Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
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Comments
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Another Interpretation
From guest Katia (contact)
I see it as someone using the forest as a metaphor for feelings, emotions circling inside his mind. "He will not see me stopping here" could be seen as referring to the thought of giving up, not on life necessarily, but on a particular task, a job, or motivation. What is the point in keeping up appearances and motivation if no one is watching (his house is in the village, though)? The horse may represent people close to him, that think his ideas "queer", who stand with him, but do not have the same thoughts. Darkest evening of the year is, as mentioned before, a reference to this swing of depression, built up over the years and suddenly swooped down to lead to this stopping by woods and self-questioning. There is this temptation to give up , abandon all that had once been loved. The reason I translate it as the above is because the last two repeated lines sound weary and tired. Like a sigh, but coupled with the knowledge that these miles are necessary and will bring just as much happiness as sorrow. -
I remember reading this poem as a little kid and sitting in wonderment at the end of it.
Am I right in my interpretation that this is about death? -
the weltschmerzian note
From guest Mansoor Alam (contact)
poems like this one tend to be misinterpreted by people who want to come up with something new for the sake of it.this trend is destructive in a sense that the plain and staight-forward appeal of the poem is engulfed in modern verbiage of newness.
the poem very clearly talks about the universal sadnes when a person ,a gifted one, thinks about the ultimate end of the universe.the role of man in a complex scheme of things!
this idea can only be felt by the select few ones.shakespeare was the first,then came hardy and now robert frost! -
Contemplating death? Probably. Suicide? That is another thing and takes a greater leap of faith. There are a couple lines to bolster that opinion, "The darkest night of the year" could suggest depression. "The woods are lovely, dark and deep" could mean death. I'd prefer to think it's just someone contemplating man's temporal fate and realization that there's a lot of life yet to be explored, lived.
And for me, the repeated last lines echo a comparison/contrast to the literal and the connotative...he has miles to go before bed, and a long life before it ends. There's also a slightly haunting reinforcement to it. -
From guest Harry (contact)
Charles Kinbote, in Nabokov's Pale Fire, would agree with Marissa's interpretation of the last line; I would too. -
compliments
From guest tenzin sangpo (contact)
this poem really has a good meaning. it gave me a lot of idea and about choosing my career and not being to the side of bad persons. -
meaning
From guest Marissa (contact)
at the end where it says miles to go before i sleep means he has a journey ahead of him; hes not ready to die he still has alot to to do before death so this poem has a deeper meaning than goin to the woods.. im in 7th grade and i have noticed this...have you? -
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Although many, and I mean many, people believe that this poem is about a man contemplating death, it doesn't have to be. It could simply be that the man was admiring the peace of the woods and realized he had much to do before sleep, so he needed to stop daydreaming and start moving again. I like to think that good poets write poems so that many interpretations can be made about them depending on the individual and where that person is in his/her own life. I do agree that one interpretation is thinking about death but it could be about nature and peace and then coming to reality that life is ahead.
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One of my favorite poems by my favorite poet.
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From guest Tabitha Rose (contact)
This has been my favourate poem ever since i first read it, it's nice to know that so many other people love it too. It's dark and deep and beautifull and the last line should be read in a whisper. -
From guest maxx evans (contact)
i like the hit tv show roswell and this waas read when a 17 year old boy died...so it touched a special pplace in my heart!!! -
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my favorite poem
From guest Monique Miller (contact)
No matter what the author intended the poem to mean, it has kept me on the right path for years. I first read the poem in high school. I am now in my 50s and I still get strength from this poem. To me the woods represent temptation. Whenever I am facing temptation, I am reminded of the promises I have made to God and others. Miles to go represent traveling through life. To me sleep represents giving in to temptation. Even if Robert Frost did not have any of these things in mind when he wrote the poem, I am sure he would have been pleased to know that his poem help keep so many of people on the straight and narrow path and we have had a better life because of his poem. -
Metric
From guest Rosina Banderas (contact)
Hi I'm someone who would like to know what kind of metre does this poem have,because I have to trasnlate this poem to spanish. I want to know this to give the translated version the adecuate spanish metre. I don't know if this poem has a popular metric in english or not. I would appreciate if someone could explain this to me. -
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Rosina,
This is iambic quatrameter. There are four feet to each line and each foot is an iamb (an unstressed sylable followed by a stressed).
whose WOODS / these ARE / i THINK / i KNOW
Good luck with your translation.
