During a snowy winter night, a traveller and his horse stop near the woods. The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” shows us the attraction the persona is feeling towards the darkness, the loneliness and the newness of the woods. Robert Frost opposes two worlds in the interior monologue of the persona, one being civilization, which is associated with duty, and the other nature, which represents temptation. In order to make this opposition appear, the poet multiplies the use of words and sounds referring to each of these universes.

The opposition between civilization and nature is shown in every stanza. Stopping by woods, the persona is uncertain about who their owner is. Although these woods might be wild, they belong to someone who lives in the village. While starting to admire the environment, the traveller keeps thinking about the outside world. Nevertheless, he decides to make these woods his own for the time being, “To watch his woods fill up with snow.” (verse 4). Soon after, he is reminded of civilization by his horse, which acts as a witness. The persona and his horse are on their way and they are not supposed to stop until they have reached their aim. Despite this, the persona stops, “Between the woods and frozen lake / The darkest evening of the year.” (verses 7 and 8). He is fascinated and attracted by the scenery and the quietness “Of easy wind and downy flake” (verse 12) but his horse reminds him of civilization and breaks the silence when “He gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (verses 9 and 10). In the final stanza, the traveller, subdued by the woods that are described as “[…] lovely, dark and deep” (verse 13), seems tempted to change the course of his life by ending his journey there, which would almost certainly lead him to death, as the scene takes place on a cold winter night. In this case, the woods could represent the end of life, in opposition to the outside world which would mean to accept his destiny and returning to his social obligations. In the three last verses of the poem, conscience of the outside world and its duties take over the persona’s thoughts. He mentions still having a long way to go before being able to sleep.

The opposition between nature and civilization is reinforced by the use of a rhyme pattern. In the first stanza, the “o” sound appears at the end of every verse but the third, suggesting the softness of the landscape and making the reader feel the peacefulness of the setting. In addition, the rhythm of every verse, composed of four feet and unstressed syllables followed by stressed ones (iambic), enhances this feeling. The combination of iambic feet and the predominant use of monosyllabic words makes the poem sounds like a soft melody. As and when the poem goes on, the rhymes progress, becoming a little bit harsher, introducing a feeling of worry coming from the outside, as when the horse “[…] gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (verse 9 and 10).

All along the poem, the persona hesitates between civilization and nature. He seems hypnotised by the woods and would like to remain there. If he decides to remain, his destiny would be completely changed. The uncertainty remains until the last verse of the poem and there is no clear indication that the persona chooses to go on. However he is aware of his duties and of the choice he has to make.

A traveller, a carriage, and a horse in a snowy scenery. The traveller stops for a moment and contemplates the scenery before being called back to his duties. This process of daydreaming and then being forced back to reality is a strong theme in Frosts poem. This text describes the contrast between a poetic daydream and reality and raises curiosity towards what the underlying meaning of the poem is. Robert Frost uses a contrast between contemplative vocabulary then more grave words, using the metaphor of woods on a winter solstice to bring us into some sort of trance, before switching back to the real world with a different rhyme scheme and new kind of vocabulary. This stylistic effect brings our attention to the distinction between two states of mind, two “worlds” that we might not have been aware of at first.

The first important element of this poem is contrast. It brings forth the fact that there is two parts in the poem. Those two parts, or states, are “daydream” (3 first stanzas), a contemplative state where the traveller is being evasive about his intentions and “reality” (last stanza), where he goes back to his duties. These states are made separate by, for example, the style they are written in. The poetic persona uses different techniques in the two parts, a different range of vocabulary to create different atmospheres. The three first stanzas are written in an AABA rhyme scheme, the fourth is written in an AAAA scheme. This is the first technical difference that helps seeing two different parts in the poem.

The reader gets used to a first rhythm and associates it with the atmosphere of the stanzas, so when this rhythm breaks, it triggers a reaction, giving the signal that something has changed in the mood of the poem. It also hints a sense of motion, the feeling that the carriage is continuing its route after this brief stop by the woods. The first part (stanzas 1 to 3) and  second  part  (4th  stanza)  also contain different kinds of vocabulary. The persona first uses a contemplative vocabulary: he is talking about the nature that surrounds him (“no farmhouse near”, “woods and frozen lake”). During the last stanza, when the speaker is brought back to reality as his horse chimes his bells, the vocabulary changes. The word “promises” is highlighted by two stressed syllabus. The repetition of the last line emphasizes the idea determination in the travellers mind to keep said promises. The distinction between those two parts, made clear through the use of different writing techniques, puts in light the contrast between the poetic and real world.

