he sleeps. The persona admits that he has responsibilities that await him, and he cannot afford to admire the woods for much longer.
The poem uses a regular rhythm and a regular rhyme scheme. The poem is made up of four stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The rhythm of the poem is easily noticeable because of the regular intervals between the stanzas. Since the poem consists of a four-line stanza, it takes the form of a quatrain. The rhyme scheme of the poem is regular, and only the last stanza takes a different format. The rhyme of the poem is aaba bbcb ccdc dddd. The rhyme scheme creates musicality and makes the poem easily memorable.
Robert uses imagery, figurative language, and symbolism in the poem. The language used in the poem creates a vivid image in the mind of the reader. In stanza two, line 3 and four, the persona describes the scenery between the woods and the frozen lake and the darkest evening of the year. The woods symbolize wishes and fantasy. The persona is on a journey, and he only stops where there is a farmhouse. However, the persona has stopped by the woods to admire the scenery. As the poems ends, the persona remembers all the obligations awaiting him, and he continues with his journey.
The major theme in the poem is the theme of choice. Although the persona is amazed by the scenery, the persona must continue with his journey. The journey represents life, and the woods represent the distractions. Although life has many distractions, most of the beautiful and attractive, one must continue working towards their goals and chose to overlook the distractions. The overall tone of the poem is reminiscent. The persona longs to enjoy the scenery for longer, but his obligations compel him to continue with his journey.
An American poet writes the poem, and it displays Americanness. The poem depicts what it means to be an American. The life of an American is faced with so many distractions, some of which can stagnate progress. For instance, a college student might be mesmerized by the freedom in school and including all the parties. However, the student must remain focused and achieve the long-term goal, in this case, academic success. Similarly, Americans must remain focused on achieving a good life, commonly referred to as “The American Dream.”