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about temptation
From guest sumayya (contact)
I re-read this poem today and found that in fact it might be about temptation, any temptation, not just about death or contemplating suicide. The woods are very tempting, someone else's property is tempting to stop by and enjoy, but then he remembers that he has promises for others that he is obliged to keep, and still miles to go before he can find his "rest" and sleep. -
Poems
From guest samantha (contact)
im only 13 and so far this is my 2nd favortie peom my first is Who Knows If the Moons by E.E Cummings -
From guest gemma (contact)
this poem is about how a man loves the fact that everything is dark and gloomy and he is think about suicide but remebers that he has other commitments to attend to before he can do anything. it suggests that he is trespassing on another mans land. the horse is the one that is speaking common sense as this man has gone off into a dream world thinking about death and gloomyness and his horse gets him out of that dream by shaking his head and making noises thus awakening the man back into reality where he realises that he cannot die here. -
Poetry
From guest Trevor (contact)
I first heard this poem when I was seventeen and loved it immediately, especially the lines"the woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep" Fifty years on it enchants me still. I don't need to analyse it at all, I just love the simple beauty of the words which brighten my day. -
frost
From guest Ashwini (contact)
really a good n touching lines by Frost... i read in my sad days ........it strengghten me -
Robert Frost
From guest Luke (contact)
Robert Frost is a very good poet but i think he is a bit to overrated this poem is nothing speacial in the least it doesnt seem to have much meaning just beauty but there is nothing wrong with that. -
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Robert Frost
From guest Bruce Dowlind (contact)
Robert Frost writes about the best subject, i can soooo relate -
Stopping by wooods on a snowy evening
From guest Makenzie Everson (contact)
I read this poem for schoool and I don't normally like poetry but this poem inspired me to do more research on the poet! -
From guest Jolly Roger (contact)
I think this is a poem simply about nature. I suppose you can find deep meaning in anything, but I personally find only a discripive view of a wood at my favorite time of year. -
The Meaning has Metamorphosed
From guest Ardmoor Oakes (contact)
I loved this poem in its simple beauty when I first read it. Years latter as a professor of English I now understand that the poem is prophetic. The "deep snow" concept clearly applies to the Iraq quagmire and the Bushilter quest for oil. "Miles to go before I sleep" illustrates the plight of women and minorities at the hands of the racio-patriarchal hegemony. Frost was well ahead of his time. -
Stopping by Woods
From guest Isaac Taylor (contact)
I think that this poem is about a person starting to second guess his religious convictions/convictions of society. The owner of the woods being God/society, the speaker hopes/wishes in their own mind that God will not uncover their doubts. The woods perhaps being his own world filling with beautiful but worldly hopes. The horse then representing a trained animal and thus his conscience and societies expectations perhaps trained to accept only certain actions . These thoughts then occur at the darkest moments in his life. However in the end God and the speaker's conscience/society win the battle putting down the personal hopes and aspirations in favor of his conformity to the "promises" that we all are made to give to society. -
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Stopping by Woods...
I think this work is about the writer contemplating the weight of human existence at dark and depressing point within his life. The writer is considering the worthiness of continuing on with life, while hoping his thoughts are concealed from God (owner of house).The horse, perhaps pulling the burden of life on a sleigh, protests with the implied notation of,” lets move on, these thoughts of ending our journey are not natural"; the nature of man is to live and survive.
The writer finally realizes that life is beautiful and mysterious, and he has the comment to live out this gift of life, and not end it by his own hand.
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Stopping by Woods...
