Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

●  Stopping by woods on a snowy Evening: 

   "Stopping by woods on a snowy Evening " is a poem written in 1922 by Robert Frost. It published in 1923. Imagery, personification and repetition are prominent in the work.

 The poem tells the story of a man travelling through some snowy woods on the darkest evening of the year. He is pretty much in love with what he sees around him. He is on his way back to town but he can't quite tear himself away from the lovely and dark woods.

 There are many interpretation comes when we read the poem. Some argue that it is simply a description of a man appreciate of a man appreciating nature. Others would tell that there is some heavy Metaphor action going down and that the poem is about death. Also it takes a step further and that this poem address suicide. There are four stanzas in the poem.

                      

 In the first stanza start with a  possessive pronoun. It is a brave and unusual things. The poet thinks that he knows who owns the wood. The first uncertainty is introduced and he is making his first statement to reassure himself as he comes to stop breaking his journey. In the further lines creating the gentle , slightly and mysterious atmosphere. Yet the image presented to the reader is as innocent. The  poet is far away from human world and comes into the natural world.

  In the second stanza concentrates on the  horse 's reaction to the rider. Again the tetrameter reassures and lulls the reader into false sense of security. The language is simple yet the meaning can be taken in two ways. Queer is the word that mean odd or strange. The Frozen lake is the symbol of Death. Darkest evening is the symbol of depression. 

 In the third stanza Horse is notice the intention  of his master. Horse thinks that they should move on.  The horse is uncertain it's shakes the bells on the harness. Harness is the symbol of intellectual.  It reminding the rider that this whole business stopping by woods is a tad disturbing. The creature like a horse symbol of intuition , noble , journey, grace and sacrifice to focus the rider 's mind on reality. They ought to be moving ahead , there is something  about the way that worries the  horse apart from cold and dark. They heard the sound of wind and downy flake. 

 In the fourth stanza Narrator finds the woods to be lovely and beautiful.  Here is paradox of language in words that woods are lovely , dark and deep. Dark and deep not matched with each other. it is dark and deep yet very attracting. He wants to stay there forever looking at how the snow flakes fall on the woods. But he can't do what he desires to do. He has many responsibilities to fulfill. He had made promise to someone seems his family members. It is his obligation to fulfill those promises. 

  This shows that he is very far off from his house and it's important to move and reach his house before it gets too late. The Narrator says that he have to travel many miles to reach his destination before he sleeps.  Sleep here denotes that before he get tired off traveling,  tired off physical tiredness or the deep meaning if sleep may be that before he retires to death there are lots of responsibilities he has to undertakemake. 

 The gist of the poem seems to be that the poet is deeply sad and deserted. He seems to have failed in his endeavour and still have much more responsibility in his life towards himself and his family. He knows that he has a long way to go and the time with him is less.