The opening stanza identifies the setting as woods in the
winter. The speaker is aware of the owner of the woods, knowing that he will not mind if
he spends a moment to watch the snow fall. The second stanza mentions that his horse
must wonder about his choice of stopping on a frozen lake on such a cold, dark evening.
In the third stanza, the horse shakes its harness, ringing its bells, breaking the
silence; the only other sound is that of the wind and snowfall. In the final stanza, the
speaker admits his love of the beauty around him but realizes he must depart because of
another obligation. The final lines repeat--"and miles to go before I sleep"--suggesting
both a long journey and the drowsiness of sleep.
As with
many poems, Frost's classic has a deeper meaning. The dark woods seem to symbolize
death, and the speaker has an attraction to it. However, the "miles to go" in a
different direction symbolizes the continuation of life--a journey that the speaker must
nevertheless continue, perhaps not altogether enthusiastically.
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