From guest Bob Coulter (contact)
I think this work is about the writer contemplating the weight of human existence at dark and depressing point within his life. The writer is considering the worthiness of continuing on with life, while hoping his thoughts are concealed from God (owner of house).The horse, perhaps pulling the burden of life on a sleigh, protests with the implied notation of,"lets move on, these thoughts of ending our journey are not natural"; the nature of man is to live and survive. The writer finally realizes that life is beautiful and mysterious,and he has the comment to live out this gift of life, and not end it by his own hand. -
From guest Namita (contact)
This is a beautiful poem, I've read from when I was 10 or something. Now I'm 13 and still find it as beautiful as it was 3 years ago. -
comment on the poem
From guest jan (care of grace) (contact)
I got an idea of the poem from an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper (youngblood section),August 14, 2007 and I found it really nice. I will try to memorize the poem. -
nostalgic
From guest nikunj singh (contact)
the most cherished poem of my school days ...even after 13 years i still remember it and to find it again....nostalgic -
Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods
Frost is indeed a genius and he reveled in playing with words that messed with our minds. Simplicity of image was his forte and he used it well in his poem.
I like the idea that the owner of the woods here is God and even if God is all knowing, Frost would be all too eager to play on his spiritual knowledge that to try to lock God into one building is absurd, so his saying that the owner would not see might be some of Robert's sharp sarcastic wit for us to enjoy.
This is such a wonderful poem to read over and over again. -
just dropping by..
From guest jenny (contact)
I am not really a fan of reading poems but this poem really change my mind...there is more deep meaning in it that make me realize that i have to be thankful in everything I have...tnx to frost -
good ol' mr. smith
From guest Brittany (contact)
I had to do a literary analysis in my 11th year of high school on this poem and Nothing Gold Can Stay. I still love these two poems, amazingly, because that analysis drove me to the brink, drained me in many ways, frustrated me, made me curse poetry, cure Robert Frost, and nearly destroyed me. I always knew he had implied meanings and metaphors but, but never knowing what exactly it is and the similarities and differences between it and another poem is mindboggling. Robert Frost is a complete genuis and still remains my absolute favorite poet. I love this poem (my second favorite), awestruck but his beautiful mind, and I would go into detail a little about my analysis, but i would rather not go back to that horrible time. -
From guest hamid (contact)
the most crucial thing in poetry is the beautiful images that lines and verses figure out. While reading this poem, i felt that i too stop not by woods.. but by words and images of this poem. -
Favorite piece,by Frost;
From guest Suseann (contact)
From Suseann; The wonderful thing about reading poetry, is it's message is unique in interpration to most.We can never know unless it's followed by an Author's comment of intent.What exactly he or she meant.I believe most in youth might not have the appreciation of this author's age and era he lived in to consider when taking it's message to mean something deeper than it was intended.Before the modern age of electronic entertainment.T.V. and radio. Life and nature held more for the indivigual.Enrichment of living allowed more time to ponder in short. Sliegh rides through the country side on freshly fallen snow is a challenge,to leave a mark.Snow Angels and foot prints. A moon glow evening just as the Sunset.Woods illuminated and a person's love of exploration into the woods and what they held,is enticing even today.I've loved this piece by Frost from first real reading of poetry at age 11.This piece more than any.Caught me up and made me take notice of poetry.Now some 50 years later.I can still say,it is my favorite I too am sticken with wanderlust of nature.And this is indeed a masterpiece of classic poetry. -
From guest Arvind Ramamurthy (contact)
The way i look at it is that he veers towards being a recluse and away for society .... enjoying the pleasures of such an experience.... but finally decides there is yet time for this event.... -
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His house is in the village though
My high school teacher felt that this phrase referred to a church, and thus the whole first stanza was referring to God. So, he meant God as the 'owner' of the woods, and 'His house' meant a church.
The quiet contemplation of life and death that follows makes much more sense from this viewpoint. -
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However if it was God, wouldn't he see him stopping in the woods? He is all knowing.
