After reading and analyzing this text, please comment on 'the sound of sense' in this poem, or the how of the poem; how the ideas in the poem are delivered, the way the words and lines are structured. Remember to keep in mind an appreciation of Frost's literary decisions.
This beautiful, iambic tetrameter metered poem captures the silence of a snowy evening as the speaker stands at the base of the woods. Written in 1922, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is often interpreted as being a metaphor for death, and therein lies the beauty of 'ulteriority.' Is this a poem about death always lurking nearby, or honestly a poem about a man 'stopping by woods on a snowy evening' with his horse?
After reading and analyzing this text, please comment on 'the sound of sense' in this poem, or the how of the poem; how the ideas in the poem are delivered, the way the words and lines are structured. Remember to keep in mind an appreciation of Frost's literary decisions.
48 Comments
Jerry Bui
10/22/2014 12:48:09 am
In this poem, Frost utilizes diction in order to accentuate the theme of appreciating nature. The title starts this off with "Stopping by Woods.." not "the woods" almost making the Woods a proper noun. Furthermore. the utilization of pastoral imagery creates an atmosphere that the reader can appreciate such as "wood and frozen lake" in line 7.
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Noemi Hernandez
10/22/2014 12:54:27 am
The sense of sound throughout the poem is silent. Frost utilizes sibilance throughout the poem to make the reader imagine a silent whispering sound during the season of winter. This is important because the tone of the poem is quiet and the atmosphere goes along with it.
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Monique Agosto
10/23/2014 08:59:24 pm
I agree with you that sibilants is utalized in order to create a whisper sound. This creates a tense atmosphere in my opinion because the sibilace also makes a snake sound or hissing sound which makes me think that the speaking is whispering because of the animals in winter.
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juan
10/22/2014 12:55:11 am
"And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." these two lines in the poem give the readers the idea that the person is very far away from home.
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Jared Moya
10/23/2014 08:31:05 am
I agree with that, but I also think that if you look at from the perspective of it being a metaphor for death then these lines might mean that there is a while before the narrator plans on dying.
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Janayra Rivera
10/24/2014 12:55:46 am
I agree with you Juan, I also believe that it makes the reader emphasize for the speaker because it's such a chilly night and he ofcourse has no one to stay.
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Janayra Rivera
10/24/2014 12:57:47 am
I agree with you Juan, I also believe that this makes the reader emphasize with the speaker because it is a very cold night and of course he does not have a place to stay making the reader feel bad.
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Jerry Bui
10/22/2014 12:55:36 am
In this poem, Frost utilizes diction in order to accentuate the theme of appreciating nature. The title has "Stopping by Woods" and not "the woods" making the woods a proper noun. Furthermore, the utilization of pastoral imagery creates an atmosphere that the reader can appreciate such as "woods and frozen lake" in line 7.
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Christopher Martinez
10/22/2014 12:57:27 am
The theme of "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost can be seen as the speaker trying to make it home at a certain time. In the last stanza Frost uses an ending rhyme in the stanza and a reppittion in the last two lines as a way of motivation. If compare in real life where someone would repeat something over and over to stay focus and motivated. The last stanza makes the reader have this bond with the speaker by having to stay focus to acheive their goal.
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Rayleen Pedroza
10/22/2014 12:57:40 am
In the poem Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost he utilizes sibilance in order to give the peom more imagery. The sounnd of the "s" helps readers understand the importace of the whole atmosphere of it being a snowy day. It also contributes to the sensation there is when you are outside on a snowy day which is shivering.
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Jose Mauel Ramos-Aguina III
10/23/2014 02:38:57 pm
That is a very good observation Rayleen, I also noticed that alliteration is used in the first line of the first stanza with the letter W. Maybe Frost used alliteration/sibilance intentionally, or maybe he just wrote a the poem because he was in the woods on a snowy evening. But then again, that is ulteriority and how everyone might interpret it differently.
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Delfino Romero
10/22/2014 12:58:07 am
In "stopping by wods on a snowy evening" the author enhances the rhyming scheme. The author doess this by using A,A,B,A. This gives the poem that rhyming flow after each line, and each line has 8 sylabols each. the author focuses on the rhyming scheme of the poem and how it flows.
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Carolina Sanchez
10/24/2014 12:56:19 am
i agree with the use of the rhyme sceme that Delphino was aware of because when there are rhyme scemes in a peom it gives more emphasis to what the poet is saying.
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Benjamin
10/22/2014 12:58:09 am
This reminds me on he story of Los Tres Reyes magos because like them the person in the poem has a promise or mission like the magos and they both take place during winter time.
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Noemi Hernandez
10/22/2014 12:16:34 pm
I did not think of the poem like that, but that is a very good point. You can also point out that they both are traveling in the winter in order to get to the important place or thing.
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Juan Cruz
10/24/2014 01:00:25 am
Like Noemi, I've never looked at the poem this way, and i got to say its a good point.
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Janayra Rivera
10/22/2014 12:58:19 am
In "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost I appriciated the utilization of pastoral imagery. This is relevant because it is explaining the cold winter night in which the character in the poem is at. This makes the reader emphasize for the character because they know it's cold and they have no place to stay in.
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Juan Cruz
10/24/2014 12:54:56 am
I too appriciate the use of patoral imagery in this poem. "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." is a great example of pastoral imagery.
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Annalise Garcia-Alva
10/22/2014 12:59:50 am
In "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, Frost provides an atmosphere of darkness and mystery. The use of sibilance intensifies the atmosphere. The combination of both the darkness and sibilance creates an eerie atmosphere. Frost also fluctuates the use of first person and third person. The significance of fluctuating between first and third person intensifies the mysterious atmosphere. The reader does not recognize the other person and therefore makes the reader question the reliability of that other person. Overall the use of sibilance and fluctuating between first and third person intensifies the eerie and mysterious atmosphere.
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Christopher Martinez
10/23/2014 12:09:49 pm
I never thought about the first and third person narration. What a very interesting point. I also agree about the atmosphere being a bit mysterious.
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Rayleen Pedroza
10/23/2014 12:12:08 pm
You make a really good point here and I did not realize that first person and third person had such an affect on the poem. The mysterious atmosphere kind of contradicts the image he makes in your head.
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Francesca deAragon
10/22/2014 09:03:47 am
In the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening", Robert Frost uses sibilance in order to portray the narrators actions of that as a snakes. For example when Frost writes, "He will not see me stopping here/ To watch his woods fill up with snow." The line itself tells the readers that the narrator of the poem knows he is not going to bee scene or heard.
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Jerry Bui
10/23/2014 09:12:54 am
I agree... The sibilance creates the lack of auditory imagery through the silent atmosphere.
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Martin Riedel
10/23/2014 12:52:17 pm
I did not notice this in the poem but I like it! It makes sense and it is a great connection! I agree with you that the sibilance ads to the mystery and slyness of the poem.
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Jared Moya
10/23/2014 08:23:05 am
Frost's use of sibilance throughout the poem creates a negative or villain like persona of the narrator. Sibiliance and S's in general I tend to connotate with snakes and sneaky actions. So, because of Frost's use of sibilance the narrator is portrayed as doing something bad or something he is not supposed to be doing. Also, the "little horse" (line 5) thinks it's weird that the narrator is doing whatever it is he's doing, which can also imply negative actions occurring.
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Paola Campos
10/23/2014 12:21:36 pm
The sibilance that is utilized in the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" sets a type of whispering sound. This helps along with the diction connoting to pastoral imagery set the overall atmosphere of the poem.
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Markie Trepanier
10/23/2014 12:23:20 pm
In the poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost's use of pastoral imagery allows the reader to appreciate the atmosphere of a silent, dark, and snowy evening in the woods. The pastoral imagery is evident through diction such as "woods", "snow", "horse", "lake", and "wind". The readers get the sense of a dark, calm, winter evening through Frost's description of the setting. The anaphora in lines 14-15 the repetition symbolizes when one may feel tired and repeat what they say, or reread a line in a passage. I
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Martin Riedel
10/23/2014 12:25:29 pm
In the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, the poet utilizes diction to convey the significance of the short stop in the woods. In lines one through four, the poet states that there is someone who's woods these are, but he lives in the village so he is not present. This helps to show the emptiness and peacefulness of the woods. Also, the fact that it is "the darkest evening of the year" gives the woods a feeling of emptiness and mystery. In lines eleven and twelve the poet comments on the fact that the only sound is of the "easy wind" and snow. This again ads to the peaceful mood of the poem. In line thirteen, the poet states that "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep". This helps the mood and makes the man in the poem seem small compared to these "deep" woods. Lastly, in lines fifteen and sixteen, the poet uses repetition of the phrase "and miles to go before I sleep". This shows the significance of the stop in the woods. Even though the man had a long way to travel, he took time to stop and enjoy a quiet and peaceful moment in the woods.
