A Brief Analysis of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

YANG+Yanhua+Huang+Guinan

【Abstract】Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a classic poem which could be analyzed from different perspectives. The analysis not only renders different understanding of the poem but also offers some insight into life， nature， journey and beauty.

【Key words】Poetry analysis； Robert Frost； metaphor； symbol

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

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 of there is some mistake.

The only other sounds the sweep

Of easy winds 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.（Huang， 313）

Robert Frost （1874-1963） is one of the most popular poets in America during his lifetime and is called the countrys unofficial poet laureate. He is also called “New England Poet”， and his poems are full of intense and unadorned New England color.

Stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening， published in the book New Hampshire in 1923， is one of the best lyric poems of Robert Frost and thus has been widely acclaimed by people（Liu， 78）. A traveler arrives at the woods on a cold winter evening and stops to appreciate the beautiful woods scenery. He is so absorbed in watching it that he forgets to continue his journey. Reminded by his horse， he comes to realize his promise and goes on with his trip. Of course， it is just the literal explanation of this poem. To obtain the better understanding of its deep connotation， its artistic features need to be analyzed from various perspectives including its metaphors and symbolism， stylistic features and themes.

In order to fully achieve the effects of expressing the theme， Frost uses a large number of metaphors and symbols， but the uses of metaphors were imperceptibly implicit. Besides， some isolated images arranged skillfully by the poet were juxtaposed by metaphors and symbols within it.

1. The woods in metaphor

In this part， the connotative meaning expressed by the word “woods” is to be discussed. It is a quite important word that matters， for one thing， the whole poem is composed under this situation； for another， every exquisite， contradictory thought is aroused by the woods. It indicates both the natural environment of the poem and the inner atmosphere of the poet.endprint

In the poem， Frost wrote：

The woods are lovely， dark， and deep

The “woods” here is a kind of metaphor. There are various meaning expressed by it. Firstly， it indicated something mysterious and unknowable. It was “deep” which meant that it was an endless seduction to the fatigue speaker who was traveling alone in a snowy night. Secondly “woods” could also have the connotation that it symbolized Death. Thirdly， the quietness and serenity of the woods could also bear another connotation that it is like the embrace of mother that brings comfort to the heart. During the process of the poet s experiencing into the woods， it seems that he is returning to the protection of mother， which is a temporary escape from the hurts resulting from life. Back to the arms of mother， the traveler is able to gain strength and courage again， since that mum really comforts.

“He” changes his mind at last. He decides to go on his journey. There are quite a lot of reasons here. One is that somehow recharged by his brief stay in nature， he feels better and recovered； another reason could be that he is unwilling to stop half way in order to explore the mysterious “woods”， he believes that there might be better views if he continues his trip； last by not least， “he” remembers that he had “promises to keep”， and now it is time to get ready to face the “miles” stretching before him.

2. Symbols

From the point of view concerning symbols， the trial inner contradictions were the symbol of the great contradictions which could affect our lives. It makes the poem more significant in meaning. In the first stanza of the poem， the poet used “he”， then who is “he”？ Is “he” the owner of the woods？ Or is “he” the poets friend？ Or is “he” somebody else？ At the beginning of the poem， it made two different “he” appeared in the readers minds， one was a real “he” （ literal he）； another was symbolic “he” （ the one who was in the minds of the readers）. Therefore “his woods” also conveyed a lot of symbolic meaning. When the speaker appeared in the quiet woods， the poet wrote：

The only other sounds the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake

We seem to hear the roaring sound of the wind and snow. The speaker stopped in the woods， attracted deeply by the beautiful nature. “Woods” attracted the speaker not only by its beauty but also touched his inspiration， made him to fall into a deep thought. If woods symbolized the mysteries and complexities of nature， then “snow” in the poem was also another symbol. It symbolized the poets purity and simplicity. These two things form a fresh contrast. At last， purity and simplicity conquered mysteries and illusions which encouraged the speaker to continue his journey， to fulfill the unfinished tasks or goals.endprint

3. Stylistic Analysis

In the poem， Frosts excellent and unconventional use of rhyme scheme proves the poem to be well planned. Frost uses the common A-B-A-B pattern to develop many of his poems. However， in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening the first stanza rhymes A-A-B-A. He carries this scheme throughout the poem using the third line in each stanza to determine the rhyme in the next. The picking up of the loose rhyme and weaving it into the pattern is an all but impossible quadruple rhyme pattern. He uses this rhyme effectively with no sense of strain.

4. Conclusion

Robert Frost is a poet， but also a philosopher. “Here the reader tends to find wit and wisdom， peace and harmony， serenity and joy， which serve for him as a momentary stay against confusion”（Wilbur， 198）. The beauty of nature frees people from pressures of circumstance， enlightens mans mind， and heals the wound of soul， a moment of relaxation and freedom in nature makes ones life more acceptable and meaningful. But after relaxation and freedom， it is equally important for a man to assume the responsibility that as a human being has to take.

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