Analysis of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

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Analysis of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

The poem, “Stopping by Woods…” speaks of a time that the author paused during a trip to simply enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature. During this short stop, he contemplates mortality and his life so far. Frost also cleverly uses the poems form and sounds to enhance the poem, to entice the readers senses, and immerse them in the scene.

With repetitive “s” and “h” sounds throughout the poem one can imagine the sound of the sled sliding through the snow, or perhaps the “easy wind and downy flake” through the trees. The poem was written in iambic tetrameter, which also lends a steady rhythm that mimics the motion of the sled. Or perhaps the “s” sound could signify that the main character is shivering, for it is the “darkest evening of the year”, and presumably the coldest.

The last two lines of the poem, “And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep” seem to echo each other. Why did Frost repeat this phrase when one occurrence would be sufficient? The first “And miles” qu...

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