Robert Frost’s simple rural settings often explored a wide range of philosophical views. For instance, in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1923) Frost unveils a universal truth about human life. In this poem we can see that the speaker was passing by the woods by his horse. For some reason he was arrested by the dark woods covered with snow. He was so enthralled by the woods that he was resolute to stay there. When he was about to decide to stay there forever, suddenly he came back to his senses when the horse shook his harness bells. This poem is highly symbolic. Here the dark woods stand for death or eternal rest, whereas the harness bells stand for reality.
The main premise of the poem is that in practical life man cannot escape from his duties. And there is no doubt that the practical life is full of hardships and complexities. Consequently, many of us long to escape from worldly life forever to attain eternal peace. Similarly, when the speaker saw the woods he was allured to rest eternally as he is too tired of dealing with complexities of material life. But the horse brought back him to reality by reminding his obligations. He could realize that his work in this world is not finished yet as he has to complete many other works before death:
“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.”
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