Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Analysis

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.

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a poem can be about more then one thing. it can be about suicide, balance, work versus nature and many other things. it all depends on your personal reading of it. and please guys, learn to spell when posting on a famous poem.
-k-

| Posted on 2009-09-24 | by a guest

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I think this poem is about a man with a wife and family who sees a beautiful married woman and is tempted by her "lovely, dark, and deep" beauty. The woods would be the beautiful women, the owner of the woods who is in the village would be her husband, and the horse thinking it queer shows that he is a married man

| Posted on 2009-09-17 | by a guest

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This poem is not about suicide mr frost even said so at the top! i like the poem because when you first read it you think that it is about a man walking through the woods and he is admiring the beauty., btut when you read it again you realise that it is about commitment and that you shouldnt be sidetracked.

| Posted on 2009-07-13 | by a guest

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This is a poem which has a good positive meaning. It has no connection with suicide. The poem depicts the urge of the poet to reach his 'objective'. He advises not to be distracted by the attractive things which may hinder you in reaching your objective. There may be very beatiful things to attract you temporarily which may prevent you to reach the objective.
It is a very good poem with a very good message to the readers.
Suresh Elattery.

| Posted on 2009-06-22 | by a guest

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Dear friends,
Thanks for enjoying my poem so much.
P.S:This poem is definitely not about suicide.
-Robert Frost

| Posted on 2009-06-20 | by a guest

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Hello???!!! How could this be a poem about suicide? I quote 'and miles to go before I sleep'. When I first read this ,I was like what the heck???!!! This sight gives you a good idea of just how much small things like this can be misunderstood. I mean, Mr. Frost himself said this poem wasn't about suicide! Seriosly people, LAY OFF!
With all due respect,
O.F.

| Posted on 2009-06-01 | by a guest

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This Frost poem, like much of his work seems very simple upon first reading, however it becomes apparent that there is much more to it than meets the eyes.
On one level, it appears Frost is concerned with the beauty of nature, using imagery of 'woods filling up with snow' this paints a white picture, which we could take to symbolise a purity of nature, represented by the woods.
The next stanza shows description of a horse, who 'thinks it queer / to stop without a farmhouse near'
which is odd, in this metaphorical image, humanity has stopped to appreciate nature, yet the horse is restless. Again the horse 'gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake' Frost's juxtaposition of two conflicting attitudes is strange here, I believe the horse could be a metaphor for the man's ambition, which he rides to his goals. This conflict could represent the struggle between transience and transcendence in man's nature.
The last stanza gives a more foreboding edge to the poem, the rhyme scheme here flattens out and becomes completely regular, with the last line repeated. The speaker is contemplating the woods which are 'lovely, dark and deep' this suggests an extended metaphor of death to me, that he is contemplating- even longing for. Although he remembers he has 'promises to keep' and 'miles to go before I sleep' This seems to be enough reason to stay alive, and he resents the duties and responsibilities which require him to do so. This is similar to 'A Leaf Treader' where the leaves touch the speaker's lips with 'an invitation to grief' again the speaker seems to be contemplating 'falling' with the leaves to his death, however he resolves to avoid it through labor and hoists his foot up 'to keep on top of another year of snow'

| Posted on 2009-05-19 | by a guest

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Lol, guys, the poem's about suicide. It's not just 'bout taking a ride in the woods. It's called an extended mataphore. Not everything should be taken litrally. Think about it. The horse giving it's bells a shake indicates that it's not use to having to stop in the middle of nowhere. So obviously the guy isn't just stopping for a view because the horse wouldn't think it "queer".

| Posted on 2009-04-29 | by a guest

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the story is about suicide because he says in he poem his horse which maybe can be his heads thinks it queer to stop without a farmhouse near so that explains alot and also the woods are lovely dark and deep so if hes starring at the woods that means hes gonna go in if its lovely its dark and its night if he wants to kill himself that go ahead but do it in a place where no one can see and deep can also me wild because a forest can be smll with domestic animals but this guy is seeing a huge forest with all the possible kinds of animals and plants

| Posted on 2009-04-05 | by a guest

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the story is about suicide because he says in he poem his horse which maybe can be his heads thinks it queer to stop without a farmhouse near so that explains alot and also the woods are lovely dark and deep so if hes starring at the woods that means hes gonna go in if its lovely its dark and its night if he wants to kill himself that go ahead but do it in a place where no one can see and deep can also me wild because a forest can be smll with domestic animals but this guy is seeing a huge forest with all the possible kinds of animals and plants

