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