UNIT # 8 AMBLEM SCHOOL SYSTEM MS.
WAJEEHA HASSAN
Unit No 8: STOPPING BY WOODS IN A SNOWY EVENING
Comprehension of Stanzas
STANZA 1
1. Who is the speaker and where is he right now?
The speaker is a traveller. He has stopped at the woods to observe the snowfall.
2. Who is referred to as 'his'?
The owner of the woods is referred to as 'his'.
3. Why does the speaker stop by the woods?
The speaker stopped by the woods to observe the natural beauty and snowfall in the woods. He wanted to enjoy
the calmness of the dark, deep, lovely woods.
4. Write the meaning of the word 'woods'.
Woods is an area of land which is smaller than a forest and is covered with a thick growth of trees.
5. Why does the speaker think that he knows the owner?
The speaker thinks that he knows the owner probably because he may have met him in the past and there might
be a distant recollection of faded memories. There is also a possibility that he might have met the owner sometime
earlier as he is a traveller and travels a lot.
6. To whom did the woods belong and why will he not be able to see the speaker stopping by in his
woods?
The woods belong to a man who lives in a village. As he lives in a village, away from the woods so, he will not be
able to see the speaker stopping by in his woods.
7. Do you think the speaker is happy standing in the woods?
Yes, the speaker is happy standing in the woods because nobody is there to watch him and he is finding solace in
the thoughts. He is enjoying the natural beauty of the woods, frozen lake and snow.
8. What do the words 'woods' and 'village' symbolize?
Three adjectives are used for woods — lovely, dark and deep and they symbolize sensuous enjoyment, the
darkness of ignorance and the dark inner self of man. Society and civilization is symbolized by 'village' beyond
whose borders lie the woods.
STANZA 2:
1. Where and why did the horse stop?
The horse stopped between the woods and the frozen lake because the speaker wanted to see the beauty of the
woods.
2. What must the horse find strange or queer and why?
On such a cold and dark evening, when there was heavy snowfall, the speaker halted at a place between the
woods and frozen lake. This is what the horse must be finding queer. The horse must be finding it strange because
he wasn't able to understand the reason why the poet stops unnecessarily in the woods.
3. Do you think the horse was in support of the speaker's decision?
No, the horse was not in support of the speaker's decision because he was finding it strange to stop at a place
where there is no farmhouse to rest. Moreover, he tried to awaken the speaker from his state-of-awe by shaking
his harness bells.
STANZA 3:
1. What does 'He' refer to?
'He' refers to the speaker's horse.
2. Why does 'He' give his bells a shake?
He did so to ask his master if he has committed some mistake by stopping at the woods. He was finding it strange
and was confused as why his master has stopped at an isolated place where there is no farmhouse nearby to rest.
3. What are the sounds that the speaker hears in the woods?
The speaker hears the sound of the sweeping wind and falling snowflakes apart from the sound of his horse's
harness bells. These sounds indicate how quiet the forest is on that snowy day.
UNIT # 8 AMBLEM SCHOOL SYSTEM MS. WAJEEHA HASSAN
4. What effect does the silence have on speaker?
The silence creates a serene ambiance that enchants the speaker and stops him from moving ahead to his
destination.
5. What does the line "To ask if there is some mistake" mean?
The line means that the horse wanted to ask his master if he has committed some mistake by stopping at the
woods. He was finding it strange and was confused as why his master has stopped at an isolated place where there
is no farmhouse nearby to rest.
6. Why did the horse consider it a mistake to stop by woods?
This is because the woods are away from society and civilization and the speaker is forgetting his worldly
responsibilities by indulging in sensual pleasures of nature.
STANZA 4:
1. Why does the poet consider the woods as lovely, dark and deep?
This is because he finds the woods beautiful, mysterious and seductive.
2. Why can't the speaker enjoy the natural scenery in the woods?
The speaker can't enjoy the natural scenery in the woods because he is reminded of the duties and responsibilities
which he has towards himself and others that he has to fulfill.
3. The speaker is talking about what promises?
The speaker is talking about the duties and responsibilities which he has towards himself and others. He needs to
take care of many commitments and compulsions and before embracing a long sleep which is death, he wants to
fulfill those duties and responsibilities.
4. Explain the significance of 'sleep'.
In this poem, 'sleep' refers to death, which overcomes everything in the material world. The speaker says that life
is like a journey and we will get attracted to various things on our way. But we need to overcome these
temptations and keep moving peacefully towards our final destination — a long eternal sleep.
5. What do the last two lines of the poem symbolize?
These lines symbolize a short span of human life and the duties and responsibilities that he has to fulfill before his
life ends.
