Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

 Q & A of Stories and Poems

 This blogpost is a part of academic activity meant for the students of Diploma Engineering Semseter 01 . This Q & A is prepared as per the curriculum of Communication Skills in English (CSE) recently implemented by the GTU (Gujarat Technological University). This series is prepared in the larger interest of the students and any misuse of it shall invite legal actions.

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Q.1 Where was the speaker going? What stopped him on the way?

The speaker stopped to see the woods being covered with snow. Beautiful atmosphere of the forest tempted him to stay there for a while and enjoy the scenario.

Q.2 What according to the speaker will surprise the horse?

Stopping at an unknown place where there is no farmhouse of human habitation would surprise the horse. Horse gives a signal by shaking the bells whether there is some confusion in the mind of the rider.

Q.3 What does the speaker wish to convey through the phrase “fill up with the snow”?

Through the phrase ‘fill up with the snow”, the speaker wishes to draw the image of woods being covered by the heavy snowfall. It appeared as if the entire area was just filled with snow.

Q.4 What does the poet say about the owner of the woods?

The poet says that the owner of the woods would have no idea that he has stopped there for some time and that he must be living far away. He might also not know that his woods are covered fully with snow.

Q.5 What are the sights and sounds that the poet experiences in the woods?

The poet experiences the sweep of easy wind and snowy flake. Apart form this, the speaker hears the sound of the harness bell which his horse shakes.

Q.6 What promises do you think the poet has to keep?

Everyone has to shoulder worldly responsibilities of one’s self, family and so on. There are several promises that we make either to ourself or the others be they about career, family life, finance, wealth, health and so on. The speaker is tempted to take a halt at the woods as they are so enchanting but he is reminded of the things he needs to do in order to fulfil his promises.

Q.7 What message do the last paragraph convey?

There can be multiple interpretations of such a profound poem but one meaning can be derived and that is about the importance of focus, self-discipline and awareness of the roles one has to play. In life, we often come across several temptations along our path but we must not forget the ultimate destination i.e., the long-term goals of our life.

Q. 8 What is the role played by the horse in this poem?

The horse plays a sort of reminder for the rider about his duties and responsibilities. There is a point when the speaker is tempted by the enchanting view and wishes to stay there for a while but the horse reminds him of the journey ahead by shaking the bell.

Q. 9 Write a short note on: (1) Description of nature (2) Central idea of the poem

01. Description of Nature

This poem presents some fascinating verbal pictures about the beauty of Nature. The very first line has a mention of the word ‘Woods’. By doing this, the poet prepares the readers about what follows in the poem. Lush-green jungles with diverse range of trees, birds and animals comes to our mind when we read the word WOODS.

Further, the first stanza ends with the phrase “To watch his woods fill up with snow”. It is a picturesque description of how a jungle looks during the snowy times. It seems that the entire jungle is covered under the white blanket of snow.

Phrases like ‘frozen lake’ and ‘darkest evening of the year’ creates a sense of awe and mystery in the reader’s mind. There is a beauty of nature but there is also a darker side of nature which is present in a subtle way in this poem.

The sound of sweeping wind also adds to the beautiful description of nature. However, in the last stanza the poet most brilliantly narrates Nature as ‘LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP’.

02. Central Idea of the Poem

This deceptively simple poem tells a lot about human life. It is a metaphor for the journey of human life if we look at it from that perspective. The rider is the individual and the journey is the span of 100 years that a human may live. Woods, we can say, symbolises this world. On our journey, we may come across multiple types of situation and it’s all about how we respond to each one of them. Just like a jungle, human life is also a collage of multiple colours of emotions and experiences. Some might be pleasant and some might be disturbing but one has to accept life in totality just as woods have been doing since ages. The poem also talks about the luring temptations that wait on our path to success. Initially, the rider is tempted to be there but the horse reminds him of the journey ahead. Even in life, we are reminded of our commitment towards our goal either by our loved one or by our own soul. Woods of enchanting view can be attractive for the rider and he can stay there to relax but that would make a delay in his journey. One must never lose focus form one’s ultimate goals of life.