Analysing this poem was helpful to understand the process behind it; it is now easier to get how these two different atmospheres are created. When the speaker first gets through a meditative state, the contemplative vocabulary and repetitive AABA rhyme scheme brought the reader along in this  daydream, before breaking the previously established rhythm and changing the mood. What is essential in this poem really revolves around this contrast. The poem ultimately brings our attention to this: an absence of contrast would make us unable to tell the difference between the poetic and the real world. The fact that the woods are described as mysterious adds the question of what would have happened if the persona did not have a horse to chime his bells to wake him up, if there was no way to see the difference between what is real and what is not anymore.

In a wintery forest a traveller with his horse hesitates to stop in the woods to rest instead of continuing his journey and therefore accomplishing his mission elsewhere. The specific arrangement of rhymes supported by an iambic tentrameter and the use of mostly monosyllabic words at the end of each line create the effect of reading a lullaby. This precise application works calming not only to the reader but also represents the speaker‘s struggle: to keep a clear mind, not getting seduced by the compelling wood and going to sleep, perhaps without awakening.

Slight alterations and discrepancies of meter and rhythm can change possible interpretations of a poem. In the last stanza there is an intensification of the simplification of the rhyming pattern (aaba bbcb ccdc dddd). The last sentence “And miles to go before I sleep” (15­16) is a couplet and stands out because there is a repetition of it. Also, form and content stand in contrast to each other: repetition and simplification of rhymes in the whole stanza lead to an easy and calming reading flow, thus the idea of reading a lullaby. However, the persona is saying that he can not go  to sleep yet. Clearly this ambiguity shows his dilemma to chose between rationality and levity.

The word sleep often gets connected with death. In this sense sleep is a metaphor for death. The woods that he finds “lovely, dark and deep” (13) would represent his tomb and “the darkest evening of the year” (8) his day of death. The enumeration of “lovely, dark and deep” – one with a positive and two with a negative connotation – support the idea of the persona’s affection of staying and going to sleep/die in the forest. There are only three signs of awakening in the poem: firstly his horse that “(…) must think it queer / To stop without a farmhouse near” (5­6), secondly the horse again that “(…) gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (9­–10) and thirdly the “But I have promises to keep” in line 14. These statements all represent the village, community and especially obligations and do not come from the protagonist’s inside, meaning that these revolts do not accord with his longing. Like a wakeup­call the horse’s bells interrupt the quiet, snowy being of the forest and remember him that there is a life beyond it.

The poem is written in first person’s narrator’s perspective. He is projecting his own thoughts onto the horse’s: “My little horse must think it queer” (5). There is no perception of the animal itself, no evidence that it really exists. The solitude is also shown by the noise level in the woods. “The only other sound’s the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake” (11­12). The word “easy” however makes this loneliness pleasurable and shows again that the persona has an affection towards the woods and its promises.

At first sight simple, logical and structured, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a poem that shows the divergence of two different worlds the protagonist is struggling with. The one, that is dangerous, lonely but free and the other where obligations are part of but a social life is present that can keep you from misery. The persona does not fear death and could choose this option as alternative to live his desires.

Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening can be summed up in one simple choice: keeping promises or deciding not to and dive into the unknown. The persona is torn between these two options. When reaching the woods on a dark evening, he should continue his road and simply cross them. But while stopping his horse to watch the snowfall, he is distracted and faces this dilemma. By showing this moment of hesitation and how attracted to the woods the persona is1, this poem illustrates the difficulty of keeping promises.

While he rides his horse, on the way to keep his promises, the persona has a moment of aberration. Although he is not supposed to, he stops in the middle of the woods to watch the nature surrounding him and consider his options. “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.”(lines 5-8) In this extract, the behaviour of the horse demonstrates that something is going wrong, or at least not according to the original plan. It may be used to stop in a farmhouse when the persona has to sleep or eat, but this is unusual. Its rider puts his commitments aside while he contemplates the woods. He may be hesitating about settling down here for a longer amount of time, or even take a totally different road and get away from his promises. The fact that the evening is very dark can also reflect the persona’s mind; he is in complete darkness and doesn’t know what to do anymore. The woods represent a chance to free him from his responsibilities, and he considers this option while he stops in them, fascinated by the opportunity he sees.

