Thursday, June 21, 2012

Do you think the poet should have stopped near the woods and enjoyed the beauty of nature in the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"? Give...

Because this is a "what do you think" question, there is not a 100% correct answer.  Different readers will have different opinions.  You can safely state your opinion, but do be sure to clearly explain why you think what you think.  


I'd like to play the Devil's advocate for my answer.  Most people would probably answer "yes, it's fine that the man stopped by the woods because nature is beautiful, and he's not hurting anybody;" however, I would like to provide an answer that goes the other direction.    


No, I do not think that the man should have stopped by the woods to enjoy nature.  The poem states that it is a dark and cold night.  



The darkest evening of the year.



Snow is beginning to fall too. Enough snow to begin filling the woods.



To watch his woods fill up with snow. 



For the speaker's safety and the safety of his horse, he should not be out wasting time.  He needs to minimize his exposure to the elements and get to shelter sooner rather than later.  This is especially true since the end of the poem says that he has many more miles to go before his destination.  I read "To Build a Fire."  That guy died from exposure to the cold.  I also read "The Outcasts of Poker Flat.  Most of those characters froze to death in a winter storm because they didn't hurry to their destination.  The man in the poem is perfectly welcome to admire the beauty of nature, but he should do so through a window on the inside of a nice, warm house. Additionally, the poem ends with the speaker admitting that he has promises to keep. He needs to stop procrastinating, get to his destination, and honor his commitments.   

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