“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

My favorite Frost poem is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” which can be found here. Personally, I prefer reading poems that rhyme, and I love the rhyme scheme and rhythm that Frost creates. He uses the form AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD, with the third line in each stanza giving a hint of what the next one will sound like. Frost gives a crystal clear picture of a dark, cold, and snowy evening with the speaker taking a brief break from his journey, waiting between the woods and the lake (7-8). I like the mysterious tone this poem gives off, and it causes me to wonder about “whose woods these are” (Frost 1). Another aspect I enjoy about this poem is the description of the woods; Frost calls them “lovely, dark and deep” (13). It reminds me of how I might be drawn away from the path in the forest to go exploring or stray away from the clear path in life for some adventure. It also reminded me of the musical Into the Woods. In that musical, many characters find the woods alluring and have their wishes granted in the woods, but then they face the consequences. In the poem, the speaker wants to go to the woods, but he knows he has other commitments (Frost 13-14). The last two lines of this poem also intrigue me; the repetition makes me wonder if the speaker is talking about sleep or death. It drags out the distance that the speaker must travel, and it also slows down the speed I read the poem, perhaps implying death.

Robert Frost reading “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” along with sound effects: