The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

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The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

In Robert Frost's poem. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” the speaker uses literary devices to show the reader the poem's meaning. Symbolism plays an important role in this poem. Robert Frost uses symbolism to show the correlation between the woods and village with heaven. Mythological symbolism is also found in this poem. when the speaker talks about the lake. it is a reference to Hel in Norse Mythology. The tone of the poem, and Robert Frost's syntax. portray a tranquil yet dark feeling throughout the poem. The observations made exhibit how the speaker views life and death. The personification of the horse shows how the horse is important to the poem. In Robert Frost's “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” he portrays the barrier between Heaven and Hel. and how one should cherish one's life.

In the first stanza of the poem. the speaker identifies where he is and who owns the land. The woods are owned by a man who lives “in the village” (2). The man the speaker is referring to is God. who owns all the land on earth. because he created it. The speaker then adds that God “will not see me [the speaker] stopping here.” showing that the man feels unnoticed by God. As the speaker “watch [es] his woods fill up with snow.'' (4) time passes by relating to the speaker's life passing. The woods represent the Gates of Heaven. and the speaker is outside of Heaven. watching as life continues without him.

The second stanza of the poem introduces the horse and further develops the location of the events occurring. The horse represents the speakers conscience. following the speaker throughout his life. and hinting at what paths o...

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...t yet completed. These promises could be his promise to God to keep life holy, and, in breaking that promise, he would go to Hel. The repetition of the last two lines of the poem signify the importance of the lines. When the speaker says that he has “miles to go before I [the speaker] sleep,” (15-16) he refers to how many years he has yet to live. This final decision shows that the speaker has given up on suicide, and instead chooses to walk with God and live out his life to the end.

In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, Frost utilizes literary devices to show how one should live one's life, and how Heaven and Hel are closely related. The relationship between the speaker and the horse is personal, and connects the two to each other. Robert Frost gives the reader an outlook on the matter of life and death, and obstacles between the two.

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