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Commanding
This is one of my all time favorites. I LOVE IT. -
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School
From guest Louise (contact)
I was made to memorize this in first grade! I didnt think much of it then, but now I realize how beautiful this poem actually is. -
great poem
From guest smiley (contact)
This poem is great! It shows how Robert Frost is such a good poet, and i promise that at once you will hear someone say "miles to go before I sleep", and i know what they are talking about!! (For once) -
it is aesome
From guest christina (contact)
I think this poem is mysterieous and comforting. When I found out the truth about this poem, I was soo surprised!! I was glad that he didn't kill himself because he is a fantastic poet!1 -
i love this poem
From guest lily (contact)
i love this poem! hey did you guyz know that Robert Frost almost want to kill him self whem he wrote this poem that is what it means when it says "but promises to keep, and miles to go before i sleep, and miles to gobefore i sleep," but he did not kill him self cause had promises to keep. -
stopping by woods on a snowy evening
The woods are lovely,dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
These last four lines was the favourite of our Jawaharlal Nehru's. That's how many of us Indians were introduced to Robert Frost. The four lines, simple though it may seem, holds depth of meaning. The woods though inviting, with its sheen of mystery, cannot detain him (though he would like to penetrate), since he has other commitments to fulfill before he closes his eyes.
Nuggehalli Pankaja -
beep, neigh, today
"Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" was a poem I didn't come across in High School, but was made an obligation away from my daydreams or exploratory reading, which I was to find sympathy with in the piece!
It's conclusion has one compute to cut a party over property so to speak short of being in the neighborhood, as even the owner has "His house is in the village though" thus it's a shame of an emotional mutiplex? Not saying a whole lot with trying everything, and projects strung out is sensitively sensed. But moreso, a full grown man might have felt fanciful having a feel at nature if not on own.
Complex though, no promenades to be on the premises singles out single possibility as a melancholy walk or ride which could squelch the joy of finding season change for a guess thinking of friend not being a recluse. So responsibility is considered it seems around "To stop without a farmhouse near" in way one might have a funk to enjoy the radio by oneself with antrance to dancing when you know you should be working too.
Yet not only by cinema can it be always or other's convincings...
The rut is thought out by an animal of habit we've made join us, to be reminded and not aberrantly apparently. There isn't a jingle of enjoyment at the reigns being lost of control almost with :
"He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake"
so it's like a dog bringing the leash when you're stuck at just sitting on the porch, perhaps, or somebody else's or land that's strangely attractive as retreat enough where scaping could crop up.
Early twilighlight chills things faster, for instance toes>>>
Hewed in the new hues rose for me --
take some leave however when you may not feel like leaving now due to be desires to stay but then won't want to be a leaver later with the lever at committing to exhaustion and guilt of short cutting the trip home by erring to not being able to fufill errands. Also, those needs may be around one's yards even since "miles to go before I sleep" is reiterated, where it could be recalulated mileage in terms simply by steps of chores around the house if 5,000 minimum is in mind.
There is then enthusiasm for the turn to to tune into 'let's wash, let's do something, and when we're scrubbing, we aren't going to be bored are we, with nearness to rest and expenditure might be so satisfactory it can make a visit neat elsewhere afterwards!' while we can't look at ants per se with pregnant thoughts versus just ideas! -
ms. pope's favorite poem
From guest myself (contact)
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by: robert frost -
i love it
From guest williams carolina william (contact)
dis is by far one of mai favorites... i have mlies to go before i sleep...many miles -
i love this poem
From guest jack johnson (contact)
i love this poem because it is metaphoric in many ways...and i have miles to go before i sleep...<3 loved it -
great
From guest hose30 (contact)
I loved it. It told a story and I liked also his simplicity. The repeating of the last lines for emphasis. I loved the rhyme in this poem also.I think he was a great poet.Who wrote form his heart. -
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my favorite
I read this in high school. It was a favorite of mine. The last two lines I thought he fell asleep and the horses knew their way home. One of my poems I had to memorize and still remember. -
Talloaks
From guest Sandra Reynolds (contact)
This poem has always been my favorite since High school days. I had to memorize it. -
I know, Jorge Luís Borges, analyse the poem as a reference to death as well, in fact he points out the necesssity of the last repetition, as a daring thing as well, is the reference to death. Since, just sleeping is not death. Sleeping twice, adds the athemporal statis and thus death.
