Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Literal Comprehension

The speaker makes a journey by a horse in the evening time. As he arrives in the natural beautiful place ‘Jungle’, then it makes him stop. He is attracted by the frozen lake and woods. He imagines that those woods belong to farmer from the village but he does not know the beauty of nature. As the speaker gets pleasure and wants to live with natural beauty, he does not care or forgets his duty and time’s fleeting. On the other hand, the horse seems to be conscious of what master’s lateness. Therefore, he wakes up towards his duty. At last, the poet realizes that life is a long journey and to complete a journey one should be responsible with duty before his/ her death to make life meaningful forever.

Interpretation

This poem is a record of delightful experience by the poet as he makes a journey towards natural beautiful and peaceful place on horseback. In addition, this poem presents the beautiful description of natural beauty makes the satire to the modern materialistic human beings who are busy, commercial and selfish having no time to enjoy the beauty of nature rather ignore the natural beauty. He further says that one should not be crazy only for beauty forgetting his/ her duties and responsibilities. We have a lot of things to do to complete our long journey of life as well as to make it meaningful. So, the beautiful and progressive life is based on the appreciation of beauty and duty of joining our mind and heart together.

Critical Thinking

This poem covers three areas in particular as follows:

·        A personal experience of the speaker (poet)

·        A delightful description of native and simple village life

·        Being with the delight of nature and ends with the wisdom of life.

No doubt, the poem focuses on the value of natural beauty. But still, we can find some of the controversial issues and less convincing ideas. For example, the time is evening and going to be darker, at the same time, the poet makes a journey. As he arrives in the jungle, how can the poet see and admire the woods covered by the snow in the darkest evening of the year? Similarly, the horse in the poem is represented as more intelligent and conscious than his master, man. Anyway, man is, of course, more intelligent being of all animals in the world.

Assimilation

This poem has greatly influenced me. It teaches what the significance of natural beauty is where one gets freshness, peace, love, and importance of duty where one makes his life meaningful in the long journey of life. Of course, it touches our heart and mind and makes our life free form boring, selfishness in the materialistic world. After consulting this poem, I have come to know that one should not miss his opportunity and duty in the name of beauty. Similarly, one should not ignore the beauty of the nature being too busy in duty and making life just as mechanical. Rather the perfect life goes with the combination and appreciation of both duty and beauty.

Together with this, I also recalled my own experience of travelling through the jungle when I was in my school days. During that days, I used to take enjoy with the shade of trees and the sweet songs made by the birds in the jungle.