But he soon realises that he must take a decision quickly when his horse brings him back to reality. When it demonstrates its incomprehension, its rider understands that he cannot wait any longer, that he has to choose once and for all. “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.” (lines 9-12) There is a lot of suspense in this stanza. So far, the poem has built up to this crucial decision and it is finally the turning point of the story. By shaking its harness bells, the horse is asking a question to the persona. It is waiting for an answer, a direction, a choice. The description of the sound atmosphere of the scene adds up to the suspense. Those kinds of noises, the wind one especially, are often used today in cinema, especially in thrillers or horror movies, in order to accentuate the tension. The last stanza eventually breaks this suspense  when  the persona choses to keep his promises and continue his road, although it is mentioned that “The woods are lovely, dark and deep.” (line 13) The dark and deep can seem pejorative at first, but it also means freedom and many opportunities for the persona. This demonstrates that he was highly tempted to let go of his responsibilities and nearly did.

The persona finally choses to stick to his commitments, but it is obvious throughout the poem that it has been a very hard decision for him to make. The woods offer him a way out, a path to freedom, and he seriously considers taking it, before finally deciding not to. The poem does not state whether it is the good or the bad choice; it just shows how difficult it was to keep his promises.

1 Inspired by Isis Giraldo in EC class

In « Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening », the speaker is stopped by the fantastic nature around him, as represented by the frozen woods all around. Through the quietness of these wonderful woods that seems to keep the moment frozen in time, the narrator transmits a sort of ambiguity between the beauty of this snowy nature and the feeling to be uncomfortable, there, outside, at “the darkest evening of the year” (8). While he nostalgically stays a few moment contemplating the woods saying “He will not see me stopping here” (3), he unveils the importance of the fact he doesn’t want to be seen in this place, thus demonstrating the regrets of a past or some mistakes made in relationship with this house and his owner.

The narrator’s horse maintains the moment in the present, who gives the impression to be stopped by frozen nature. As the speaker observes the woods in front of him, he mentions then his horse, like “My little horse must think it queer / To stop without a farmhouse near” (5-6), as he was just remembering that he was not in a dream.1 Furthermore, when the narrator says “He gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (9-10), he recognizes having some doubt about being in the reality or in a lapse of time totally disconnected from reality. The person who shakes the horse allows to break the rhyme and the silent atmosphere with “The only other sound” (11).

The same attraction of this place can be observed with the house, which he is in  front of. In particularly when the narrator speaks about her owner using « His house  is in the village though » (2), relating he was not sure to remember that this house has still been there, although he was pretending knowing these woods. It could be interpreted that the narrator wants to keep in secret his visit in these woods when he adds « He will not see me stopping there / To watch his woods fill up with snow » (3- 4), like to keep in secret he was coming back to this place he seems to be prohibited for him.2 In spite of he seems to be not allowed to be there for something he has maybe failed, he stays static there, as he was been bewitched by the snowy woods.

The irresistible attractiveness shows the contrast between the darkest evening of the year and the beauty of the woods filling up with snow. The « downy flake » (12) and the « easy wind » (12) affirm a soft and sweet atmosphere of these trees.3 However, there is something dark and frightening behind this snow, which gives to nature a magical aspect. The speaker confirms it with « The woods are lovely, dark and deep »

(13) that he has a painful past in link with these woods, that they have a beautiful physical appearance but a dark and afflictive signification. He finally says he « have promises to keep / And miles to go before I sleep » (14-15). These promises reinforce he is indebted to someone. It suggests he has had an unhappy ending with this person or about something with this person and now he has to fix it with. And until the promises’s end, he probably wouldn’t come back in these woods with conscience at rest.4

This poem insists on the huge ambiguity between the fascinating snow of the woods and the darkness of the promises’s narrator. He has a hurting past behind him, regrets and doubts about his future. He looks like he is not sure about keeping his promises to fix the past, there is a long ride before the end. The narrator’s hesitation can be felt in the poem. And maybe this snow affects all the narrator’s regrets with positivism and contends the darkness or just hide the sadness of these promises too difficult to realize for him.

1 Hypothesis made by the Introduction to Literary Analysis’ class

2 A general feeling felt by the class of Introduction to Literary Analysis

3 Perception of a teacher from the Introduction to Literary Analysis’ class

4 The thought of a student of the Introduction to Literary Analysis’ class

In Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, the persona deals with the inner struggle to choose between his instinct or his rational thought which are seen respectively through the contrast of the narrator’s desire to stay by the woods longer and the promises he has to keep throughout the poem. At the end of the poem, the narrator chooses to continue his long journey thanks to his horse who can be seen as the narrator’s external consciousness which brings the narrator to his senses.

