Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost

How many times has one come across a view so beautiful, they pause to absorb its visuals? The speaker in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost has most definitely done this. The woods he comes across in this story are so beautiful, he momentarily stops in the cold weather to take in the landscape. While one may not see the exact woods the speaker is passing through, imagery facilitates a small depiction for one to visualize, with the notion if one can see these woods, they can feel its beauty.

Through imagery, one takes in the poem’s theme: nature is so beautiful, it can provide one temporary escape from the stresses of everyday life.

In the very first line of the poem, the woods are mentioned, as they are mentioned in the title. With one’s early exposure to the woods, the significance of the woods to the poem is evident. However, the actual beauty of the woods is left to be conveyed through the imagery Frost employs.

Get quality help now

Doctor Jennifer

Verified writer

Proficient in: Free Essays

5 (893)

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

“Frozen lakes’ and “easy wind” are mentioned, along with the ‘Snowy Evening’ in the title. Through this, one learns that this poem is taking place during the winter. While this season suggests cold weather and is even called the “dead winter”, the speaker can still observe the allure of the woods, even on the “darkest evening of the year”. For the woods to be this beautiful in a season where nature is at its stiffest, most dormant state, one can only imagine how truly charming they were.

While the details only provide a slight glimpse of their appearance, the woods become the object of one’s eye in only 4 stanzas.

While imagery is the device used to describe the woods themselves, the speaker’s behavior also suggests the beauty of the woods, and through his behavior, the theme is conveyed as well. The speaker’s responsibilities are repeated, suggesting their importance, yet the speaker is still in awe of his surroundings. In fact, his little horse ‘thinks it queer’ that he pauses in the middle of the woods, an action one infers was a result of him pausing to observe the woods’ visuals in their entirety. The speaker is captured by the woods and is awed by them, describing them as ‘lovely’. However, he is ultimately brought back to his ‘promises’, repeating that he must continue on with ‘miles to go’. Frost suggests through the speaker that nature is so alluring and incredible, it can distract one from the demands and hardships one faces in their everyday life and schedule, no matter how pressing they may be. One can be absorbed and claimed by nature in an instant, just as the speaker was captured by the woods.

While appearing short and resolutely simple, Frost’s poem is much deeper, just as the woods were. By using imagery, Frost illuminates his work’s theme through the actions of the speaker, suggesting that nature can distract one from the difficulties they face in their lives. One may find themselves in a dilemma such as the speaker’s, in which they have promises to keep, no matter how seductive Mother Nature is.