Commitment to Life in Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

953 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism in stopping by the woods

Commitment to Life in Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

In "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost demonstrates a dedicated person's commitment to life. Despite the hardships and troubles that life carries, the speaker in this poem comes to the realization that he must continue living his life. He makes an important decision that is brought on in a question, which is triggered by the beauty of his surroundings. He decides that he wants to complete the life that he started because of the many obligations he is responsible for.

The speaker in the poem is a man who is on a journey through life. He is no different from any other in that respect. People are faced with daily challenges and disappointments and, in turn, want to give up. The speaker, on the other hand, has a strong sense of self and knows that he has "promises" to attend to and will not give up on them. For a certain time in the woods, he is taken away from reality. He is swept away by his calming surroundings into a free and worriless mind set. During his brief flight from reality, the speaker dismisses his duties; he is simply enjoying the peacefulness of the world around him. Although the speaker is so content in his moment of freedom, he is brought back to reality and shocks the reader with, "but I have promises to keep." Frost is implying that this man is aware of his choices to either go on with life or to give up, and the speaker realizes that he has too much left that he wants to accomplish.

The language that Frost uses provides readers with a clear visualization of the scene and the sense of how it feels to be in such a setting. The language enables the reader to feel as though the "lovely" woods surround them, wit...

... middle of paper ...

...rful in the sense that they trigger the speaker to make a decision over life and death.

"Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" has a magical mysteriousness to it. Frost makes this poem incredibly vivid through his excellent word choice and effective description. Frost picks the perfect combination of words to make this poem so appealing to the reader in both a visual and audible way. He makes the poem flow with the sounds of the words he uses and in doing so, he draws the reader into the depths of the poem's true meaning.

Bibliography:

Bibliography

Lynen, John F. The Pastoral Art of Robert Frost. Yale University Press: New Haven,1960.

Parini, Jay. Robert Frost: A Life. Henry Holt and Co: New York, 1999Robert

Robert A. Greenburg, James G. Hepburn, Robert Frost: an introduction. Henry Holt and Co: New York, 1961.

Show More
Related

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night And Robert Frost Poem Analysis

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although life is full of numerous hardships, promises, and commitments, attempting to live life to its fullest will help people not to rage against the dying of the light. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” explains that all humans will die, and potentially rage against their death due to the facts that they feel as if their mark has not fully been left upon the face of the earth. “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening,” compliments this in stating that life is filled with duties that must be completed, however in this we must also find the time to leave an impact, as one day, death will occur. Thomas uses a series of repetition, metaphors and similes to express his ideas, while Frost uses alliterations, personification, and exaggerations to bring forth his ideas in the poem. The character in Frost’s poem accepts death, but is inclined to live for promises, giving little insight to what is truly important in life. On the contrary, Thomas’s characters have fallen through all the stages of life, and realize that they have spent a whole lifetime, focusing on what is not important. Now, facing death, they realize that they have left no mark and plead for more life. Therefore, characters analyzed in both Frost’s and Thomas’s poems, choose the alternative of life to death, however for conflicting reasons. They both realize that in order to have a peaceful death, you must live a meaningful life. As has been noted, death, the tragedy of life, is not what causes men to rage, it is rather the opportunities missed during life causing such

    Read More

  • Perseverance in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Epictetus once wrote, "First say what you would be; and then do what you have to do." This aphorism of self-discovery and obligation clearly describes Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." In the course of the poem, Frost's speaker is confronted with two choices: he can either forget his problems or he can follow through with his responsibilities and make the most of life. It is through Frost's remarkable presentation of the speaker's thoughts that the reader may see how difficult this decision can be. Through powerful elements, such as alliteration, rhythm, and imagery, Frost stresses the importance of perseverence and facing one's fears and obligations.

    Read More

  • Comparing Walt Whitman's Song To Myself

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert Frost composed “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in June of 1922, after he wrote the poem “New Hampshire,” he went outside his home in Shaftsbury, Vermont, and had the idea for “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost’s poem has multiple meanings, but the

    Read More

  • Robert Frost: Annotated Bibliography

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, also considered Frost’s masterpiece, not only has the theme of isolation and nature but it was also his first Pulitzer Prize winning poem. “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” is about a man traveling through the woods on a snowy night. He pauses to look at the beauty of nature on private property, but is not able to look at nature for long because he has an extensive distance to travel. As Karen Hardison explains, “"A Soldier" is composed around an extended metaphor that is introduced in the first line: "He is that fallen lance.."