The narrator’s growing desire to stay by the woods is caused by the peaceful atmosphere and beauty of the place. The woods are “lovely” (13) and “fill up with snow” (4). The snow, which is white and soft, can be seen as a metaphorical blanket which covers the narrator, protects him from the coldness and makes him want to sleep there. The rhythm of the poem sounds like a lullaby and almost makes the narrator fall asleep. The persona’s desire to stay is also expressed by the lack of people in the area. There is no “farmhouse near” (6) and the owner of the woods is not here: “His house is in the village, though; / he will not see me stopping here” (2-3). The fact that the woods belong to somebody makes his desire more important, because it is the propitious moment to stay. There is a sense of inactivity as everything around the narrator is still which is illustrated by the “frozen lake” (7). Furthermore, “The only other sound’s the sweep/Of easy wind and downy flake” (11-12) brings quietness and emphasizes the fact that the speaker is alone and feels in peace. All these factors, beauty, quietness, peacefulness and solitude make the narrator feel a growing desire which causes a dilemma in his choice.

In contrast to the attraction towards the woods, the narrator has obligations. These obligations are illustrated by the horse who is a reminder of the narrator’s constraints: “My little horse must think it queer / To stop without a farmhouse near” (5-6). The animal does not understand why they stopped, because there is no logical reason: there is nothing around, it is cold and it is also “the darkest evening of the year” (8). The horse behaves in a rational way; thus he is the voice of reason. In order to wake his master, the horse “[he] gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (8-9). The word “shake” can also be used as a verb, the horse shaking the narrator, so that he can come back to his rationality, because the speaker is too subjugated by the beauty of the woods. Moreover, the alliteration of [s] and [k] in these lines brings a louder sound in the poem that can be interpreted as an echo of the bells ringing. The narrator’s responsibilities prevail over the desire to stay by the woods: “But I have promises to keep” (14). At the end of the poem, the speaker tries to convince himself that it he has made the right decision as he repeats twice: “And miles to go before I sleep” (15).

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” illustrates well the behaviour of a man being absorbed by his desire. The persona’s decision is confusing because he is captivated by a place where everything seems to be advantageous on the one hand; on the other, however, he has to fulfil his duties. Stopping by the woods is an emotional moment for the narrator, but the horse quickly brings him back to his rationality. Continuing his road is more reasonable than staying by the woods too long.

In Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening the persona takes a rest “without a farmhouse near” (l.6). The persona is divided between his desire to stop by the woods and the duty he needs to fulfil. This envy is motivated by the attractiveness of nature thanks to its depiction and thanks to the regularity of the meter and the rhymes. At the same time, the horse who wants to leave, serves to alert the persona as to wake him up from the dream created by the woods.

The main idea of the poem is about the duality the persona faces throughout the poem. On one hand there is his will to dwell in contemplation in the compelling woods and on the other hand his promises he needs to keep. The nature beckons him in a way that makes him stop “to watch […] woods fill up with snow” (l.4). The attractiveness is emphasized by the depiction of the peaceful nature the persona faces thanks to the sounds of “sweep of easy wind and downy flake” and the sight of the woods that are “lovely, dark and deep” (l.11-12-13). This description makes this place feel cosy and appealing. In addition this feeling of a peaceful place is stronger as a result of the regularity of the meter and the rhymes. The poem is indeed written in an iambic tetrameter structure and with a rhyme scheme that respects the AABA BBCB and CCDC pattern. The interruption of the regularity of the rhyme in the last stanza (DDDD) and the repetition of the last line emphasize the fact that he needs to convince himself to pursue his journey. Therefore his heart is divided in two, the appeal of a calm and cosy nature on one hand and the appeal of his responsibilities on the other hand.

This inner conflict is illustrated throughout the poem as the conflict between the persona’s desire and the horse’s. The horse provides an alert as he represents the man’s conscience. He alerts him in two steps in the second and third stanzas. First, on line 5-6 the horse “must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near”. The “must” suggests it is normal it thinks so because, even the persona realised it by using this verb of obligation. Second, on lines 9-10 the horse’s “harness bells” are shaken “to ask if there is some mistake” in order to alert a second time the persona who didn’t react the first time. In contrast in both stanzas the second part depicts the peacefulness of nature that makes him want to stop. The idea of calmness is caused by the “frozen lake” (l.7) and the production of the sound of “the sweep of easy wind and downy flake” (l.11-12). “The only other sound” (l.11) accentuates the evidence that there is a conflict only between these two entities, the horse and the nature that attracts the persona. Therefore the conflict is represented by the opposition of two instincts, the horse’s instinct that wants to leave and on the contrary the man’s instinct that wants to stay.

