illustration of a snowy forest with a cabin in the distance

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Start Free Trial

Analysis

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

In this poem, Frost uses imagery, connotation, and repetition in order to convey the idea that nature is a tranquil place that can make us feel peaceful when little else does. Frost uses a visual image when the speaker describes watching the "woods fill up with snow." We can easily imagine the sight of the snow piling deeper and deeper around the tall brown trees in this forested area. Frost also uses an auditory image when the speaker describes the only other sound he hears—other than his horse's harness bells jingling—as being the "sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake." The sound of the wind shushing through the trees and sweeping up the soft and fluffy snowflakes would be next to nothing, but the specific description is so much more effective in setting the scene than simply describing the woods as nearly silent.

Further, the poem uses words like easy, downy, lovely, and deep, all of which have positive connotations. These words, along with the images I've already described, combine to create a mood of tranquility and calm. Despite the fact that this is the "darkest evening of the year," and the speaker finds himself alone in the woods—circumstances which could make feel one uneasy or even fearful—this speaker seems to revel in the quiet and the darkness and the beauty he finds around him.

Finally, the repetition of the penultimate line—"And miles to go before I sleep"—conveys a yearning, or the sense of longing that the speaker has, to stay here. Although he clearly wishes to remain here, at peace in these woods, he feels that he has commitments which he has no choice but to honor. He has "promises to keep" that prevent him from resting here for long. He, in fact, has quite a long way to go—"miles" in a horse-drawn vehicle—before he can stop for a real rest. It is obvious, however, that he feels drawn to remain in this peaceful place, set apart from the village and anyone who might disrupt the tranquility he feels here.

Forms and Devices

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Robert Frost wrote to Louis Untermeyer in 1923 that “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” would be his “best bid for remembrance.” Frost’s instincts were correct, but like Walt Whitman’s famous “Captain, My Captain,” Frost’s poem is often remembered for all the wrong reasons. Part of its appeal, surely, is its simple and accessible narrative, which contains only sixteen words that are more than one syllable. In addition, Frost’s end-stopped lines, accentuated by the insistent rhyme, make the poem easy to remember.

Frost, born in California, worked hard at developing the persona for which he is now mostly known—the farmer-poet from New England, the writer of Currier & Ives miniatures. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is Frost’s most memorable “genre study” in his “New England” manner, though examination of the poem reveals nothing distinctively regional about it at all. Despite Frost’s reputation as a regionalist, his lyrics are generally so underdescribed that they tend toward allegory or parable. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is an example of Frost’s art in this respect: It gains its power by suggestion and implication, in its stark understatement, powerfully conveying a depth and fullness of human experience. It is, as Frost remarked, “loaded with ulteriority.”

Criticism of the poem has generally treated it allegorically or biographically, and it is easy to see why. Like “The Road Not Taken,” another frequently misread lyric, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is almost earnest in its simplicity, though close attention to the text shows it to be more crafty than at first it appears. For example, as is often the case in Frost’s first-person lyrics, the speaker of the poem is not to be mistaken for the poet himself, nor is the “I” in a Frost lyric always credible or aware of the complexity of his reflections.

Thus, in this poem, the speaker indicates that his horse thinks it “queer” for them to stop, though it is evident that whatever the horse may think or feel, it is the speaker who projects his own anxiety onto the horse. The poem is constructed as the speaker’s reflections of the event, and the first line indicates the speaker’s sense that the woods are owned. Thus, some nameless feeling of impropriety or perhaps social violation keeps him from his ease. Consequently, his abrupt dismissal of the wood’s allure and his lofty response that he has “promises to keep,” though idealistic and possibly true, sounds like a dodge. Mistaking the speaker for Frost himself, one could miss the author’s implied criticism of the speaker’s sentimentality—who avoids the issue of why he stops by taking refuge in rhetoric and cliché.

To read “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” as simply a story about a weary traveler longing for the comforts of home, or even to allegorize it as the journey of Everyman, is to miss the subtle qualities that identify it as a Frost lyric. For one thing, Frost balances the onward rhythmic pull of the verse against the obvious stasis of the poetic scene itself: The speaker never arrives, nor really leaves; he is simply always stopping. Frost also arranges the natural scene so as to heighten the drama of the encounter and to reveal its symbolic density. Finally, Frost’s sense of dramatic and contextual irony undercut the simplicity of the narrative. After all, despite the speaker’s confident assurance about where he is going and the miles he has yet to go, his restiveness (projected onto the horse) and the vagueness of the future “promises” he must keep reveal his assurance to be, in a word, a fiction. This is an important point for Frost. Frost celebrated the necessity of imaginative extravagance in human affairs, but he knew well enough that the imagination traps as well as frees.