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Seraphine Nguyen
10/23/2014 12:59:24 pm
The third and fourth lines of the first three stanzas are different from the first two lines in each. Each of these stanzas starts out somewhat cheery but the third and fourth lines are sad. The last stanza also has a shift in tone. It starts out eerie but by the second line it is light-hearted again.
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Janice Hernandez
10/23/2014 02:26:49 pm
In the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, I appreciate how Frost choses to juxtapose negative and positive diction. This is evident in the lines "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." Although one would usually percieve locations that are "dark and deep" as eerie, spooky or uncharming, Frost creates the opposite effect. By utilizing a positively connotated word such as "lovely", the entire tone of this line is shifted. This allows the reader to appreciate how vast the beauty of these woods truely are.
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Jose Manuel Ramos-Aguina III
10/23/2014 02:30:16 pm
In the poem "Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, Frost employs a calm yet mysterious atmosphere into his poem. This is evident in the poem, as alliteration is applied into the first line of the poem. The narrator says, "Whose woods these are I think I know," which introduces a mysterious atmosphere as the alliteration with the letter W sounds as if questions were being asked (who, what, when, where, why). The usage of the unknown character also creates an atmosphere of confusion, as the words He and His are continuously used. Later in the poem the atmosphere seem to be calm, as the woods are described as majestic, when the narrator of the poem says, "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep."
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Brayan Montes
10/23/2014 03:31:29 pm
In "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, Frost uses juxtaposition in many of the segments in his lines. For example "the woods are lovely, dark and deep" the juxtaposition of Lovely and Dark make it so the reader in a way has conflicted feelings about stopping such like those of the speaker.
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Sara Bacon-Maldonado
10/23/2014 04:46:21 pm
In Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening", the idea that this poem is a metaphor for death is conveyed using dark/gloomy diction and the repetition of the final line. The speaker spends his time admiring the solitude and darkness of the woods but is pulled back into his reality that he has obligations before he can sleep... or die. Frost chose to write each line with 8 syllables which gives the entire poem a continuous murmur which feels safe as there is nothing unexpected. The final line reads, "And miles to go before I sleep." The repetition of this line is striking and sticks with the reader suggesting that it has a larger meaning.
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Monique Agosto
10/23/2014 09:05:06 pm
In the poem "stopping by woods on a snowy evening" by Robert Frost the author uses vowel sounds (a,e and o) in order to create a more tense atmosphere, because it sounds as though the are moaning in pain or as though they are stuck and can't get out. This in turn makes the reader tense because the speaker doesn't create that atmosphere through diction but in all actuality contradicts it.
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Carolina Sanchez
10/24/2014 12:59:08 am
i agree with the way that Monique was aware of the vowels because when a poet shows a repetition of specific sound the poet is relating more to the story on a personal level.
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Christianne Padilla
10/23/2014 10:23:23 pm
Since the quote was made in jest, it can be assumed that the poem shouldn’t be taken seriously. The ironic tone lends itself to this idea of that it is meant to be flippant rather than as sincere and stringent. As the speaker says, “I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence.” He indicates that the future is unpredictable and that whatever he chooses will not matter later in life. He predicts or believes that he will betray himself during reflection; he believes he will see his decision, no matter which one he choose, as hypocritical, critical, or cynical. Moreover, as the speaker stops in front of both paths, he states that “”once the speaker stopped in front of the woods, he says “the passing there / Had worn them really about the same/…that morning lay / In leaves no step had trodden black.” Meaning that the fact of the matter is neither road is less travelled by and neither will make a difference.
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Aubry Karis
10/23/2014 11:41:49 pm
The poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost has an interesting rhyme scheme. In the last stanza there are two couplets. This couplet creates a sleepy tone in the poem. The repetition of the line "And miles to go before I sleep," alludes to the sleeping feeling the speaker has. The speaker is unable to rest because of a promise he must keep. It may not be a promise he wanted to make in the first place but all he can do is sleep because he can not change the past.
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Suho Lim
10/23/2014 11:57:17 pm
In this poem, Robert Frost use every imagery and symbol to relate the "wood" Like quote "The Woods are lovely, dark, and deep" notice me Frost describe wood negative, but some positive view.