    Read More

  • Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    Robert Frost uses metaphor and symbolism extensively in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, developing deeper and more complex meanings from a superficially simple poem. Frost’s own analysis contributes greatly to our appreciation of the importance of metaphor, claiming that “metaphor [is] the whole of thinking,” inviting the reader to interpret the beautiful scene in a more profound way. However, the multitude of possible interpretations sees it being read as either carefully crafted lyric, a “suicide poem, [or] as recording a single autobiographical incident” . Judith Oster argues, therefore, that the social conditions individual to each reader tangibly alter our understanding of metaphor. Despite the simplicity of language, Frost uses conventional metaphors to explore complex ideas about life, death and nature. The uncertainty, even in the concluding stanza, that encompasses the poem only adds to the depth of possible readings.

    Read More

  • The Other Road in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

    1660 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mertins, Louis. Robert Frost: Life and Talks - Walking. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965. 135.

    Read More

  • The Intricate Meanings of Robert Frost 's Poetry

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert Frost is considered by many to be one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. Frost’s work has been regarded by many as unique. Frost’s poems mainly take place in nature, and it is through nature that he uses sense appealing-vocabulary to immerse the reader into the poem. In the poem, “Hardwood Groves”, Frost uses a Hardwood Tree that is losing its leaves as a symbol of life’s vicissitudes. “Frost recognizes that before things in life are raised up, they must fall down” (Bloom 22).

    Read More

  • Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

    421 Words  | 1 Pages

    Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is about a person the speaker, who stops near the woods when it is snowing out to take a break and look around. He notices how beautiful it is to look at the snow falling in such a peaceful way out of the dark sky.

    Read More

  • The Imagery Of Nature In Robert Frost's Poetry

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frost uses nature as a reflection of human experiences; just like humanity it can have seasons and life cycles. He uses different scenes to depict a certain mood for readers to step into the psychological happening of a man. The idea of how seasons change, Frost compares it through the life cycles that humans encounter. Contrary to popular opinion, I believe that nature is not Frost’s central theme in his poetry; it is about the relationship that man has with nature in which can be seen from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “The Road Not Taken”, and “An Old Man’s Winter Night.”

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Robert Frost’s Use of Natural and Rural Depictions in his Poetry

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frost metaphorically re awakes from his childhood when he takes a stroll outside to see the trees he once swung from. From my own experience, I know that the cool spring breeze makes me feel a whole lot better about life. Nature has the ability to reawaken one’s inner youth. To contrast from nature, Frost also uses the integration of industrialized rural life. “It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.”

    Read More

  • Life Themetions In Frost's The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” show the readers similar struggles of life. “The Road Not Taken” is about taking control of one’s life and living it aside from how others live theirs. While “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening” shows the desire for rest. Sometimes people regret the possibilities of the road not chosen, sometimes people feel proud about the road that they

    Read More

  • Symbols and Symbolism in the Poems of Robert Frost

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frost was a rural Yankee whose writings reflect everyday experiences-his own experiences, but was one who saw metaphorical dimensions in the everyday things he encountered. These everyday encounters held ground as his subject manner, combined with the rural setting of New England nature, seasons, weather and times of day. Frost’s goal was to write his poetry in such a way that it would cover familiar ground, but in an unfamiliar way or uncommon in expression.

    Read More

  • Life Choices in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” provide us contrasting and sometimes similar glimpses of life. “The Road Not Taken” is about taking control and living life. “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening” entails the desire for rest, perhaps due to the speaker’s feelings of weariness from facing life’s struggles. The poet also explains the tough choices people stand before when traveling the road of life. Sometimes people regret the possibilities of the road not chosen, sometimes people feel proud about the road they have chosen.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Nature in Robert Frost's Poetry

    392 Words  | 1 Pages

    Then in the last stanza Frost mentions woods again. Even though the narrator has a long way to go he always has enough time to stop and watch the small thing in nature in detail. This goes to show that Frost’s interest in nature is very large, and he portrays this through his characters.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis of Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    The speaker in Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken' gives the reader insight into human nature with each line of poetry. While, Frost had not originally intended for this to be an inspirational poem, line by line, the speaker is encouraging each reader to seek out his or her own personal path in the journey of life. Romanticizing the rural woods of New England creates the perfect setting for the theme of self-discovery laid out and described by the speaker.

    Read More

More about Commitment to Life in Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Open Document