Ben Montgomery
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The only other sound’s the sweep. Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” from The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem.
Metaphor: “Miles to go” is a metaphor for continuing journey of life, and “sleep” is a metaphor of death. Tone: Calm, dreamy and soothing. Literary analysis for the phrase Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Robert Frost with meaning, origin, usage explained as well as the source text.
The text of the poem reflects the thoughts of a lone wagon driver (the narrator), pausing at dusk in his travel to watch snow falling in the woods. It ends with him reminding himself that, despite the loveliness of the view, "I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep." Structure and style
But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. This poem is in the public domain. One of the most celebrated figures in American poetry, Robert Frost was the author of numerous poetry collections, including New Hampshire (Henry Holt and Company, 1923).
The initial line, ‘And miles to go before I sleep,’ remains within the poetic parameters defined in the poetry genre. Then, the poet repeats the above line, reinforcing a more internal message. In actuality, the poet is hinting at death, which will come eventually as he reaches the end of his years.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
Learn More. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" was written by American poet Robert Frost in 1922 and published in 1923, as part of his collection New Hampshire. The poem is told from the perspective of a traveler who stops to watch the snow fall in the forest, and in doing so reflects on both nature and society.
Frost’s description of the woods as “lovely, dark and deep,” as well as the many miles left to travel, suggests that the speaker’s journey may represent life itself—while the woods, in their darkness and silence, represent death.
His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here. To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer. To stop without a farmhouse near. Between the woods and frozen lake. The darkest evening of the year.
Can you explain the line, "And miles to go before I sleep," from the poem? How does the speaker communicate in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?
