One of the best-known poems about
winter is Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Frost was born
in California but spent most of his life in New England, so he knew about snowy
winters. According to Wikipedia (citing The
Robert Frost Encyclopedia for reference), however, the poem actually came
to him on a summer morning as he viewed the sunrise. Maybe he made the
connection because sunrises and unbroken snow are both among nature’s most inspiring
scenes.
But duty calls, and the narrator of
this poem doesn’t have time to stop and enjoy the moment. Here are the words.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
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.
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.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
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.
May you find the time to stop and
enjoy the beauty of winter and maybe even write a poem of your own.
__________
The picture at the head of this
post is a Currier and Ives lithograph titled “Snowed Up. Ruffed Grouse in
Winter.” It was published around 1867 and is in the public domain because of
its age.
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