In Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the speaker hears only the ringing of his horse’s harness bells and the "easy wind" upon the snow's “downy flake.” This peaceful forest is so quiet that even the gentle, snow-laced breeze is audible. Symbolizing the setting’s delicate serenity and security, it provides both audible and visual imagery.

Resembling down, or goose feathers, the snow is very fine and soft. Aside from his horse, the speaker is alone. He feels complete solitude. Frost’s word choice of “downy” subtly emphasizes the downward descent of the snow. Furthermore, the snow does not fall in solid and thudding lumps but in more ethereal “flake[s]” that the reader can hear as they are carried about by the light wind.

Visually, the “downy flake[s]” form a soft blanket upon the woodland floor, making the woods appear lighter and brighter against the darkness of the evening. The snow absorbs the rest of the sounds in the woods, adding to the tranquility of the scene.

Most importantly, the "downy flake[s]" symbolize safety and comfort. The speaker is alone with his horse in another man’s woods. Although he is technically trespassing on another person’s property, he is safe, metaphorically protected by the softness of the "downy" snow. The woods are not dark and foreboding but whitened by the “downy flake[s]” that cover everything.