| Posted on 2009-04-05 | by a guest

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I also agree that this is not about suicide, nor do I agree with the fact that Robert Frost is talking about himself in the first two lines.
"Whose woods these are, I think I know.
His house is in the village though."
He is talking about God, because (apparently the persona is religious) he believes that the woods are God's woods alone, and no one else's. God's house IS in the village (the church), and drawing from most of Frost's other poetry about nature, he has strong feelings that nature belongs to no man or woman.
I agree that he is talking about death in the woods, but from the last two lines
"And miles to go I sleep"
he means that he will not be ending his life with a rocky suicide. He will live out the last "miles" of his life. He didn't say,
"And I'm sleeping right after I take a leak", or something like that, he said that he had "miles".

| Posted on 2009-03-30 | by a guest

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what i think abt this is that it is none abt suicide.
its actually simple abt the joujrney of life and bla bl bla
kanchan

| Posted on 2009-03-21 | by a guest

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Robert Frost wrote this poen after writing a very long one. After he finished it, he realized it was already morning, so he decided to go on a ride. He then stopped and got inspired and started writing. However, I do think he is making some kind of allusion to death. It may be possible he felt bad or even depressed, cause as many of yaŽll know he just kinda went away and lived apart from society...When he mentions the woods are lovely dark and deep...and miles to go before i sleep, he may be referring the woods as an eternal rest, meaning death. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.
m@r!

| Posted on 2009-03-18 | by a guest

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I believe this poem is about a beautiful ride on a snowy night and nothing more. Why? Because this is what Robert Frost himself stated at a lecture I attended.

| Posted on 2009-03-08 | by a guest

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This poem is about suicide.
i think the people who are telling themselves this poem is simpily about "a man stopping in the woods to enjoy the scenery" are just frightened of the presence of darkness. Thats not to say that those of us who arnt afraid to aknowledge its presence in this poem are morbid.
"whose woods these are i think i know/He will not see me stopping here" These line make it fairly obvious hes talking about himself. In response to those who think hes has stopped to contemplate wheather he should visit the farmhouse. i have no idea how you have drawn these conclusions, but the lines "my little horse must think it queer, to stop without a farmhouse near" suggest nothing of the personas consideration of going to the farmhouse, but rather that they are far away, unreachable, if anything. "To ask if there is some mistake." This further demonstrates the absurdity of the personas actions. One must assume that the persona probably visits farmouses regulary on his travels "To stop without a farmhouse near" these lines suggest he has before. However, the ponies confusion, tells us that he probably doesnt engage in these strange little contemplative reveries in the middle of nowhere, at a complete stand still, whilst he makes up his mind on wheather to go or not. "between the woods and frozen lake, the darkest evening of the year" This metaphor is talking about the personas dark indecision. He is "Between" to choices. Whether continues in the woods or "stops". I think the line "the darkest evening of the year" is fairly self explanatory.
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,"
these lines are demonstrating the temptation of death, through the allegory of the woods. This is a very strong wuote to support my theory. He uses the contradictory words, lovely and dark, together. This is solid proof of him entertaining dark thoughts, as an avenue of relief. the darkness seems so lovely in the face of whatever problem he facing. "Deep" suggests his longing to hide in them forever (death).
The fact that hes contemplating going into the woods in these lines is yet further proof of the persona having no longing to go to a farmhouse. Which, frost states earlier, is back in the village!
"but i have promises to keep/ and miles to go before i sleep". the personas decision is made in these lines and he is pulled out of his dark reverie."promises to keep" suggests family. the repetition of the line "and miles to go before i sleep" shows the personas exhaustion on behalf of his responsibilities defeating him, Overcomeing his selfish want, to give up. And most of all, they demonstrate the long, long way he has to go. The long, long time, in which he must live, despite his hardships, for the people he loves.

| Posted on 2009-03-08 | by a guest

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This poem does not at all talk about sucide. it rather talks abt 2 things ;one the poet is very tierd of travellin:{so he says i've milles 2 go be4 i sleep}and 2nd thin is the eternal sleep 'that is natural peacefull death [he says there are so many milles 2 go before he sleeps]in the last 2 lines.

