Hu 1

    The comments on Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

    thRobert Frost？1874—1963？is one of the most prominent poets in America in 20

    century. He is famous for his poems that are full of imagery and have a profound message. Also he is good at using the plain language to reveal abstruse philosophy. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, which is called by him “the best effort to

    remember”, reflects the features of his poems typically.

    The whole poem describes that the poet stopped by woods on a snowy evening to enjoy the natural beauty and the temporary peace and loneliness: the snowflakes fluttering quietly in the air made the woods charming, and silence reigned everywhere. There was no house and village, and even the horse thought it queer to stop without a farmhouse near in the darkest evening of the year. The horse’s discomfort recalled the poet’s promise and responsibility and duty, which promoted him to move on.

    As some critics pointed out, the poem about the poet hurrying on with his journey in a snowy evening was rich in symbolic significance. Journey was always a kind of figure of speech of life, while toiling day and night was a true portrayal of the hardship of the real life. Besides, the darkness in the shadows of the woods can be explained as the symbol of death. The poet was attracted by the darkness, which seemed that he looked forward to renouncing the filthy world in the unconsciousness.

    Hu 2

    But he waked up with a start by the horse’s bell and moved on, which shows his pursuit of life and sense of responsibility.

    The poem uses a very simple tone to describe what happened in that snowy evening, which entirely expresses the mystery and silence of the woods. In order to emphasize the silence of the woods further, the poet grasps the horse’s action “He gives his

    harness bells a shake, to ask if there is some mistake”？stanza 3, line 1-2？to show that

    “The only other sound's the sweep，of easy wind and downy flake.”(stanza 3, line

    3-4). The last two lines of the poem —“And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to

    go before I sleep” use the same sentence to reveal the poet’s pursuit of life and sense

    of responsibility.

    Even though the poem is simple and unadorned, it has a powerful expression that will have a resonance with readers.