Historical Context

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" was first published in 1923, a time when society was rapidly evolving. Across various aspects of life, new perspectives were emerging, challenging long-standing traditions. In literature, the works of James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot redefined established structures. In the art world, while Dadaism was a fleeting movement, Cubism became a lasting influence. Mainstream architects began to embrace the groundbreaking ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright. Musicians like Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet pioneered jazz, America's native musical genre. The theories of Darwin, Marx, Freud, and Einstein transcended academic circles and became common topics of conversation at dinner tables and in popular magazines. This swift pace of social change likely unsettled those accustomed to a slower era. Many readers could relate to the narrator of "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," who pauses to appreciate nature's tranquility before returning to his obligations.

Discussions about the influx of new ideas in the 1920s often highlight the end of World War I in 1919. Unlike previous conflicts, this war prompted people to question the value of human life, as advancements in long-range weapons, rapid troop movements, and the introduction of combat aircraft expanded the scope of warfare while devastating individual lives. Consequently, many literary figures of the 1920s experienced a sense of alienation, feeling disconnected from the broader world. This detachment made it easier for them to break away from traditional norms. American artists, in particular, felt even more estranged when they discovered they could live more affordably in France due to the rising value of the American dollar: in 1919, a dollar bought eight francs; by 1923, it was worth sixteen; and by 1926, it fetched twenty-five francs. This physical and cultural distance allowed them to view their homeland more objectively, often leading to new artistic styles. Robert Frost, who had lived in England from 1912 to 1915 as his literary career was beginning, may have gained a clearer perspective on American values from afar. However, this did not result in a radical change in his style. The words he wrote about poet Edward Arlington Robinson in 1935 apply equally to Frost himself—that he "stayed content with the old-fashioned way to be new."

Another form of alienation that gained widespread recognition among mainstream Americans in the 1920s was the Marxist concept of "alienation of labor." Since the late nineteenth century, the world had experienced rapid industrialization. This shift meant that a generation, like that of Robert Frost, who grew up on farms, was now predominantly living in cities. For factory workers, this transformation involved selling their time to employers during work hours. For intellectuals, it signified that society placed higher value on factories than on natural landscapes like streams or meadows, as factories provided employment. Writers highlighted the dual indignity of workers who not only disrupted nature but also sacrificed their lives for twelve to fourteen hours daily. The Russian Revolution of 1917, viewed as a victory for Communism, inspired laborers with hope that the concentration of power among a few wealthy individuals could be overturned, allowing people to control their own futures. During the 1920s, Communist organizations thrived across America, as did various labor unions and workers' groups. While some of these organizations were radical and endorsed violent methods to change the government, most, such as the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, operated within the system and remain influential today.

Popular media often refer to this era as "the Roaring Twenties," presenting images of a fast-paced urban life increasingly dominated by automobiles and violent organized crime. To some extent, this depiction is accurate. In 1895, there were only four automobiles on U.S. roads, but by 1920, this number had surged to eight and a quarter million, and by 1927, it had doubled again. The factories required to build these vehicles drew people from farms and other countries into the cities. With Prohibition outlawing liquor from 1919 to 1933, significant profits were made by those who illegally supplied alcohol, and these criminals resorted to violence to protect their earnings from rivals. While the popular imagination is captivated by the glamorous and thrilling aspects of the 1920s, it often overlooks the unease people felt as they witnessed the tranquil countryside disappearing. Robert Frost captures this sentiment in his poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening."

Literary Style

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is composed in iambic tetrameter. The term "iambic" indicates that each metrical foot consists of two syllables, the first being unstressed and the second stressed. "Tetrameter" signifies that each line is made up of four metrical feet, resulting in a total of eight syllables per line. This concept becomes clearer when we scan a line to diagram the meter:

Of easy wind and downy flake.

When scanned, the line appears as follows:

Of eas / y wind / and down / y flake.

