Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Free Essays

Brendan Orner Mr. Whewell AP Literature 3/21/13 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Theme: Isolation * The speaker appears to be telling this poem as if he is distant or far away from any other person * â€Å"His house is in the village though† (2) * People do not/cannot own woods * The word woods brings up the idea of an untamable wild area * â€Å"He will not see me stopping here† (3) This quote brings up the idea that the speaker is slightly paranoid * Instead of using a word like catch or find, the speaker decides to use the word see, as if someone is looking for him or directly at him right then * This also brings up the idea that the speaker wishes to be left alone * â€Å"The little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near† (5-6) The speaker is walking along at this point in the poem, when he sees a horse in the middle of nowhere * The horse also has human-like qualities, for it can think and has its own opinions, changing the thought th at the speaker is alone after all * â€Å"The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. † (11-12) * This is one of those times when a person is an a spot where it is eerily quiet, and yet because of this, they feel like someone is watching them * If someone is watching the speaker, then it furthers the idea that he is not alone * â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening or any similar topic only for you Order Now And miles to go before I sleep. † (15-16) * The repetition of this line emphasizes the thought to the reader that the speaker has a long way to go until he gets ‘home’ * It never clears up the thought of if the speaker is ever truly alone out in the forest though Tone: Solemn and Indirect * â€Å"The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. † (11-12) This quote is a great example of how solemn the poem truly is * These lines make the speaker seem to be alone, yet to be watched at the same time * It makes the reader feel sympathetic for the speaker since he truly is alone in the woods, and by imagining other people watching him, he is paranoid * When someone is paranoid, most other people view him or her in a condescending way (with a solemn attitude) * The poem’s message of loneliness is also said indirectly * â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep. † (15-16) These lines let the reader infe r that the speaker is very far away from home * This home though could be inferred to be the speaker’s sanity or his family, both of which may be lost (or in his family’s case, dead) * â€Å"He will not see me stopping here† (3) * This quote has both an indirect message and a solemn tone * It is telling the reader that the speaker does seem to be alone, yet is being watched or looked for by someone else, and this makes him nervous * The indirect message given here is how the speaker really wants nothing more than to just be alone, without anyone else around to bother him How to cite Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Essay examples