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Janessa Abeyta
10/24/2014 12:14:25 am
This poem has strong imagery of winter and demonstrates the dark emotions that Frost is feeling. Lines 15 and 16 demonstrate repitition. "and miles to go before I sleep" is significant because it goes to show that Frost goes into the forest to focus on his deepest thoughts and sees it as a way to escape lifes struggles. He mentions that line to show his readers that he is in deep emotional thought. Overall this poem is inspirational yet gloomy.
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Flor Carolina Mendoza Martinez Hernandez De La Rosa Salome Garcia
10/24/2014 12:51:34 am
In "Stopping By Wood In a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost uses diction to convey a pleaserous peaceful pressence. This is evident when the poem says, "The only other sound's the sweep\ Of easy wind and downy flake." this makes the reader appreciate the scenery as much as the narrator.
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Carolina Sanchez
10/24/2014 12:52:36 am
in the poem Stopping by the Woods n a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost there are many examples of how death can be relevent to death but how he cant die because he has to many responsibilties that need to be taken care of. at the begging of the last stanza Robert Frost states "the woods are lovely, dark and deep". my interpretation of this line was that Frost was describing the woods as a metaphore to death. the way death can be lovely but can also be infinite, Robert frost refers to the infinite descriptions as being "dark and deep". Robert Frost is not feeling obligated to die yet because he has to much to tke care of. Robert Frost states" and miles to go befor i sleep", before he can die he has so many responsibilities, to him feel like waling miles.
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Benjamin
10/24/2014 12:59:32 am
In the poem the character goes through a struggle trying to get through life. he is in the middle of a storm signifying that his life is on the edge.
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Angel Hernandez
10/24/2014 04:09:38 am
After reading "Stopig By The Woods On A Snowy Evening" I think that Rbert Fost wrote this poem as a metaphor to biblical references due to the atmosphere the narrator describes and also the imagery presented throughout the poem.
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Chantell Padilla
10/24/2014 03:51:56 pm
In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost utilizes a unique rhyme scheme: AABA, BBCB, CCDC, DDDD. This rhyme scheme appears to "move" the poem and symbolize the speaker walking through the forest. In each stanza since there is a word that does not rhyme with the rest of the other words it represents the speaker taking steps but then stopping to admire the beauty around him. The last stanza rhymes all together and it symbolizes the speaker finally pulling himself away from the natural beauty; all of the rhyming words symbolize the speaker's continuous steps back to civilization.
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Christianne Padilla
10/26/2014 12:36:18 pm
The woods are sedentary and unmoving. The blanket of snow that lightly rests and covers them creates an irrational and mysterious attraction to them. Their darkness allures the man to stay; although he constantly keeps his thoughts about continuing his journey at the back of his mind. This may symbolize the distraction in life that leads us to stray from our original goal or purpose; essentially they are representations of danger, distraction, or the possibility of death. Furthermore, when the horse “gives his harness bells a shake/To ask if there is some mistake,” it symbolizes the reproach from society or others around you that disapprove of your distractions. Some will stay while others will listen to the horse and move on.
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Nestor Montejo
10/27/2014 02:20:13 pm
On a personal interpretation, I believe Robert Frost's diction is well picked to create winter imagery, and much of its connotations. Words like "snow", "Frozen lake", "woods" "evening" "flake" "bells" "wind" "sleep" are all blissful words which evoke feelings of peace, serenity, and the calm of winter. It presents the fragility of things in the cold, the quiet event of snow, and the humble season of hybernation. The calming journey however is juxtaposed by the narrator's sense of haste, the inability to sleep in order to keep moving. This kind of imagery influenced me to believe the poem to be associated with Santa Clause. His small horse is a reindeer, like that of "Rudolph" and his "promises to keep" are the presents many kids are expecting, and Santa Claus cannot fall asleep on the job.
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Alejandro Chavez
10/27/2014 09:27:06 pm
In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost forms the story like poem by using the unique rhyme scheme to show the progression of the poem. This progression is ended in the last stanza when there is not a transition but the whole stanza rhymes. As the poem comes to an end Frost uses repetition to show emphasis on the line, "And miles to go before I sleep" the poem as whole is calming and gives the reader the sense that resting can be the the most pleasant act in the world, but it is the last two lines that give the reader the impression that the poem is about death.
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Emily Gilday
2/1/2016 07:03:04 pm
In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost forms the story like poem by using a rhyme scheme to show the progression of the poem. To me this poem is transitioning to the literal meaning of a man and his horse stopping on a snowy evening. This poem is talking about the beauty of winter to show how quite and peaceful it is at night.
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