Reference to the Context Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Class 9 & 10 ICSE

Answer a.The neighbour’s wood has been referred in the given lines. The beauty of the woods were very enchanting and so the speaker stopped by the wood.

Question b. Who will not see the speaker stopping by the woods? The woods are lovely, but its owner stays in his house in the village. Comment on this situation.

Answer b.In the given extract a coldest evening has been referred by the poet. The real owner of the Woods chose to stay at home covered in his blanket and protected, unlike the speaker who decided to venture in the woods and enjoy its beauty.

Question c. What do the words:woods and the village symbolise in the poem?

Answer c.In the given extract woods symbolizes pleasing enjoyment, the darkness of ignorance as well as the dark in a man. The word village has been used to create a contrast between nature that is devoted and civilization that is the house in the village. The woods are attractive but its owner does not enjoy its beauty he is far away in his house in the village.

Question d. Where exactly is the poet standing? What is his attitude towards the Woods?

Answer d.The poet is standing along a country road to watch the snowfall in the woods.He is delighted by the enchanting natural beauty of the woods. He gazes into the soft, silent whiteness of the forest.

Question e. Do you think that the poet is happy with less lonely state in the woods? Give reason for your answer.

Answer e.Yes, I think the poet is happy with his lonely state in the woods. He gazes into the soft, silent witness of the frost and is tempted to stay on and on.

Question f. By referring to the whole poem, state how far frost is a poet of nature.

Answer f.Frost’s poetry is entirely free from conventional and artificial elements. He captures the simplicity and naturalness in the poetry. Frost is seen appreciating the snowfall in the woods. To enjoy its beauty he stops along the country road. He describes the woods as lovely, dark, and deep. The beauty of the Woods mesmerizes the heart of the speaker.

2-“My little horse must think it queer…. The darkest evening of the year.”
Question a. Where has the horse stopped? Why has the horse stopped there?

Answer a.The poet has stopped his horse by the country road.The horse has stopped due to his master’s order.

Question b. What does the horse consider as strange? Why?

Answer b.The poet stops by the wood to enjoy the snowfall as per his desire which the horse considered as a very strange thing as there is no farmhouse and that to standing in the darkest evening of the year. The horse thinks that there is some mistake in stopping by the woods.

Question c. What is meant by the darkest evening of the year? What does the darkness suggest in the poem?

Answer c.The darkest evening of the year meant that in late December when it is biting cold there is foolishness to stand near the Woods. The darkness stands for mystery.

Question d. Give the main theme of the poem. Explain how the poet has carried out this theme in the poem.

Answer d.The horse though an animal has been transformed to human ways of acting. He is totally impatient and needs a place of business that is a farmhouse. Here the farm house is a symbol of civilization.

Question e. Take another symbolic levelcoma what do the horse and the farmhouse represent?

Answer e.The title leads to the theme of the poem that is the basic conflict between an attraction towards nature and pull of responsibility.The poet praises the beauty of the woods but his responsibility of his duty did not let him to praise and enjoy the enchanting beauty of the woods. His horse also acknowledges him about his duty by shaking his bell around the neck.

3-“He gives his harness bells a shake….. Of easy wind and downy flake.”
Question a. Who is he referred to in the first line of the extract? Why does he shake his harness bells?

Answer a.The horse is referred to as he in the poem. He shakes his hardness well as the things there is some mistake in standing in the Woods.

Question b. What does he consider as a mistake? Why is it said to be a mistake?

Answer b.He considers that the traveler has made a mistake to stop at a place where there is no source of rest and food. The horse is impatient to carry on the journey whereas the traveler desires to stop.

Question c. Give the meaning of the following: the only other sound sweep of easy wind and downy flake

Answer c.The sweep of the winds provides ease and comfort and the soft caress of the downy flake provides pleasure.

Question d. What is the effect on the speaker of the shaking of the harness bells and the sleeping sound of the wind ?

Answer d.The horse gives a shake to his bells to get his master’s attention. The horse things they have stopped by mistake along the road. The poet acknowledges the duty to be fulfilled and the only other sounds are of slight wind and of falling snow.

Question e. How has the poet created an atmosphere of isolation and mystery in the poem?

Answer e.Nature too helps him to make things even lonely for it happens to be freezing cold,snowy and dark. There is complete silence and the only sounds of harness bells and sweeping wind are heard.

4-“The woods are lovely dark and deep….. and miles to go before I sleep.”
Question a. Why does the speaker consider the woods are lovely dark and deep? Why can’t the poet enjoy the natural scenery in the world?

Answer a.The word ‘lovely’ suggests the beauty and allure of the place and the words ‘dark and deep’ suggest the mysterious attraction of the dark deep wood. The poet cannot enjoy beauty due to his responsibility.

Question b. What are the promises referred to by the speaker in the poem? Explain the two meanings of the word sleep.

Answer b.The promises of fulfilling the duty is referred to here in the given extract. sleep is symbolic of a deserved reward which the poet achieves after keeping his promises. The sleep would also be interpreted as yearning for death.

Question c. How do you think that the woods act as an obstacle for keeping his promises?

Answer c.The woods are attracting the poet by its beauty and therefore he wants to enjoy the beauty which is becoming obstacle for keeping his promises. 4d-give the symbolic meaning of the last two lines of the extract.

Question d. Give the symbolic meaning of the last two lines of the extract.

Answer d.Sleep is a symbolic for deserved award which the poet will achieve after keeping his promises, in contrast to the unearned pleasure of looking at the woods. Sleep would also be interpreted as a metaphor for death.

Question e. How can you conclude from the poem that frost is a rural poet?

Answer e.Frost’s poem is entirely free from conventional and artificial elements he has succeeded in capturing the simplicity and natural beauty of the Woods.

5-“My little horse must think it queer….. Of easy win and down flake.”
Question a. What are the sights and sounds the experiences in the Woods?

Answer a.The poet experiences and enjoy the snowfall of the woods and sound of the sweeping winds.

Question b. What inner conflict in man is expressed in the poem?

Answer b.An inner conflict between nature and civilization has been depicted in the poem.Nature stands for the woods and civilization stands for the village.

Question c. What attracts the poet in the woods on a snowy evening?

Answer c.The poet is attracted by the beauty of the snow fall of the Woods.

Question d. How does the poet interpret the setting of the harness bells of the horse? Give the symbolic meaning of shaking of the harness bells of the horse.

Answer d.The poet introductory the shaking harness bells of the horse as any mistakes made by them by stopping along the country road. The shaking of hands bells symbolizes about the promises of duty.

Question e. How does the extract depict the theme of isolation?

Answer e.The only sound of the wind sweep is hard and hardness well of horse depict the theme of isolation.

Question f. Give the contrasting images of the natural world and the man made world as given in the poem.

Answer f.The natural world attracts the poet very much by its duties that is he is enchanted by the natural beauty of the wood.