This page was created by Alison Morgan. The last update was by students at Xavier University.
Nature's Power
One such piece of literature that achieves these goals is Robert Frost’s sonnet written in 1922, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. After being published the following year, this poem has become one of the most well known poems in American literature because of its surprising depth. Although Robert Frost’s other poems such as “Design”, “The Need of Being Versed in Country Things”, and “Spring Pools” obviously qualify as green literature, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” may not appear to be green literature at first glance. However, it carries a tone of reverence for nature, shows the intrinsic value of nature, and displays an ecocentric view of nature. It shows the enchantment of nature and that, because of this, it has a pull on humans that is beyond our control; contrary to the anthropocentric view, the speaker cannot control nature and its enchantment. Much like we need to re-examine our thoughts about and relationship with the environment, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” should be re-examined. Most misread it as a poem that is simplistically about the speaker stopping to admire a beautiful scene during his journey and deciding whether or not he should stay. He is faced with a choice either to ignore his responsibilities or to continue his journey. However, this famous poem deserves a second, more critical look because this is not its entire meaning. Once viewed as an ecocentric poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” carries a new interesting depth and can be considered green literature.
Due to its conversational language and rhyme scheme, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” gives the illusion of simplicity. For example, the poem expresses the thoughts of the unknown speaker as they occur to him. For example, he says, "Whose woods these are I think I know" (line 1), instead of saying, "I think I know whose woods these are." In addition, the rhyme scheme enables the poem to be easily read. It has four stanzas, and in each stanza, the first, second, and fourth lines rhyme, while the third line rhymes with the first, second, and fourth lines of the succeeding stanza. These elements of structure added with the simplistic subject of a man stopping by woods on a snowy evening during his journey. However, once one begins to study and to extract the poem’s meaning, it is put into a new perspective as its illusion of simplicity vanishes.
First and foremost, Frost paints a picture of a beautiful image of this scene that causes the speaker to stop in order simply to look because he is in awe of its beauty. In fact, he is so fascinated by these woods that he stops “to watch his woods fill up with snow” (line 4). In addition, Frost shows the intrinsic value of nature by portraying these woods as “…lovely, dark, and deep…” (line 13). Although the woods are beautiful, Frost also acknowledges their depth with an ominous tone. However, the speaker seems to be enchanted by this scenery as if he is under some kind of spell; the poem’s structure even parallels this effect. The alliteration of the 'w' in the fourth line of the first stanza and the consistency of 's', 'w', and 'd' in the third and fourth stanzas ('sweep', 'easy wind', 'downy flake', 'woods...lovely, dark, and deep', 'miles to go before I sleep') conjure the man's enchantment toward the woods.
This enchantment that the speaker has is evident of Frost’s tone of reverence for the environment. Although this poem is a celebration of nature, Frost introduces an element of darkness when he claims it is “the darkest evening of the year” (line 8). This shows that, although the woods are beautiful, there are also some negative aspects to nature. These negative aspects of nature can also cause us to have respect for it. This portion of Frost’s poem shows that this is different from the pastoral mode of literature. The pastoral mode usually portrays and enhances only nature’s positive aspects, and thus paints an unrealistic picture of the environment. Instead, Frost shows a realistic portrayal of this natural scenery.
As the speaker continues to gaze in awe of this setting, his horse is confused that they have stopped. The horse “…gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (lines 9-10). As the speaker enters this enchanted state, he is provided a brief respite from his prior obligations. This introduces an internal conflict within the speaker between his obligations and his desire to become lost in the woods. The poem’s structure reflects this conflict as well, because it constantly shifts between descriptions of the outside world and the speaker’s inner thoughts. This steadfast alternating movement mirrors the man being pulled in opposite directions and needing to make a decision between his two choices. In contrast to the harsh reality of a life of obligations, the description of the snow in line twelve as “downy” provides an image of softness; he is tempted to ignore the interruption in order to stay at the woods and rest there. The promise of rest and softness is attractive to the man due to this obvious contrast with his obligations. In this instance, the speaker is torn between two worlds, both of which have claims on the speaker’s attention, and he is tempted to ignore his obligations. The world of the woods would provide the speaker serenity and detachment from the world; this is symbolic in Frost’s poem because the woods sit on the edge of civilization, symbolizing its drawing of the speaker away from his obligations.
