The Attraction of Woods on a Snowy Evening In Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, we follow what appears to be the traveler’s short journey through a beautiful snowy landscape. Words such as peaceful and serene come to mind. During the first few lines of this poem it seems as if this traveler has found an idyllic setting. However, upon closer examination, we have to ask the question of why this traveler has picked “the darkest evening of the year…to stop without a farmhouse near.” Does this traveler have other things on his mind beyond admiring the scenery? Let’s step into the setting of this poem and see what intentions this weary traveler had. Beginning with the title, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the reader already knows that the traveler is stopping to admire the falling snow in this wintery land. Sounds pleasing enough, yet the very first line alerts the reader to the fact that the traveler is somewhat cognizant as to who’s woods he is journeying through. He goes onto mention that the owner of the woods won’t know he is there since the owner lives in the village. This seems to give some indication that maybe there is more going on in this traveler’s mind. Almost a hint that he is either trespassing on this land or maybe he just doesn’t want anyone to know what he is up to. The fourth line of this poem, “To watch his woods fill up with snow”, seems to be a turning point where the reader is taken from this idyllic setting to almost a sense of uneasiness. While the subject of snow would seem to be light and carefree, the woods filling up with snow seems to have a heaviness about it.
As our traveler continues to describe the scene around him he notes that even his horse is a little unsure of why they are stopping in the middle of nowhere. After all, being surrounded by woods on one side and a frozen lake on the other, and it being the darkest night of the year, all make for a rather unsettling environment. Maybe the horse is in a better state of mind than our traveler? His description at this point, “the woods are lovely, dark and deep” seems to say that the traveler has an appreciation for this mysterious setting. Has our traveler just been out to enjoy the scenery or possibly a hunter enjoying his sport? Or is our traveler the one being hunted? Hunted maybe by just the worries and cares of life?
We know by the end of the poem that the traveler is indeed tired. Frost emphasizes this point by repeating the last line, “But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” Any traveler that has ever been on a long journey can relate to the feeling of being so exhausted but knowing there are still miles to go before you are home. It can be an overwhelming feeling. Whether this traveler was on a long journey heading home or just trying to find some solitude as he sorted out his journey through life, the fact remains that he seems to be drawn into this eerily quiet scene.
The first half of the poem seems to be moving and active, but toward the end of the poem Frost uses words that begin to lull both the traveler and reader into a dream-like setting. His use of wording such as, “the only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake” creates a feeling of ultimate relaxation. It’s at this point we see the traveler remind himself that he does have promises to keep. It’s almost as if he is saying that he can’t just give up.
There are many directions that the reader can go with this poem. I think Frost was describing a journey in which a traveler, possibly himself, found himself away from the cares of this world completely. While the setting was beautiful and serene, it also was equally ominous. The chances of freezing to death in a setting such as this are very real. Did the traveler journey through this remote setting with that purpose in mind? Maybe. Does the physical darkness and cold of this setting represent his psychological state? Possibly. The ending seems to suggest that he knew he had people or situations waiting for him, depending on him. Hopefully whatever his reason was for stopping by these woods on a snowy night, he was able to make peace with that and rejoin the world that was waiting for him.

Reference:
Frost, Robert. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 748. Print.

Poetry Essay Thesis for Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

Thesis:
Poetry
Why is this traveler stopping by the woods on this cold winter’s night? Could it be he is just admiring this beautiful snowy landscape so peaceful and quiet? Or is he traveling in these deep dark woods on “the darkest evening of the year” to escape his life and the responsibilities that accompany it?

Outline:

I. Thesis: why is this traveler stopping by the snowy woods? II. Describe literal setting of poem as it relates to the traveler and the symbolism. III. Describe the mood and tone of the snowy woods. IV. Describe use of phoenetics by narrator and the impact this has. V. Conclusion as to why this traveler/narrator has stopped by these snowy woods.