Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening is a well known Frost classic. Published in 1923 it quickly became a poem to keep in memory and although many people know the words by heart, interpretation isn't quite as straightforward.
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
It trusts the reader to interpret the meaning and can be viewed as a simple winter scene, but the last 2 lines are puzling.
It is this ambiguity that keeps the poem fresh. The narrative sets up this subtle tension between the timeless attraction of the lovely woods and the pressing obligations of present time.
Loyalties forbid him to enter the dreamworld, as much as he would love to chuck it all in and melt into the snowy scene, he cannot. Ever.
“promises to keep,” obligations that he cannot ignore even if he wants to.
The last repeated lines confirm the reality of his situation. It will be a long time before he disengages with the conscious world.
Links:
Analysis of: Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening | GradeSaver
Analysis of: Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening -
Andrew Spacey
Arts