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makes me wonder
From guest Saurabh Suman Sinha (contact)
every time i read this poem, i am compelled to wonder if there is really a similarity between the present poem and Davies' "Leisure". one must agree that the life today is much faster and busier, leaving less time for a person himself or herself as the day and days pass by. In that moment when one stops to look around or 'smell the roses' as a more popular expression may describe, something seems 'queer' and yet the sense of responsibility does overcome the desire to wait and look. -
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A very interesting comparison. To me Davies' poem, http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/6303-William-Henry-Davies-Leisure is an indication of someone quite definitely taking time without any sense of urgency to view nature in all her beauty.
Frost's poem on the other hand suggests to me someone in a hurry on a definite journey who has taken the time to stop and observe a very specific scene and, within that scene, nature removing many of her traces under the blanket of falling snow. In this case the traveller has a very definite and important itinerary to maintain.
The one very concious of leisure the other very concious of pressure and yet still they do have great similarities.
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From guest mark johnson (contact)
over the years of my own difficulty. there were times when i would recite these words and sadly press on through that particular moment that was incapsulating me at the time. favourite -
Inspiring me always
From guest Gopal Sarma (contact)
I don't know exactly when it was written . But whenever I read this poem I feel an eternal inspiration and responsibility to self and society. -
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Written in 1923 !
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Vive's spiffeh anyalyzation thing? xD :P
From guest Viveh (contact)
I think that Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowing Evening” is poem filled with symbolization about a man contemplating suicide. He stops in the middle of the woods during a cold winter evening, and looks out into the woods thoughtfully. The owner of the woods is in the village where he won’t be able to see the man stopping. The man discreetly came to a stop in the middle of the woods where he could be shunned to the rest of the world for a brief period of time. He has privacy. The man had probably made the trip through the woods many times before, but never stopped like he has now. The horse notices the break in pattern and wonders what the cause was. Stopping in the middle of an ice land would turn them into frozen dead men, or horses, unless they got to a warm area such as a farmhouse. The man is trying to decide whether to pull the plug on his life or keep on going. He is stuck between the frozen lake and his life. The horse rings his bell to try and signal the man to stop dawdling and part with the woods. The horse wants to distract the man from his negative thoughts. The horse is like his guardian angel. Typically, the winter solstice, December 21st, was the date in which all of this happens. The earth is tilted far on its side, so the sun hits the earth for a shorter amount of time on that day then any other, resulting with the darkest day of the year. The darkest day of the year is also the darkest day of his life. The woods are “lovely, dark, and deep”. The man longs to cave into the temptation to go into the woods; into the carefree zone where all of his burdens would be lifted off his chest. The miles represent his time left in life, and the sleep symbolizes death. Death is someplace someone contemplating suicide would be relieved to swim into. Life is probably hard for them and they do not want to go on any longer. The man knows he has lots of things to do before he can “sleep”. He realizes he has things to get back too. He isn’t ready to die. The man has over come his temptation and has the power to continue on his journey. He has miles to go before he sleeps. -
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good analysis
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Thank You!
From guest Graham Hall (contact)
This poem came up in a discussion yesterday. I had read it in the 9th grade. That was 45 years ago. The last four lines have been etched in my brain for all that time. The preceeding lines needed help. Thank you for making it easy!!! On the poem itself... Just sit quietly. If you have memories of woods and snowfall, remember them. Now, read the lines and close your eyes. If you feel the snowflakes and see the woods, you have discovered Robert Frost. If not - try again! :) Gray -
i love you
From guest james (contact)
feel like writing an essay comparing this to the road not taken, which consider the themes choice, ambition and death? -
From guest A monk Repent Cult (contact)
I like the way the last 2 lines say the same thing and have completely different meanings... I think the first is talking about the physical miles, while the second is about time left before he dies -
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Funny you should say that, because another point of view could say.. If you follow his rhyme scheme (aaba bbcb ccdc dddd)he couldn't have ended the poem with the second to last line. To put a close on the poem he needed the fourth line. Although it fits perfectly there and ... well I'll just stop there. Just putting it out there..
