stopping by the woods on a snowy evening
... force him or her out of his or her duty on that day. These lines show imagery with a sense of loneliness in the abandoned woods. The second stanza, second line, the horse feels something is not right. It is “queer To stop without a farmhouse near”. The horse represents the conscience in the man or women’s head. There is a sense of uncertainty about this stop in the woods. Within the rush of emotions the man or women is feeling, the “horse” is reminding the man or women there is something wrong with this situation. The horse is representing the man or women’s inner emotions helping the reader understand how the man or women is dealing with this problem he or she is struggling with. The second stanza, third line, says, “Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.” The woods and frozen lake signifies life and death. The woods being where new life grows and animals mate is life, and the frozen lake where animals below may freeze and die, and where the surface is sharp and dangerous is death. The reader is faced between two extremes, the woods and the frozen lake. “The darkest evening of the year” indicates darkness, silence, and depression, all of which come with suicide. The fact that the man or women choose to pick the darkest night means that the man or women is very secretive and scared. The man or women feels that the mood within the night can be related to the mood that the man or women is feeling. These two lines help the reader understand the possibilities of death are on the verge of breaking. The third stanza starts out with, “He gives his harness bells a shake”. The horse, or the man or women’s conscience has snapped the man or women out of his or her state of daydreaming. The bells are shook to startle the man or women and make him or her forget about the negative thoughts of death. The next like goes on to say, “To ask if there is some mistake.” The man or women again is second-guessing his or herself. Since this is an enormous life changing decision, the man or women seems to be putting more thought into his suicidal thoughts at the last minutes. These lines show the man or women’s indecisiveness towards suicide. The last line in stanza three explains the wind is easy and flakes downy. The author used vivid words to describe the wind and snow. This shows the reader that the man or women is truly taking in everything around him or her before his or her last breath. The fact that the man or women sees that the snow is soft, and the wind soothing, makes the reader wonder if possibly the man or women is backing out of his or her decision. Using such passionate words to explain these everyday natures reveals that the reader may miss the simple pleasures of wind and snow. The last line signifies that although it is cold and bitter outside, the man or women is actually enjoying these feelings. The last stanza, first line, describes the woods. Again, the author is making clear that the man or women in this poem is taking in his or her surroundings. Believing that “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” shows that the man or women is aware of the beauty that lies around. The word lovely, meaning gorgeous and beautiful, is a strong word to use when talking about the woods. The fact that it is dark and deep means that the man or women is picking up on the woods colors. The man or women is concentrating immensely on the scenery that awaits his death. These words start to reassure the reader that the man or women, due to his or her adoring thoughts, may not commit suicide after all. Stanza four, line two, goes on to say, “But I have promises to keep”. The man or women is justifying why he or she will not commit suicide by using the word “but”. The man or women realizes that there are many more obstacles and journeys to accomplish. His or her life is not fulfilled yet, and his or her time to die is not now. There are people waiting for the man or women to do things that, if the man or women died would not be done. The man or women obviously feels strongly about promises because he or she is not committing suicide ...