Page 95 - DENG105_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_II

Elective English–II

Notes third line rhymes with the first, second, and fourth lines of the following stanza (for example,
“here” of the first stanza rhymes with “queer,” “near,” and “year” of the second stanza).
One of Frost’s most famous works, this poem is often touted as an example of his life work.
As such, the poem is often analyzed to the minutest detail, far beyond what Frost himself
intended for the short and simple piece. In reference to analyses of the work, Frost once said
that he was annoyed by those “pressing it for more than it should be pressed for. It means
enough without its being pressed…I don’t say that somebody shouldn’t press it, but I don’t
want to be there.”
The poem was inspired by a particularly difficult winter in New Hampshire when Frost was
returning home after an unsuccessful trip at the market. Realizing that he did not have enough
to buy Christmas presents for his children, Frost was overwhelmed with depression and
stopped his horse at a bend in the road in order to cry. After a few minutes, the horse shook
the bells on its harness, and Frost was cheered enough to continue home.
The narrator in the poem does not seem to suffer from the same financial and emotional
burdens as Frost did, but there is still an overwhelming sense of the narrator’s unavoidable
responsibilities. He would prefer to watch the snow falling in the woods, even with his horse’s
impatience, but he has “promises to keep,” obligations that he cannot ignore even if he wants
to. It is unclear what these specific obligations are, but Frost does suggest that the narrator is
particularly attracted to the woods because there is “not a farmhouse near.” He is able to enjoy
complete isolation.
Frost’s decision to repeat the final line could be read in several ways. On one hand, it reiterates
the idea that the narrator has responsibilities that he is reluctant to fulfill. The repetition
serves as a reminder, even a mantra, to the narrator, as if he would ultimately decide to stay
in the woods unless he forces himself to remember his responsibilities. On the other hand, the
repeated line could be a signal that the narrator is slowly falling asleep. Within this interpretation,
the poem could end with the narrator’s death, perhaps as a result of hypothermia from staying
in the frozen woods for too long.
The narrator’s “promises to keep” can also be seen as a reference to traditional American
duties for a farmer in New England. In a time and a place where hard work is valued above
all things, the act of watching snow fall in the woods may be viewed as a particularly trivial
indulgence. Even the narrator is aware that his behavior is not appropriate: he projects his
insecurities onto his horse by admitting that even a work animal would “think it queer.”

Self Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Where is the house of the owner of the Woods?

(a) in the city (b) in the town
(c) in the village (d) none of these
2. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a
(a) social poem (b) lonely poem
(c) poem of festivals (d) none of these
3. In 1923, Robert Frost won Pulitzer Prize for

(a) North of Boston (b) New Hampshire
(c) A Boy’s Will (b) none of these

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