Post by amandac02 on May 21, 2008 22:17:06 GMT -5
The poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost reflects the ideals of transcendentalism, namely the concept of intuition, man’s ability to connect with untainted nature, through Frost's unplanned venture into the wilderness and the societal realization that he undergoes while there. The fact that Frost is "stopping" in the woods while he still "has promises to keep" implies that he does in fact have some definite motivation for his journey; although the reader is not told what this reason is, one can be sure that Frost did not plan to venture into the woods (Frost).
So what ultimately drove him to stop there? Frost answers the question very plainly: "to watch his woods fill up with snow" (Frost). So, something about the serene beauty of the snow-covered woods drove him to stop and admire his surroundings. In doing so, he watches the snow fall. The image is one of transcendental solitude- the man and his horse stopped in the middle of untainted nature and isolated from society. The horse acts as a voice of habit; he "gives his harness bells a shake" in order to remind Frost that this detention in the wilderness is not the usual (Frost). However, Frost disregards this narrow-minded warning, continuing to admire the woods by describing them as "lovely, dark, and deep" (Frost).
Despite his admiration of the wilderness, Frost realizes that although he does not wish to return to society, he must in order to finish the task that he began. After praising the woods, Frost laments, "But I have promises to keep" (Frost). The word "but" contrasts the promises that Frost needs to fulfill with the "lovely" trees, giving a negative connotation to Frost's venture back into society. The mere fact that Frost chooses to return to society does not negate his transcendental thoughts; he does realize that society's monotony can never live up to the beauty of nature. However, he must go back home, in order to get there in time to sleep, as he is still very far away.
So what ultimately drove him to stop there? Frost answers the question very plainly: "to watch his woods fill up with snow" (Frost). So, something about the serene beauty of the snow-covered woods drove him to stop and admire his surroundings. In doing so, he watches the snow fall. The image is one of transcendental solitude- the man and his horse stopped in the middle of untainted nature and isolated from society. The horse acts as a voice of habit; he "gives his harness bells a shake" in order to remind Frost that this detention in the wilderness is not the usual (Frost). However, Frost disregards this narrow-minded warning, continuing to admire the woods by describing them as "lovely, dark, and deep" (Frost).
Despite his admiration of the wilderness, Frost realizes that although he does not wish to return to society, he must in order to finish the task that he began. After praising the woods, Frost laments, "But I have promises to keep" (Frost). The word "but" contrasts the promises that Frost needs to fulfill with the "lovely" trees, giving a negative connotation to Frost's venture back into society. The mere fact that Frost chooses to return to society does not negate his transcendental thoughts; he does realize that society's monotony can never live up to the beauty of nature. However, he must go back home, in order to get there in time to sleep, as he is still very far away.