HUM 2023 Rasmussen College Mod 2 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Questions
Poets can use poetry to convey messages, feelings, educate and evoke thoughts. Therefore, it is a literary tool that can be used to achieve a lot, including shaping society. The poem “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost is a poem that captivates since it explores various conflicts such as choice versus hesitation, personal desire versus social obligation, and nature versus society (Hashmi et al.,2019). Through the use of various literary tools, the author takes his readers through a captivating read, exploring times in society, expectations, and various obligation which, at one time or another, awaits an individual. As such, the purpose of this assignment is to explore this poem by addressing various aspects, such as the literary tools used, what the writer says about the character and what is left out, the use of the character to communicate, and how the passage relates to human experience.
The Literary Tools Used
The author has used various literary tools in the poem. The main tools include mood, personification, and imagery. Imagery is a language that appeals to the human senses. The author states the sounds formed by the bells and wind. The sound produced by winds can best be heard in solitary places such as in the woods, away from the busy activities of the world. Hence this imagery signified that the place was secluded. The author also talks about the darkness of the woods and the night, which again points to the perception of the woods. The author also uses personification as he attributes human traits to objects or animals. For example, in line one of stanza two, the author talks about “my little horse must think it queer” (Frost, 1975). The mood of used in the poem is peaceful and quiet
What Frost Tell Us and What Is Left about the Character
The author has used different stanzas to tell us about the character. However, there are also several aspects that the author leaves out. For example, he tells us what the character feels; for example, the character feels that the woods are lovely (Frost, 1975). However, the writer fails to tell us about other aspects, such as the character’s profession, physical appearance, or even the character’s name.
How the Character Communicates
In most cases throughout the text, the character communicates through words even though, at times talks to the reader or embarks on a soliloquy. The character does not directly speak to anyone. The character also communicates through actions; for example, he/she stops on the way on a snowy evening (Frost, 1975).
How the Writer Conveys the Character’s Identity and Culture
The character has used known and common objects to convey the culture and identity. For example, they mention a horse, a farmhouse, a village, and the woods (Frost, 1975). The mention of these objects could indicate the character living in a rural area. It is important to note that the poet first wrote this poem in 1922. Therefore, it is easier to treat the character as a man since women would not travel alone by horse in those days
How the Passage Relates to the Human Experience
The speaker is caught between the allures of the quiet, peaceful status of the woods and the need to cover more distance and attend to life obligations, perhaps complete the obligations and eventually die, as symbolized by sleep. The implication is that, at times, human beings have to stop and contemplate life, now and in the future, fulfill obligations, and attend to work and chores. In real life, however, the demand bids us not to stop but continue with the journey of fulfilling life obligations.
Conclusion
The poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” describes the experience of a horse rider and an attempt to contrast the rushes of life in society and the calmness of the natural world. The author uses various literary tools, such as personification, to convey thoughts. In addition, various strategies have been used to describe the author and the culture.
References
Frost, R. (1975). Stopping by woods on a snowy evening. Colophon. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n3p373
Hashmi, M. A., Mahmood, M. A., & Mahmood, M. I. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Robert Frost” s Poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”. International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(3).
Reading is both a pleasurable pastime and an academic skill. To get the most out of any reading, whether it is a relaxing novel, a textbook, or a report from your employer, you must be able to read it carefully and comprehend it fully. This is called close reading. For this assignment, you will choose one passage from a piece of literature, just a couple of paragraphs, and do a close reading of it to increase your understanding and hone your abilities to get the most out of anything you read.
Instructions: Read Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Choose a section where the writer makes the experience meaningful, striking, or revealing. Examine this section for evidence of revealing a depth that reaches beyond the poem. In 2-3 pages, address the following prompts/questions:
Name three literary tools used in this piece and briefly describe how they are used. Examples are theme, tone, mood, symbolism, foreshadowing, irony, imagery.
What does Frost tell us about the character at this moment? What does he leave out?
How does the character communicate (through words, gestures, or other means,) and what does he/she say?
How does the writer convey the character’s identity and culture? What symbols are used to communicate gender, race, class, occupation, and/or other identity categories?
How does this passage relate to the human experience overall? How do you relate as a reader?