Such metrical structures typically give poetry a more musical quality. Occasionally, a line may deviate from the established pattern, often highlighting the significance of that particular line.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" also employs rhyme to enhance its musicality. For the first three stanzas, the rhyme scheme remains consistent, following the pattern aaba bbcb cede. In the fourth stanza, however, all lines rhyme with "d." This means, in the first stanza, lines one, two, and four rhyme with each other, while line three ("here") stands out. In the second stanza, lines one, two, and four rhyme with "here," and the rhyme in line three, "lake," is carried into the third stanza. This pattern interlinks the stanzas and suggests that the ideas within them are closely connected.

Expert Q&A

What does "previous obligations" mean? Is the author's tone in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" suspenseful, peaceful, or cold?

"Previous obligations" refer to responsibilities or duties committed to before other events arise. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the author's tone is sympathetic, presenting the speaker's simple, relatable desire to rest and appreciate nature despite his duties. While the poem's mood can be described as peaceful due to its simple, positive language and tranquil imagery, the tone is not suspenseful or cold.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" - Tone and Poetic Form

The tone of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is contemplative and serene, reflecting the speaker's appreciation for the tranquil, snowy scene. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter and follows an AABA rhyme scheme, creating a soothing and rhythmic quality that complements its reflective mood.

Compare and Contrast

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

1923: The Soviet Union was established, broadening the Communist domain created by the Russian revolution of 1917.

1945: Following the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, the Soviet Union emerged as one of the world's two superpowers, alongside the United States.

1990: The Soviet Union dissolved as its member states sought independence.

Today: Many former Soviet Union nations are part of the Commonwealth of Independent States, where civil wars over ethnic property rights are common.

1923: About 42 percent of the land in the United States was used for farming, with roughly 30 percent of the population living on farms, a decrease from 41 percent at the beginning of the century.

1940: Farmland constituted 46.8 percent of U.S. acreage, and 23.2 percent of the population resided on farms.

1960: Farmland made up 49.5 percent of U.S. acreage, while 8.7 percent of the population lived on farms.

1980: Farmland accounted for 44.8 percent of U.S. acreage, with 2.7 percent of the population residing on farms.

Today: Advances in machinery and bio-engineering allow for higher agricultural yields in smaller areas with fewer workers.

Media Adaptations

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

In 1957, Decca released an audio recording called "Robert Frost Reads the Poems of Robert Frost."

A video titled Robert Frost, which is part of the Poetry America Series, can be obtained through AIMS Media.

The videocassette Robert Frost, from volume 3 of the Voices and Visions Series, is available from Mystic Fire Video.

A 1958 interview with Robert Frost is accessible on video cassette from Zenger.

Bibliography and Further Reading

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Sources

Cox, James M., Editor, Robert Frost: A Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice Hall, 1962.

Cox, James M., "Robert Frost and the Edge of the Clearing," in The Virginia Quarterly Review, Vol. 35, No. 1, Winter 1959, pp. 73-88.

Frost, Robert, Collected Poems, Prose, and Plays, Library of America, 1995.

Gerber, Philip L., Critical Essays on Robert Frost, G.K. Hall, 1982.

Kemp, John C., Robert Frost and New England: The Poet as Regionalist, Princeton University Press, 1979, p. 273.

Ogilvie, John T., "From Woods to Stars: A Pattern of Imagery in Robert Frost's Poetry," in South Atlantic Quarterly, Vol. LVIII, No. 1, Winter 1959, pp. 64-76.

Potter, James L., Robert Frost Handbook, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1980.

Thompson, Lawrance, Robert Frost: The Years of Triumph 1915-1938, Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

For Further Study

Cramer, Jeffrey S., Robert Frost Among His Poems, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. Inc., 1996.
Cramer provides a concise yet comprehensive background for nearly every poem Frost wrote. An essential resource.

Johnson, Paul, Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Eighties, New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1983.
Although not as engaging as Geoffrey Perrett's book mentioned below, it is rich with factual details. Perrett, Geoffrey, Americans in the Twenties, New York: Touchstone Books, 1983.
This book is packed with intriguing stories that vividly depict the decade. It covers all facets of life.

Suchard, Alan, et al., Modern American Poetry, 1865-1950, Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1989.
The author portrays Frost as a complex and brilliant individual, starkly different from the image one might derive from his poetry.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Characters

Next

Quotes

Loading...