| Posted on 2009-01-17 | by a guest

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Um yeah this poem is realy confusing?
But by reading what the girl/guy said under me
it makes sence. so ima stick what he or she sed
-PEtEStER

| Posted on 2008-12-29 | by a guest

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Come on, you guys! This is an analysis about not giving up. It's traveling in the woods with his horse. It's really cold outside and he sees a house. That's his opportunity to take a break but instead he persists (He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow). Despite the pressure he's facing to stop (he gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake), he refuses to quit.He admits the woods tempt him to rest (lovely for a rest, too dark and deep to keep going) but he had to persevere. He has promises to keep so despite knowing it will be awhile until he accomplishes his destination, he's going to keep going. He has a long way to go before he's succeeded. (And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before i sleep). Relate this to a personal experience in which you kept pushing forward despite wanting to stop. Geesh! Its not that hard!

| Posted on 2008-12-10 | by a guest

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The poem is about a man riding a horse in the countryside (many believe it is Massachusetts) with it pouring the snow. It talks on how beautiful the woods are and what it looks like with it beginning to snow. The reader can only believe that this is a reference to the Massachusetts countryside because where he lived in southern Britain it only rains. Massachusetts's snows all the time in the winter and from reading some of his other poems you can see that he likes woods. On his farm in Derry, Massachusetts he had several acres of woodlands.

| Posted on 2008-11-25 | by a guest

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i beleieve the poem is about the suicide especially when he decides to end with a sleep
how does any have occular proof and analysis to post or
send to

| Posted on 2008-11-18 | by a guest

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suicide??? why cant he just be traveling a long distance "many miles before i sleep" and stops to take a look at the beautiful scenery on a snowy night. once he has taken a good look around he decides it is time to go because he (like i staed before) has many miles to go before he sleeps... i dont understand why people have to be so negative about everything...

| Posted on 2008-10-28 | by a guest

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The readers who have convinced themselves that this poem is about suicide have never been out alone in the country or wilderness during a winter night in Northern New England. The overwhelming experience is one of natural beauty and tranquility. He stops to enjoy it for a brief moment, and then reluctantly moves on. It is a wonderful metaphor, not a desperate one. Any interpretation of the poem, and I'm not going to offer one, must square with that basic fact.
Suicide does not.

| Posted on 2008-08-22 | by a guest

.: suicide :.

I agree with the suicide thing. Although my analysis isn't nearly as profound as the poster's above me. The one thing that really makes me think this is the echo of "Miles to go before I sleep" at the end, as everyone knows death is the "big sleep". Also, the dark mood of the poem suggests this as well.

| Posted on 2008-02-10 | by a guest

.: suicide :.

I agree with the suicide thing. Although my analysis isn't nearly as profound as the poster's above me. The one thing that really makes me think this is the echo of "Miles to go before I sleep" at the end, as everyone knows death is the "big sleep". Also, the dark mood of the poem suggests this as well.

| Posted on 2008-02-10 | by a guest

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I think this may have to do with suicide but all of the lines have 8 sylables so none of the lines are more pronounced from the others.

| Posted on 2008-01-10 | by a guest

.: Life :.

This poem is about life. Robert Frost is making a huge analogy to a decision that will change his future. For him to stay in the woods is one choice. Or he could keep moving on. Its about a tough point in his life and the decision whether to lay down and quit or to keep going. it does say he has promises to keep. this suggests a family. he repeats the last line twice for more emphasis, saying he still has a good long life before him yet to live.

| Posted on 2007-11-07 | by a guest

.: Suicide? :.

I'm studying this for my A-level. I believe this poem to be about suicide.
'Between the woods and frozen lake' He is stuck with a big problem in life and can't find a way out.
'The darkest evening of the year.' could it be the darkest day of his life?
The 10th line, has 7 syllables, unike the rest, that have 8, Makes more of an impact.'to ask if there's some mistake' He is wondering if he is going to dot he right thinng or wrong thing.
soft sounding words such as, 'sweep,easy wind,downy flake' make it sound sleepy as if he's tired and fed-up with his life.

This changes with 'but i have promises to keep, and miles to go before i sleep' He changes his mind because he has realised he has important things in his life and he will die when God takes him. Which he has ages to wait for. The last line is repeated. Making it seem even longer untill he will die.
Also the snow melts away as life fades away.
Is 'he' God?
The 'stopping by' in the title is as if Frost is on his way somewhere but happens to stop of in the woods by chance, so maby he was walking to think through his life and suicide came up as an option before he thought it through properly and realised the consequenes.

| Posted on 2007-10-23 | by a guest