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Question: What do u think this poem is about!?
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Robert Frost!.
Whose woods these are I think I know!.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow!.
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!.
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!.
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!.
also can u give any pts that can argue against this poem!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I remember this poem
I'm not sure what do with arguments, but I remember we were discussing the poem, and how it mentions a person is at a point in his life where he must make a decision--the winter could represent a personal struggle, and the speaker gets off his horse(which may represent his will or conscience; since it says he "gives his harness bells to shake, To ask if there is some mistake", representing the speaker having 2nd thoughts) and stands in the middle, with the village behind him, where someone he knows resides-perhaps this represents him leaving the one he cares for(father, brother, son, friend, etc)--and ahead of him is the struggle he must go through!. He ponders on whether he wants to continue on, or give up--and the woods as he describes to be "lovely dark and deep" seem to be tempting him to leave, and disappear!. But in the last few lines he decides he has "promises to keep" or has more in life he must achieve, or perhaps damages he must fix, and it will be long before he can rest "miles to go before I sleep"!. I've heard some say it could be the speaker is contemplating dying, and the "miles before I sleep" meaning "years before I die"!.!.!.but you don't have to get that serious--just say struggle I guess!.
Btw, when you do your interpretation, say "they" instead of "he", I know some teachers don't want you to discriminate genders, I don't know about yours!. But there are different interpretations to the poem, I noticed the person above me had a different perspective, there is no wrong answer really!. I guess our different perspectives can count as your arguments!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
To sum it up in a short paragraph- It is simply about Robert riding his horse, who enters the woods and is indulged in it's beautiful natural calm and dark surroundings, fueled by his desire to rest and sleep!. His horse acting as his conscience, reminds him that they are not in a right place to stop, due to it's remoteness, and also due to the fact that they have somewhere to go to and they have to fulfill that promise!. And so they must travel on, revealed in the last sentences :)
Great poem!. Beautiful imagery, and the main point unpredictableWww@QuestionHome@Com
Heres a short summary of the poem:
On the surface, this poem is simplicity itself!. The speaker is stopping by some woods on a snowy evening!. He or she takes in the lovely scene in near-silence, is tempted to stay longer, but acknowledges the pull of obligations and the considerable distance yet to be traveled before he or she can rest for the night!.
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The poem explores the theme of the individual caught between nature and civilization!. The speaker's location on the border between civilization and wilderness echoes a common theme throughout American literature!. The speaker is drawn to the beauty and allure of the woods, which represent nature, but has obligations—“promises to keep”—which draw him away from nature and back to society and the world of men!. The speaker is thus faced with a choice of whether to give in to the allure of nature, or remain in the realm of society!. Some critics have interpreted the poem as a meditation on death—the woods represent the allure of death, perhaps suicide, which the speaker resists in order to return to the mundane tasks which order daily life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com