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Stopping By woods On A Snowy Evening
From guest Walter Gray (contact)
I think the poet is enthralled by the beauty of the scene, which he alone is witnessing, and would like to linger longer, but acknowledges that his journey and commitments prevent him from doing so.
I would not have considered that he would have been nurturing dark thoughts of suicide,but if he was, then,the wonder of nature would have dispersed them. -
From guest Walter Gray (contact)
I think this poem is one of the most beautiful I have ever read.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
And I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep".
These words are so evocative.truly lovely. -
The Truth
This poem isn't about suicide or anything of the sort. You really shouldn't put words into the poets mouth. He is literally painting a picture of a man riding a horse from town back to his house and on his way he stops to notice the beautiful woods and light snow falling. The horse thinks it's queer (odd) to stop there because they've made this trip many times and have never stopped before. He may have some troubles in his life but in this moment he is taking in the beauty. Then he realizes he has stuff to do and a long way to go before he's home, so he snaps out of it and most likely continues his journey home. -
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I'm sorry, I disagree
Frost always tried to make his readers think about what he wrote. He once said that "poetry is the only permissible way to sa one thing and mean another". While yes - he is brilliant at simply describing the scenery, most of his poems also contain a deeper meaning. I'm not going to pretend that I know what he means by this poem, but considering the fats about Frost's way of writing, it'd be very unlikely that he hasn't hidden some message 'between the lines'. It's far too vague to not be so. -
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I ain't mad at cha
That's the thing with poetry though. Usually the only thing you can go by is the words on the paper, because most have past on. So to read into a poem is really just placing your own emotions and thought into it, usually biased. I'm not saying poetry doesn't have hidden meanings just that in this poem, in my opinion, there's not enough evidence to read what most people read into it.
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mysteriously beautiful
wondering what hes trying to communicate about who the woods belong to Maybe the woods are his final place but he cant stop he must keep going because of his promises -
I always loved this poem, because it gets the reader thinking, "Is he talking about physical miles, or emotional and spiritual miles?" We do not know if he has miles to go, as in, growing more spiritually, or actually has to ride on to meet someone. I love this poem.
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what i love about poetry is that anyone can get somthing out of a poem...what one person thinks a poem means can be completly opposite to what others think or to what the actual poet was thinking..but its cool because poetry always keeps me guessing ..i love robert frost because his poems always make me think and try to find deeper meaning
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this has always been one of my favoretpoems
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good point, but I did assume that the poem was Robert Frosts own personal thought. -
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maybe also "very Queer" could also refer to the depression side of things and expressing ones darkest thoughts, at this time it was somthing you just did not do, you just got on with it. -
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queer refers to what the horse thought. The horse didn't understand why they stopped because animals are used to patterns and every other time they just kept on going not stopping till home.
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Frost was a lot deeper than that. And it is actually a positive poem as he chooses not to take his life. For people contemplating suicide this would be a very comforting poem. -
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yes, like he was in a hypnotic state, and then shook out of it. -
My favourite poem ever.
This is the first poem I ever learnt to recite.
I remember sitting in the kitchen with my father has explained to me what different lines of the poem meant. It is about a man contemplating suicide. But he has miles to go (the road/years of life) and promises to keep(choosing not to hurt those he will leave behind).
If someone could please explain if there is deeper meaning behind the first three lines, whos woods are these I think I know, his house in the village though?
This poem just resonates right through you. -
I had to read this back in 10th grade for English class. I still enjoy reading it now, though. Love the rhyming!
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Very good writer
Robert Frost had a way with words he capture the moment quite well. stays frozen in time with his words which i never tire from since reading him in high school even now twenty plus years later i still love his work as much as i did back then. -
memorable
".promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep" I would be hard pressed to guess how many times over the years these words have played across my mind. Times when I knew that much of the road lay before me. When I was weary just reciting these words seemed to spark a new flame.
Another 'saying' that has helped me is " A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."
It has been many years si
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