Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Literature review Example

Close Reading of a Poem In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, Frost tells about the longing the protagonist of the poem has for a little adventure while he is on his way home one winter evening. He wishes to wander into woods, as he finds them to be a beautiful, curious sight, though he knows that he must not, as he is anxious to get himself and his horse home and out of the cold. He also realizes that he should not be there, though he is convinced that the owner of the woods is nowhere to be seen, nor to witness the man so close to his property. He stays for a moment to watch the snow turn the woods icy and white, but he eventually coaxes himself to continue on with his journey. What the poem does is share with the reader about this moment of indecision and longing; it is also moving for the reader, as Frost makes it clear that the thing the protagonist wants to do the most, which is to go into the woods, cannot be done. The reader feels and understands the excitement that comes with the thought of exploring these woods, as well as the disappointment that the protagonist would have felt upon realizing that it was not something that was going to happen on that day. The speaker of the poem can be anyone, as the poem is written in first person. It could be a random character, or it could even be Robert Frost himself. The constant use of the word “I” shows that the reader is being told the story from a firsthand perspective. Given that the man is with a horse and on his way home, trying to keep a promise, it can be assumed that he is a deliverer of some sort, or a messenger. In the same sense, the addressee can be anyone, or it could be, once again, Robert Frost, as though he is reliving this memory or is thinking these thoughts to himself. Even though the poem is from the first person perspective, it does not necessarily mean that the reader is the supposed addressee of the poem. Furthermore, the poem is written in present tense, making it seem as though the events taking place within the poem are happening now. The addressee can be debated upon, though as the poem is before the reader, it can be assumed that the reader is the addressee. The overall tones of the poem are that of solemness, curiosity and desire. The poem, as a whole, is quiet and calm; there are no harsh words or feelings, though Frost makes it clear that the protagonist is somewhat disappointed, yet this is done without the protagonist seeming actually depressed or upset. In regard to curiosity and desire, the protagonist is struck by the beauty of the snowy wood and has the desire to wander through the wood and explore it as it fills up with snow. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep (Frost line 13).” The reader is able to see the kind of desire and curiosity that the protagonist is feeling while he gazes upon these woods. Through the use of tone, Frost allows us to understand how the protagonist feels about the situation he finds himself in, as the poem is strong with these emotions. The woods that the protagonist is seeing can be seen as a metaphor for sleep or perhaps something a little more permanent, such as death. As the protagonist considers the woods, as well as their darkness and depth, he also recalls that he still has such a long way to travel before he is allowed to sleep. Furthermore, the condition that the woods are in would also suggest the ending of something. The snow itself, as well as it being “the darkest evening of the year (Frost 8)”, would suggest something coming to a close, whether it be the day or a life. As it is snowing, it can be assumed that it is winter, which takes place at the close of a year; in winter, plants and flowers die, and animals go into hiding. Again, the woods represent the end of something; after winter comes spring, which means that from this death there must be some kind of rebirth. However, as the protagonist eventually leaves the area, eager to get home for rest, sleep seems to be the more likely meaning of the woods. The protagonist is getting ready for the same winter slumber that creatures of the woods are. There is a rhyming scheme to the poem, in which the words at the ends of the lines rhyme with each other, as well as with other lines throughout the stanzas of the poem. The poem consists of a traditional meter, which is to say that it contains a total of sixteen lines, each with the distinct pattern of the words at the ends of the lines rhyming with lines further along in the poem. It is a typical, traditional poem in regard to rhyme and meter; this helps the reader to follow the poem a little more, as well as to make the poem some more pleasant and eager than depressing or any other harsher feeling, as a simple story could. The rhyming scheme also helps the reader to understand the story, as words that rhyme with one another help the reader to make connections between one line of the poem and another. Symbolism is another device that Frost uses to convey the purpose and meaning of the poem. Death and tiredness are symbolized throughout the poem, as well as life, which cannot only be seen in line 14, which says “but I have promises to keep,” but in the use of snow and the cold winter season. Death is symbolized by the darkness of both the woods and the night; life can be symbolized through the need of the protagonist to keep moving, to leave the area of the woods. Symbolism in the poem shows the strength of the protagonist to overcome death, as he realizes what he has with his life, as a living, breathing being. Personification is also used through the horse, who seems to act in an almost human behavior. “My little horse must think it queer [...], to ask if there is some mistake (5, 10).” This use of personification gives the impression that the protagonist is not alone, and that the horse has an opinion in regard to the matter of the protagonist wanting to explore the woods as the snow falls around them. The horse gives the protagonist reason to leave the woods and continue heading home, towards warmth and a bed to sleep. Through the use of a variety of literary devices, such as metaphors and personification, as well as others, Robert Frost made his poem not only more understandable to the reader, but he made it come to life. The descriptions and devices Frost used allowed the reader to be there in the woods, watching as the protagonist went through his moment of indecision, and as the horse became confused as to why they were there to begin with. It is because of these devices that the reader was capable of feeling sympathy for the protagonist, as they could understand his longing, and yet were also able to agree with him when he decided that it was best to leave the woods and continue on his journey home. Although the rhyming scheme and meter kept the reader on the mindset that they were, in fact, reading a poem, the literary devices gave the story, as well as the character, a life and a strong purpose. Works Cited Frost, Robert. Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening. Los Angeles: Penguin Group, USA, 2001. Read More