Commentary on "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

Line by line analysis

 -The narrator is in the woods; they do not belong to him though.                                                                                                 -He is alone and far from civilization.                                                                                                                                                   -He does not want to be seen, he wants to be alone.

 -The woods are peaceful, relaxing and tempting.    
 -Something isn't right...                                                               
 -They don't belong there, they should be somewhere else.
 -The woods, while peaceful, are still cold. 

 -Not only are the woods cold, they are dark too.
 -His horse "wakes" him from his daydream.
 -His horse plays the part of his conscience by warning him.  
 -He is still distracted by the solitude of the woods. 
 -He is spell-bound by its tranquil peace.
 -He wants to stay...
 -But he knows he can't, he has responsibilities.
 -He has much to do before he can rest.     
 -He emphasizes this, perhaps to further convince himself.
 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

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.

-Robert Frost

     Robert Frost used several techniques in his poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". He chose techniques such as, diction, imagery, repetition, personification, onomatopoeia, and symbolism. The woods are a symbol in themselves. They represent solitude, temptation or escape. On the other hand, the village symbolizes civilization or security. The woods to the narrator are a means of escape from the responsibilities of everyday life. The darkness and cold of the woods only seem to entice him. The horse, as opposed its master, does not want to be in the woods. This is when personification comes into play. The horse was personified once when Frost says that he "think[s]" (5) and again when he "ask[s]" (10). With words like, "sweep"(11) and "easy"(12), the author adds diction to the poem. Through the use diction and imagery, Frost created a scene that was inviting yet eerie. Frost cleverly used repetition at the end of the poem. By repeating the last line, he was showing that the narrator wanted very badly to stay and lose himself in the woods, yet he knew he couldn't. He had to repeat this to remind himself of the responsibilities he had elsewhere. The theme in this poem seems to be temptation. The narrator becomes so tempted by the dark, lonely woods that he considers leaving all responsibilities behind.  

p.s.   I am sorry that the set-up may be confusing. I have had a lot of trouble with this computer and this was the best I could do.