The persona in this poem is at a crossroad between his wish and his responsibilities. As he is attracted by the woods, a part of him knows he needs to go on. The role of the horse is to wake him from this illusion and to bring him to go ahead. The persona will therefore try to convince himself by repeating the things he needs to do. In this way even if it is not said explicitly it is understood that the persona continue his journey despite all the emotions he went through during the poem.

“He will not see me stopping here” (line 3): Nature vs Civilisation

Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening” seems to be a rather straightforward poem where the speaker and his horse stop by some woods but meaning is hidden behind explicit sentences. Indeed, the speaker is in fact drawn to the woods which could be seen as a means to escape from the everyday routine despite their rather mysterious aspect and the potential danger they might represent. The use of a turn in line 14 and the location of the speaker suggest an inner struggle between his/her wish to stay in the woods and the duties he/she has to fulfil while the alliteration of the letter ”d” (line 13) along with the line “And miles to go before I sleep” (line 15) could hint at the woods’ potential dangerousness. This idea of using the woods as a pretext to pause or, as the title suggests, to stop the routine is central otherwise it would be nothing but a poem about a man/woman with a horse stopping by woods and continuing his/her way

The fact that the speaker stops right in between the “village” (line 2) and the woods comes as no surprise. Indeed, it serves to create a conflict in the speaker’s mind between nature and civilisation. The pull towards nature is so strong that the speaker forgets about the “miles” (line 15) he/she still has to go. The shake of the horse’s bells (line 9) then serves as a reminder that it is no time yet for the speaker to fully give him/herself to the scenery he/she is witnessing. Hence, the idea that the woods give a break to the speaker takes shape. Moreover, the lines “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep” (line 13-14), which can potentially be the turn of the poem, are the direct expression from the speaker of his/her inner dilemma between nature and civilization. Indeed, the speaker reckons his/her attraction towards the “lovely” (line 13) woods but the “promises” (line 14) he made, probably to society or to someone, keeps him/her going. The “but” (line 14) implies therefore that the duties towards society are stronger than the speaker’s wish to stay in nature.

Although, as described by the speaker, “the woods are lovely” (line 13), some hints might suggest that they are potentially dangerous. The words “dark” (line 13) and “deep” (line 13) used by the speaker to depict the woods and the negative connotation they often carry might indicate that there is something wrong about these woods. The alliteration of the letter “d” (line 13) strengthens these two words as if they were more relevant than the word “lovely” when it comes to these woods. The potential threat they might represent could be one of the reasons for the speaker’s attraction. An analysis of the line “and miles to go before I sleep” (line 15) proposed by Sparknotes goes even further by suggesting that the part “and miles to go” could be seen as the continuity of life while the part “before I sleep” could represent an eternal rest and potentially the death of the speaker. In that sense, the attraction of the speaker towards the woods could be interpreted as a deep desire to end his/her life in order to escape from the routine.

To conclude, the inner struggle of the speaker between his/her desire to stay in the woods and the “miles” (line 15) he/she has to go could be interpreted in different ways. The speaker might just merely be willing to contemplate the beauty of nature but the reasons behind this stop by the woods might be far deeper and more complex than that. It might indicate a real need of the speaker to find a way out of the responsibilities towards society and perhaps the only way to do so is to die.

Through the use of the description of the woods and the brevity of his break, the speaker of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” conveys his fascination for the natural environment and its effects on him. However, the persona reminds himself of his promises after the momentary contemplation of the woods.

The narrator describes the darkness and the coldness of the environment he stops by, in order “To watch [the] woods fill up with snow” (4). In the three first quatrains, the “snow” (4), the “frozen lake” (7) and the “flake” (12) illustrate the presence of the coldness. Thus, this lexical field creates an atmosphere where everything seems frozen, as if time has stopped[1]. In contrast to the village in which social activity takes place, there is no sign of civilization in the woods: “To stop without a farmhouse near” (6). Consequently making woods appear as “lovely” (13) and captivating as in “deep” (13), he cannot be distracted, he is fascinated. Therefore, the woods produce the idea of depth, as if the narrator was lost in a deep contemplation of the woods. Indeed, his sense of hearing is affected by the silence surrounding him, “The only other sound’s the sweep/Of easy wind and downy flake” that emphasizes the fact that he is isolated in a “dark” (13) environment, with his horse. In addition, the event described in the poem occurs during “The darkest evening of the year” (8). The presence of a superlative connects the description of the woods as being “lovely, dark and deep” (13), all associated in one sentence, as if the narrator reaches a paroxysm in his contemplation and fascination of the woods.

