Robert Frost wrote many poems throughout his 89 years of life. Most of the poems focused on nature, as did, “Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The speaker of the poem is alone in the woods, clearly isolated. Isolation, even when self chosen, is difficult to contend with.
“Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” focuses on isolation. Literally, the speaker of this poem has stopped in the woods, on the darkest night of the year. He observes the depth and beauty of the woods and knows that he still has a long way to go before he is home. Figuratively, the winter, like many of Frost’s poems, could be depicting death, depression, and isolation. The speaker of the poem may be battling depression. The snow could be the sadness taking over the speaker. …show more content…
Without the figurative meaning, the poem seems quite simple. The speaker seems like a man that stopped in the woods on his way home. This simple diction helps contribute to the theme of isolation. The poem lacks stated emotion and has an overall depressed tone. The simplicity shows his removal from society. All of these ideas convey the speaker's isolation. The other main literary technique Frost uses to depict isolation is the imagery. When the speaker stops in the woods, he makes a point to say that no one will see him. He then says that he wants to “watch his woods fill up with snow” (line 4). Instead of saying that he wants to watch the snow fall, he said he wants to watch the woods fill with the snow. The woods could symbolize the speaker's brain, showing that his head is being filled with sadness. The speaker remarks that it was “the darkest evening of the year,” (line 8) showing that he was not in a good place. Frost uses imagery to show the isolation by stating that “The only other sounds the sweep/Of easy wind and downy flake” (lines 11-12). The speaker was completely alone. To describe the woods he says that they are “lovely, dark, and deep” (line 13). Deep can be used to describe distance or volume but it can also as a term to describe thought. If the speaker is depressed, he could be having deep, dark thoughts. The language throughout the poem was chosen very strategically in order to convey both a literal and figurative meaning as well as emphasize the theme of
“Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening” focuses on isolation. Literally, the speaker of this poem has stopped in the woods, on the darkest night of the year. He observes the depth and beauty of the woods and knows that he still has a long way to go before he is home. Figuratively, the winter, like many of Frost’s poems, could be depicting death, depression, and isolation. The speaker of the poem may be battling depression. The snow could be the sadness taking over the speaker. …show more content…
Without the figurative meaning, the poem seems quite simple. The speaker seems like a man that stopped in the woods on his way home. This simple diction helps contribute to the theme of isolation. The poem lacks stated emotion and has an overall depressed tone. The simplicity shows his removal from society. All of these ideas convey the speaker's isolation. The other main literary technique Frost uses to depict isolation is the imagery. When the speaker stops in the woods, he makes a point to say that no one will see him. He then says that he wants to “watch his woods fill up with snow” (line 4). Instead of saying that he wants to watch the snow fall, he said he wants to watch the woods fill with the snow. The woods could symbolize the speaker's brain, showing that his head is being filled with sadness. The speaker remarks that it was “the darkest evening of the year,” (line 8) showing that he was not in a good place. Frost uses imagery to show the isolation by stating that “The only other sounds the sweep/Of easy wind and downy flake” (lines 11-12). The speaker was completely alone. To describe the woods he says that they are “lovely, dark, and deep” (line 13). Deep can be used to describe distance or volume but it can also as a term to describe thought. If the speaker is depressed, he could be having deep, dark thoughts. The language throughout the poem was chosen very strategically in order to convey both a literal and figurative meaning as well as emphasize the theme of