STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
By Robert Frost
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Introducing the author
Robert Lee Frost (1874 - 1963) is one of the most popular and
critically acclaimed American poets. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions
of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His poetry reveals
a keen interest in the varying beauties of nature and the apparently small but
deeply meaningful joys and sorrows of ordinary men and women.
Warm-up
Do you know this poem was a great favourite of Jawaharlal
Nehru? Perhaps this poem reminded him of his responsibilities. On the surface,
this is a simple poem. The speaker stops his horse by some woods on a snowy
evening. He takes in the lovely scene in near-silence, is tempted to stay
longer, but acknowledges the pull of obligations and the considerable distance yet
to be travelled before he can rest for the night. But at the deeper level, the
journey through the woods is suggestive of journey through life itself. The
speaker stops for a brief time to meditate, and realizes that he needs to
continue his journey. The famous phrase ―And miles to go before I sleep‖ not
only refers to the physical distance of the trip but also the long life ahead of
him. Read the poem and feel how inspiring it is.
The Poem:
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 farm house 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.
Question Answer of the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening"
1. How is 'woods' different from 'forest' ?
Ans: The 'woods' refers to small jungles near which there
can be locality. No wild beasts are there. Forest is a deep, dense, vast patch
of land covering trees and trees. lions, tigers live there.
2. Where does the rider stop ?
Ans: The rider
stops between the woods and frozen lake.
3. Why does he stop ?
Ans: He stops in the woods to watch the serene beauty of
the snowy jungle in the evening.
4. "He will not see me stopping here" - what does this expression mean ?
Ans: The poet here says that the owner of
the jungle was living in the village nearby. He won't see him stopping there on
a snowy evening.
5. Why does the horse give his harness bells a
shake ?
Ans: The horse gave his harness bells a shake to inform
the poet if he had any wrong.
6. What is the 'only other sound' besides that of
harness bells ?
Ans: Besides the harness bells the only other sound's the
sweep of easy wind and downy flake.
7. Why does the poet use the expressions 'dark',
'deep', 'darkest ' ?
Ans: The poet uses the words 'dark', 'deep', 'darkest'
because it was the darkest evening of the year. The jungle was dark too.
8. How do the speaker, the owner of the woods and
the horse react to the beauties of nature ?
Ans: The speaker fell in love with the beauty of nature.
The horse and the owner were materialistic. They had no sense of beauty, no
poetic feelings. They here detached towards the woods.
9. What picture of natural beauty do you get from
the poem ?
Ans: The woods itself offers natural beauty through frozen
lake, downy flake, sweep easy wind, deep, dense foliage.
10. In the final stanza, the speaker says that he
is not yet ready to 'sleep'. What has he to do before he can take a rest ?
Ans: Before he can take rest he wants to fulfill his wish,
ambitions, dreams, and promises.
11. What does the expression, "The darkest
evening of the year" suggest? Does it mean "the longest night of the
year" or "the most depressing state of his mind" ? Give a
reasoned answer.
Ans: "The darkest evening of the year" refers to the longest night of the year. The poet was in a jolly mood. There was no question of depression.
12. A four-line stanza is called a quatrain. How
many quatrains are there in the poem ?
Ans: There are four quatrains in the poem.
Post- reading Activities
1. Arrange the following sentences in their logical order to
narrate the theme of the poem.
(a) He passes by the woods which are lovely, dark and
(b) The poet is riding his horse to a destination.
(c) But he remembers that he has promises to keep before he
can rest.
(d) It is snowing and the wind blows gently.
(e) The beauty
of the woods tempts him to stop and enjoy the sight.
(f) It is an evening in winter.
Ans:
(f) It is an evening in winter.
(d) It is snowing and the wind blows gently.
(b) The poet is
riding his horse to a destination.
(a) He passes by the woods which are lovely, dark and deep.
(e) The beauty of the woods tempts him to stop and enjoy the
sight.
(c) But he remembers that he has promises to keep before he
can rest.
2. What is the rhyme scheme in this poem ?
Ans: The rhyme scheme in the first quarter is AABA.
The rhyme scheme in the second quarter in is AABA.
The rhyme in 3rd quatrain is AABA.
The rhyme in 4th quatrain is AAAA.