On the other hand, the contemplation is momentary[2]. The brevity is characterized by the horse, the persona and is presented in the title of the poem. First, the personification of the horse[3] allows him to speak his mind: “My little horse must think it queer” (5). He represents the link between the woods and the village because the speaker needs the animal to go from a place to another. Therefore, the contrast between the two characters is very much ambiguous[4]. The insertion of the persona in a natural environment appears antithetically to correspond to the speaker and not to the horse: “My little horse must think it queer” (5). The animal should be attracted to nature, but in the poem he works as a reminder of the society[5], that the persona left and should go back to, by “[giving] his harness bells a shake/To ask if there is some mistake” (9-10). Likewise, the speaker reminds himself that he has “promises to keep” (14), introduced by the conjunction “But” (14) that creates a break after reaching the paroxysm of his contemplation. The repetition at the end of the poem “And miles to go before I sleep” (15-16) sounds like a reminder that he has to go and that his contemplation of the woods is not going to last forever. In the same way, the title “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, with the use of the verb “to stop by”, makes the action appear as momentary.

To conclude, the narrator is affected by his contemplation. The brevity of his break contrasts with the different temporality set in the woods due to the fascinating coldness and darkness of the woods. The shortness of this moment makes it more valuable for the persona, but, on the contrary, this ephemerality makes him realise that he is not made for that natural environment.

[1] Tutoring session with Daniel Baumgartel.

[2] 4 Tutoring session with Daniel Baumgartel.

[3] 5 During Enit Steiner’s ILA class.

Nature sometimes has the power to captivate people so deeply that they forget about their problems or obligations and simply enjoy the moment. Through his choice of lexical items, anaphora and rhythm, Robert’s Frost poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” reveals a feeling of appreciation of the nature and the present moment, even though the speaker knows that there is the necessity of leaving. Therefore, it draws attention to a conflict between personal wish and social obligation.

As the speaker goes into the woods, something touches him and his attention is driven to the beauty and simplicity of the nature. The adjectives “lovely, dark and deep” (13) on the last stanza outline that there is something about  this place that makes him feel good in a way that he forgets about his duties for a moment. Even if he does not stop there, the way he describes the landscape suggests that it feels like as if time had stopped for a while. The “woods fill up with snow” (4) and “frozen lake” (7) confirms that it is winter time and the cold and silence of the season makes him hold his pace before he continues his journey. The speaker’s feeling of tiredness of his trip goes away for a moment while he appreciates the details of the woods. The “easy wind and downy flake” (12) demonstrate that winter time is not something unpleasant for him, but a season when the nature rests, things happen in a more slow rhythm and so does his journey.

The speaker does not expect to stop in the woods as he has a journey to accomplish. It seems that he must arrive at his destination on time and that there might be someone waiting for him. This is outlined on the fourth stanza when he says that he has “promises to keep” (14), and his necessity to go can provoke a feeling of anxiety, which is contrasted with the feeling of peacefulness that the woods gives to him. His intentions to pass by this place quickly are confirmed when he says that “he will not see me stopping here” (3). That means that the speaker might be in hurry and he does not expect the owner of the woods to be back by the time he leaves the woods. The idea of movement is also reinforced by the rhyme pattern and the four iambic feet suggest the gentle pace of his horse. Even if he attempts to stop, the animal does not allow him to do it, when giving “his harness bells a shake” (9). That is the moment that he comes back to reality. The anaphora “and miles to go before I sleep” (11) suggests that he tries to convince himself that he cannot stop there and he decides to let all those good feelings go and continue his way.

Robert Frost depicts a conflict between heart and mind, with a speaker struggling between the will to stay and necessity to get somewhere. His urge of getting to his destination and being awaited by someone shows that his social obligations are his priorities. He recharges his energy by breathing the fresh air of winter time and appreciating all the good feelings the nature has to offer, so that he has enough strength to finish his long journey.