1. List all the things that Frost sees. Rank them in
the order that you would find them attractive.
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The woods and frozen lake
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Woods fill up with snow
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Harness bells a shake
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Sounds the sweep of easy wind and downy flake
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The woods are lovely, dark and deep
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His house is in the village
2. What are the images and ideas that Frost reflects
upon when he has stopped?
The imagery of beauty and the promises he has made
to another are reflected upon when Frosts stops.
3. Imagine that you are Frost. Write what you would
say to your wife when you returned home from your journey.
I stopped by the woods, on the snowy evening. The
beauty of serenity and desire for adventure found in those woods are
irreplaceable. I sat there, just listening to my thoughts of life and
adventure.
4. Is there a deeper meaning to the poem? What do you
think it is?
The poem describes the inner meaning of love for
the little things that many people overlook because of their busy lives.
5. Comment on the use of three poetic devices in the
poem. (Especially the use of rhyming and repetition in the last line).
The repetition enhances the meaning of the poem,
but the last two lines should be read differently. The rhyming of the first,
second and fourth and lines of each stanza create a flowing effect. The use of
rhyming and repetition enhance the meaning of the poem.
6. The poem draws attention to two conflicting
desires: the desire to be alone and to explore mysterious, challenging or even
dangerous places, thoughts or objects, and the desire to a sociable person who
responds to the company of others. Trace these ideas through the poem.
The idea of being social is presented in the second
and fourth verses. The idea of stopping at a farmhouse and continuing through
the night to visit another provides connection between the reader and the
author.
The desire to be alone is underlying each stanza. The
thoughts of being alone to listen to your thoughts and to have time to yourself
to do things you want to do.
The desire to explore the woods is one, which is
presented throughout the entire poem. In the first stanza, Frost is thinking of
others, before the realization nobody will be able to see him. The third stanza
repeats the first stanza, but includes the horse. The horse hasn’t done
anything; it is just Frost’s imagination about what the horse would be
thinking.
7. What aspects of the journey are being emphasised?
The poem emphasises two aspects of the journey:
adventure of the different environment where the woods are dark, deep and
mysterious; the isolation of the woods, a place where personal reflection and
being alone is easily accessible.
8. Explain why this poem does or does not appeal to
you. Justify your answer with quotes from the poem.
This poem appeals to me because sometimes, I do not
want to talk to anybody. They seem to annoying or too protective of me when I
talk to them. I prefer to sit alone and read a good book.
The sometimes-needed socialism is presented in the
poem to appeal to everybody who has that special someone to talk to or even
strangers to have a drink with.
