In the famous poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, a solitary traveler pauses one evening on his journey to an unknown destination to appreciate the beauty of snow falling in an isolated patch of woods. The narrator can pause for only a short time, though, because he has personal or professional "promises to keep."

The main theme of this poem has to do with the tension between the narrator's need for solitude and contemplation and his commitment to responsibilities that cause him to have "miles to go" before he can "sleep." In this context, "sleep" can stand not only for the taking of rest, but also for death. Life is like a journey that we undertake, and though we want to pause to appreciate moments of beauty along the way, we are all driven to move onward by our obligations or responsibilities.

The setting of the poem is an isolated place "between the woods and frozen lake" on "the darkest evening of the year." The traveler is all alone because there is no "farmhouse near." He pauses to watch the "lovely" woods fill with snow. The pause is something different from his usual routine, and even his horse takes notice of this.

The lovely but dark setting of the woods silently filling with snow reinforces the narrator's desire for solitude and contemplation. It is easy for readers to picture the scene of snow falling and to become enthralled and sympathetic toward the narrator's need to pause and reflect. The setting also reinforces the contrast between the narrator's desire for contemplation and his need to leave and carry on with his responsibilities.

How does the structure of the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” relate to its theme?

To answer this question, the first thing we need to do is identify some themes of Robert Frost's poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Some scholars mention hesitation and choice, obligations versus personal desires, and melancholy and isolation. The speaker is drawn to the peace and quiet of the woods. He would like to linger there longer, enjoying the beauty of the natural world, but his obligations draw him onward, and he must make a choice. He chooses to continue his journey, for he has “promises to keep” and miles yet to go, he says with a sigh.

The poem's structure reflects some of these themes. Its meter and tempo suggests the slow trot of the speaker's horse before the speaker stops to gaze at the woods. The first stanza sets up the idea of hesitation, for the speaker lingers to watch the “woods fill up with snow.” The speaker is all alone except for his horse, far away from the village, and no one can see him.

The poem's second stanza focuses on the horse, which seems a bit odd, but the confused animal represents the speaker's obligations. The horse needs the speaker's care. The mention of the “darkest evening of the year” suggests melancholy. The speaker is surrounded by darkness.

But his horse captures his attention again in stanza three by shaking his harness bells. There is an insistence in the horse, pressing the speaker to make a choice. The speaker contrasts the persistence of the bells with the quiet whisper of the wind and snowflakes. Again he hesitates and immerses himself in the isolation.

Yet in the last stanza, the time for choice has arrived. The speaker can hesitate no longer. He would rather stay and look at the woods, “lovely, dark and deep,” but he must move on. He repeats the final line with a sense of regret, the melancholy showing through his words as he leaves the isolation and goes back to the world of his obligations.

How can the text of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" help to explain the theme?

One of the central themes of the poem is the beauty of nature. To see this theme in the text, some of the more descriptive lines are useful

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.
(Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," eNotes eText)

This sets the immediate tone; the narrator is in winter, watching the woods "fill up with snow," and enjoying the silent nature scene. Frost uses simple words that work well together, drawing a mental image of a frozen lake surrounded by dark woods, and the snowfall. Although it is "the darkest evening of the year," there must be some moonlight or other ambient light for the narrator to see the woods; starlight wouldn't penetrate snow-clouds, so the image is of moonlit woods with "easy wind and downy flake" flowing through the trees.

The narrator sums up his feelings for nature with the line, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep," showing his desire to commune with nature. Although he can't take the time to enjoy the woods further, his memories and the mental picture painted by his descriptions are enough to keep him going as he travels "miles" to keep his "promises."