FREE ESSAY ON ROBERT FROST'S STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

ROBERT FROST'S STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

The circumstances surrounding the composition of Robert Frost's poem Stopping by Woods on
a Snowy Evening explain his use of The darkest evening of the year (L.8) which is closely
related it to the greater theme of perseverance in the face of hardship.
Literally, The darkest evening of the year(L.8), refers to the winter equinox on December
21st. But, if thought of symbolically, this line could be the culmination of difficult
work, by the author, to finish his book New Hampshire. Furthermore the equinox aspect of
The darkest evening of the year(L.13) symbolizes the transition, from the writing of a
new book to its realization. Therefore, the meaning The darkest evening of the year(L.8)
is dual even if the poem was not written in December 21st.
In conclusion, the theme of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening reflects Robert Frost's
perseverance in writing his book New Hampshire. His perseverance, and the speaker's, is
therefore a model to follow by anyone considering giving-up when faced with hardship.
Bibliography
Frost Chronology. (Autumn 2000) In: Friends of Robert Frost, The [online]. Available:
http://www.frostfriends.org/chronology.html
Jackson, Sarah R. (July 1, 1996). Frost's Two Most Popular Poems. In Stephen F. Austin
State University [online]. Available: http://www.libarts.sfasu.edu/Frost/poppoems.html
[November 3, 2000]