The idea of death in the poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’

‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ is perhaps the most well-known poem by Robert Frost. In fact, this is the single poem through which Frost is known to many. This poem is suggestive of profound thoughts and utterances about human life and death.

To all appearances, the poem may seem a moving personal experience of the poet. It may seem nothing more than a simple anecdote reality that one evening the poet pauses along a lonely dark country road to watch snow fall in the woods. But the poem is an allegory form of a universal conflict felt by every sensitive individual, and that is the idea of death. Through personal experiences, Frost understands that one day he will die. He will have to leave the world sooner or later. This happens to everyone. No one can escape from death.

In the poem we can see that the speaker or the poet stops in the midst of the woods on a snowy evening on his way home. But this place seems different to him. This place seems spiritual and related to the world after death. The snow symbolizes the cold destructive Force called death. Here he feels death.

          In the poem Frost introduces a foil. A foil is a character who plays against a more important character. Here the foil is the horse. It’s the horse that sets us thinking as to why the speaker stops in the middle of the jungle far from the essential amenities required for maintenance of human life. To top it all, on an evening which is the darkest of the year. The horse represents the mind of the poet which tries to tell the poet that there is nothing unusual or supernatural.

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The final stanza of the poem represent the core idea. Here the poet philosophizes the idea of death waiting and his call for responsibility.

          “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.”

 Through this part the poet tells that it’s true that he will have to die. But he is not ready yet. Because he has a lot of work to do and complete duties and responsibilities towards his society, family, friends, himself and others before his final rest.

In this poem we get the idea of death according to Robert Frost which is a common thought of every sensitive mind.