In the last stanza, the rhyme scheme is broken as all four lines rhyme. “Promises” is the poem’s only three-syllable word, and the reader is brought up short by this jarring line. The breaking of the rhythm suggests either the breaking of the spell the speaker is under, or the breaking of his promises. However, at the end of the poem the speaker's choice is unspecified, leaving readers unsure as to whether he has made a decision or simply postponed making one. This can be interpreted as the speaker, one with many promises and obligations, needing a brief rest from the demanding world of responsibilities. Although he wishes to stay, he cannot claim a respite in the woods that offer solitude and comfort. Even though the speaker must at some point return to reality, it is necessary to participate in both worlds because there must be periodic respites from the world of obligations, but not a permanent withdrawal. Frost uses repetition at the end of the poem when he says, “And miles to go before I sleep / And miles to go before I sleep” (lines 15-16). This repetition shows a reiteration of the obligations the man is reluctant to perform. This is an ecocentric view of nature, because it portrays nature as beneficial to humans in a way that is not harmful to the environment or selfish.
When viewed in this way, the poem itself can become a metaphor for nature. Although it is a very well known poem, many take its illusion of simplicity for granted and merely scratch the surface of its meaning by simply reading it. When one studies “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, he or she can break through its illusion of simplicity, reflect in order to find deeper hidden meanings, and truly appreciate it as a true work of art. Frost’s structural aspects of this poem seem simplistic, but actually contribute to many hidden meanings. Some respond to this poem by simply reading and acknowledging how good it is. This is similar to the way humans take nature for granted; they assume that nature will always be at their disposal to use as a means to some end. We can acknowledge nature’s beauty, but most do not go further than that, because fully appreciating something is time consuming. It requires time, reflection, and true immersion in order to fully appreciate nature in the way that it is should be appreciated. The speaker, then, is an important reflection of how we should act; he takes time out of his day in order to admire the beautiful scenery and, realizing there is depth in the natural scene, he wishes he could stay longer in order to fully appreciate it.
This ecocentric view that Frost portrays is a major contrast with the traditional anthropocentric view of the world, the idea that humans are the center of the universe. Ownership of nature implies an anthropocentric view, which is depicted when the speaker says, “Whose woods these are I think I know / His house is in the village though / He will not see me stopping here / To watch his woods fill up with snow” (lines 1-4). The speaker is preoccupied with the thought of the owner of the woods finding him; however, he disregards the human ownership of the woods and simply stays there to admire the view. This first stanza also shows that nature cannot really be owned. Rather, it acts as its own entity, unlike a traditional anthropocentric view. The owner’s woods fill up with snow regardless of the owner’s wishes. This implies a more ecocentric view of the environment, because it shows that man cannot truly and fully own nature; nature owns itself. Although a man owns the land by a mere technicality, nature is still free to do as it wishes.
Ownership is not only attributed to humans as it typically is, but it is also attributed to nature. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost gives the horse ownership of his harness when the speaker reflects, “He gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake” (lines 9-10). In addition to this, the poem also shows that the human world is not superior to the natural world. In a traditional anthropocentric view, the primary focus is how humans affect, and can use nature for their own selfish gain. In contrast, this poem, through the enchantment of the man to the woods, shows that the natural world has a pull on humans as well. Because of this, humans need a paradigm shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism, and treat nature as an equal.
After fully examining “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and uncovering the symbolism, one can see that it is an ecocentric poem and therefore should be considered a work of green literature. By showing nature’s enchanting power, Frost displays a tone of reverence and asserts that the natural world influences as much, if not more, as our world. This portrayal of nature is much different from a traditional perspective that views nature as a controllable means to some other selfish end. In addition to this, this implements the idea that the natural world should be considered equal to humans’ world. Once the audience re-examines and closely scrutinizes it, the poem itself becomes the mysterious woods mentioned in the poem, because the poem has a pull on us and enchants us to find deeper meanings. Once we discover these hidden deeper meanings, one has a much greater appreciation for “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
Media: Greet, N. Winter's Beauty. Digital image. Picssr. 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
