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Read the full text of Robert Frost's famous poem, which explores the tension between nature and human existence. Learn about the poem's themes, symbols, and historical context.
- Robert Frost
Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, but his family moved...
- Common Core State Standards Text Exemplars
One of the key requirements of the Common Core State...
- Winter Poems
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Robert Frost Whose...
- Robert Frost
- Summary
- Meaning
- Speaker
- Symbols
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Themes
- Significance of The Title
- Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
- Historical Context
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‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening‘ by Robert Frost(Bio | Poems)narrates the account of a man standing deep in the woods, torn between two choices. The narrator of the poem has stopped by for a brief moment amid a snowy evening in the woods, transfixed by the mesmerizing scenes unfolding. As he takes a moment to indulge in a dosage of naturalist...
The crux of the poem lies in the conflict in a moment of solace vs pending obligations. The narrator is spellbound by the momentary distraction from worldly responsibilities, allowing himself a moment of peace. Being naturalistic to the core, Robert Frost(Bio | Poems)grounds his character in a forest, mesmerized by the snowy evening. The poet mildl...
Some readers and scholars have suggested that the speakerof this poem is Robert Frost himself. Frost experienced a similar moment to the narrator when he took a trip down to his local market and was largely unsuccessful in making enough money to see his children through Christmas with the presents he wanted to buy them. Overwhelmed, he experienced ...
Throughout this piece, the poet engages with one primary symbol– the woods. They represent one side of the two choices that the speaker has before them. They could head towards the woods, or they could return to their mundane obligations. The woods represent a freedom of sorts, liberated from the constraints of society and without the endless tasks...
Readers and children alike have taken a liking to this naturalistic poem. This poem has a ring when recited loudly. It may feel akin to a nursery rhyme. Ring, rhyme, and reason flow systematically throughout the poem. It works within a classic Rubaiyat stanza. Rubaiyat is a Persian term for ‘quatrain’, denoting a four-lined stanza. The scheme of th...
Robert Frost captures the essence of peace during snowfall well. One can notice how every rhyming word ends with the euphonic “oh” sound and how every word in the stanza is either monosyllabic or disyllabic, making for a simple flow, an easy read, and a simple sense of peace throughout. There is a noticeable consonancein the third stanza with the “...
Frost engages with themes of exhaustion, fatigue, depression, optimism, and commitment throughout this poem. His speaker feels out of place and out of time. He’s completely alone in the world, at least at this moment, and feeling a small sense of the tranquility and isolation that only nature can bring. There are darker undertonesto this poem as we...
Very often, the title of a poem is presented as a grand, all-encompassing, thought-provoking idea that inspires readers with its symbolicpower. Other times, it is nothing more than a statement about the poem’s content. Such is the case with ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,’which is about exactly what the title suggests.
Stana One
The poet begins the poem, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,’ with his speaker intentionally considering and analyzing the fact that these woods seem familiar to them. Technically, they are trespassing on another person’s property — a forest on land that does not belong to them — but knowing that the man won’t be around for a while, the speaker can’t stop themselves from taking a few moments to watch the peaceful descent of winter through this forest. Though they don’t refer to the subjec...
Stanza Two
In stanza two, the narrator draws attention to the human aspect of peacefulness. It’s interesting for the speaker to note that the horse accompanying them on their journey isn’t able to fathom the speaker has stopped to stare at the woods. With the phrase “the darkest evening of the year,” it is easy to assume that this poem takes place on the night of the winter solstice, but this can also be interpreted to refer to the more difficult times in a person’s life. “The darkest evening of the yea...
Stanza Three
In stanza three, the reader of the poem should feel the same peace the narrator is describing. The narrator continues to describe the thoughts they believe are in the horse’s mind, which currently shakes its bell as it trudges along the road. The bells jingle playfully, indicating the horse’s inclination to leave the woods for good, which feels gloomy and solitary. Since the horse can’t speak its mind, the narrator chooses to. The speaker is miles from anywhere, buried deep in the woods where...
Most poem readers would take the poem at face value, disregarding its poetic composition, rhyming, and ideas asserted. According to Robert Frost(Bio | Poems), the poem was composed in just one night. The poem was composed in 1922 and published in 1923 in his “New Hampshire” volume. After pulling off an all-nighter on his poem ‘New Hampshire,’ he st...
Learn about the themes, symbols, structure, and context of this classic poem by Robert Frost. Explore the conflict between nature and responsibility, the speaker's emotions and choices, and the poet's biography and style.
- Female
- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
Learn about the poem's themes, symbols, poetic devices, and context with LitCharts' comprehensive guide. Read the full text, summary, line-by-line explanation, and watch Robert Frost read the poem aloud.
Read the full text of the famous poem by Robert Frost, who reflects on the beauty and darkness of nature and his own mortality. The poem explores the contrast between the woods and the village, the horse and the speaker, and the promises and the miles to go.
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a poem by Robert Frost, written in 1922, and published in 1923 in his New Hampshire volume. Imagery, personification, and repetition are prominent in the work. In a letter to Louis Untermeyer, Frost called it "my best bid for remembrance".
- AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD
- New Hampshire
- 1922
- iambic tetrameter
Read the full text of Robert Frost's classic poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and learn about its themes and context. The poem explores the tension between nature and human existence, and the speaker's decision to keep his promises despite the beauty of the woods.
Learn about the form, content, and meaning of Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". Explore the contrast between the woods and the village, the speaker's temptation and responsibility, and the famous repetition of "miles to go before I sleep".
