Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Thesis:
"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a simple poem. Underneath the surface it has a slightly deeper meaning. Looking at the way the poem is written and what words are used will prove the underlying meaning of this poem . Structure
b. Word content
c. Rhyme
d. Rhythmic structure
. Theme
a. Loneliness
b. Choices
c. Nature
. Setting
. Historical background Conclusion:
As we have looked into this beautifully written poem, the reader can see the many layers that are a part of the simple looking poem. The unusual, song- like writing makes the poem have a complex aspect to it. The many ways to interpret it and the detailed picture that the poem presents prove the complexity of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".

"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a simple poem. Underneath the surface it has a slightly deeper meaning. Looking at the way the poem is written and what words are used will prove the underlying meaning of this poem.
This poem is often considered very simple; part of the reasoning for that thinking is the words or vocabulary contained in the poem. Frost doesn 't use extravagant words but limits the words to fewer than three syllables. There are 108 words with in this poem but only 20 of them are two syllable words. ("Rubaiyat Stanza" 5) when first reading the poem, the reader is often struck by the simplicity of the wording.
This poem is considered to be a glimpse into Frost work. If you were to just read this poem you would get an understanding of Frost 's way of writing. How can a poem that is so simple be one of Frost 's best works? First, underneath all those simple words is a complex rhythmic scheme. The poem is only four stanza 's long. Within the first three stanza 's Frost uses a specific rhyme, for example: know, though and snow. Notice that the third line within the stanza doesn 't match this rhyme. The third line of the first stanza is here. This is because Frost uses the third line of each stanza to introduce the rhyme of the next stanza. It makes the poem flow very well and starts to add some complexity to the poem. The fourth stanza does not introduce a new rhyme. This is because it is the end of the poem. Not introducing a new rhyme gives the poem finality.
This poem is written in iambic tetrameter. It is similar to iambic pentameter. The difference is that this poem only has four accents per line in each stanza while a poem written in iambic pentameter has five accents. This type of writing makes it more complicated.
There are multiple different options as to how to interpret this poem and many themes that can be applied. The first one that can be found is a sense of loneliness. The darkness and quietness create an atmosphere of loneliness. We expect that while the man in the poem is looking into the darkness there is a sense of loneliness. Even though the poem alludes to a sense of loneliness, the reader also feels an underlying feeling of desire to be away from society and responsibilities. The loneliness and darkness is welcome. The shake of the horse’s bells brings him back to reality and forces him to face his responsibilities before he can rest.
Another way to look at the poem is to see that the man in the poem has choices to make. In the poem he has choices between staying and watching the snow or moving on in his journey. I believe that we all have choices to make in life and this represents that. Sometimes we have to make the choice to continue with our life or stay in place. We can become stagnant watching the snow fall and not paying attention to the responsibilities that are before us and continuing on the journey of life. This poem can be looked at as a representation of that.
The reader can not disagree that the poem is a picture of a beautiful scene. The snow falling and filling up the woods, tinkling of the horse’s bells, the cold of the night and a sense of urgency and longing are all examples of this beautiful scene. It can be taken just as it is with no interpretation. It is a simple and beautiful poem that becomes complex by its very sing song type of writing and the multiple ways to interpret or not interpret this little poem.
One of my favorite things about this poem is the setting. We have a rider that is on a journey. It is a cold and wintery evening. The rider is going to a village and the path goes past the woods. The woods are filling up with snow and we stay there for the moment. The words and simple and direct but the paint a complex picture of winter beauty.
Knowing the background behind this poem really makes it come to life. Robert Frost has said that he wrote this poem in a short period of time. He wrote it in one sitting, overnight. Robert Frost lived a large portion of his life in New England. The reader can really see the effects of his life in New England emphasized in the poem with writing about winter. Robert Frost wanted his poem to be what it is. He wanted it to be read and for the reader to take away only what is meant to be taken away. I believe that the simplicity of the poem is what makes it complex, that the sound and beauty of the poem and the emotions that it creates are what make the poem complex because that is what Robert Frost meant for it to be.
As we have looked into this beautifully written poem, the reader can see the many layers that are a part of the simple looking poem. The unusual, song- like writing makes the poem have a complex aspect to it. The many ways to interpret it and the detailed picture that the poem presents prove the complexity of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". Works Cited Rubaiyat Stanza, Iambic Tetrameter, and bears, oh my. (2013). retrieved from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/rhyme-form-meter.html Robert Frost: Poems Summary and Analysis. (N/A). Retrieved from http://www.gradesaver.com/the-poetry-of-robert-frost/study-guide/section15/ Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/themes.html Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/

Cited: Rubaiyat Stanza, Iambic Tetrameter, and bears, oh my. (2013). retrieved from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/rhyme-form-meter.html Robert Frost: Poems Summary and Analysis. (N/A). Retrieved from http://www.gradesaver.com/the-poetry-of-robert-frost/study-guide/section15/ Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/themes.html Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.shmoop.com/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening/