Discussion Topic
The symbolism of the horse in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."
Summary:
In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the horse symbolizes the pull of responsibility and societal expectations. It contrasts with the allure of the tranquil, inviting woods, reminding the speaker of obligations and the journey ahead, thus preventing him from succumbing to the temptation of rest and isolation.
How does the horse symbolize the personal in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?
The horse is made personal through personification, and he also helps express the speaker’s thoughts and feelings, as well as emphasize his separateness from other people. As the poem begins, the reader does not know if the first-person speaker is alone or accompanied. The speaker’s gender is not indicated. They state, “I think I know” whose woods they are in or near. Their reference to the horse provides additional context and location, that they are between the woods and a lake, not near a dwelling.
The speaker also indicates possession and affection by saying, “My little horse.” A close relationship with the horse and an implication that no other human accompanies the speaker are also suggested. Instead of a person’s comments on the strangeness of the situation, the horse’s probable thoughts are provided. In the way they personify and humanize the horse, the speaker indicates their closeness: “My little...
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horse must think it queer” and “He gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake.” The uncertainty or possible error of stopping at this spot are emphasized by drawing the horse into the commentary. The speaker begins by saying that the owner “will not mind” them stopping by his woods, but then has the horse imply what they are doing is “queer” or “a mistake.” The speaker projects their uncertainty onto their only companion, the little horse.
References
What does the horse symbolize in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"? Does the speaker heed its command?
On the surface, "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a simple poem about stopping to look at a snowy wood and then having the narrator realize that he can't stay in the woods forever because he has other obligations that evening. However, like many of Frost's poems, it is possible to see several elements in this poem as symbolic.
The author concludes the poem by saying,
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. (13-16)
My little horse must think it queerThe horse is the only other being that is with the narrator in the woods, and the narrator imagines that the horse thinks his behavior is strange. He shakes his harness, suggesting that perhaps there is some mistake that's brought them here and prompting the narrator to return to the rest of the world instead of staying in the woods. Symbolically, the horse might represent the pressures of the outside world or the influence of society. The horse might also be a projection of the narrator's own conscience, questioning him about whether or not this is the correct move. Either way, whether looking at the poem literally or figuratively, the horse is the first reminder that breaks the narrator from his own deep contemplation of the woods and reminds him that he has to go back to the real world and its obligations.
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. (5-12)
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