Gideon's Post

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow. 

My little horse must think it's queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year. 

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake. 

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. 

Level: Sec 2 Express

Objective : Teach students about the relationship between setting (the environment) and mood in poetry.

Question 1. 

What is the poem about? 

This question is a "starter" question which essentially leads the students into thinking about the "who", "what", "where" questions which would later be elaborated and focussed upon in discussing the relationship between the setting and the mood of the poem. Students should be able to identify from the clues in the poem that this poem talks about a traveler and his/her journey through the woods. "My little horse" and "miles to go" should offer a clear indication of this, amongst others.

Question 2. 

What is the environment like in the poem?

Here, instead of asking them what the "setting" is, i wanted to allow students to be more sensitive in answering the question by using the word "environment" instead. This is due to my expectations that they would probably  just give me the "place" described in the poem and leave out the important "effects" like the winter cold and the dark, deep  vastness of the woods. By asking them what the "environment" might be like, they would probably give me answers like, "There is snow all around.", "it is cold and dark" etc. Being able to identify these qualifiers is an essential step towards understanding the relationship between setting and the mood conveyed by the poem.

Question 3.

How would you feel in this environment?

Here, i attempt to get the students to relate to their own life experiences regarding a similar setting, that allows them to relate to the effect that setting has on the poem. By relating their emotions with the poem, it actually helps to guide them into identifying the mood of the poem. By comparing and contrasting their own emotions with what is expressed in the poem, they could gain a better understanding of the message of the poem. I would expect a mix of interesting answers during this discussion ranging from "Scared", "worried" and "lonely" to "brave", "indifferent" and "tired". From this discussion, i will then lead them on to discuss what they felt is the mood of the poem expressed via the persona juxtaposed in this environment.

Question 4.

How do you think the persona feels in this environment? Why does he repeat the last line?

After discussing and establishing what the students feel the environment describe in the poem is like, i would then channel the discussion towards the persona's feelings in relation to the environment. The last line of the poem is a big clue, which is why i decided to focus on that with them. I would expect them to empathize with the persona's apparent long journey and the fatigue and loneliness that comes with it. The students should also be able to identify the persona's bravery and determination from the fact that the persona decides to stop in the deep, dark woods which even surprised his horse. It is important here to draw explicit links between the language used in describing the setting and the mood of the poem/persona. For example, students might express that the persona might feel lonely on his travels. Here, i would then draw the link between the season (winter) and the cold of the snow to show how this symbolizes a certain sense of loneliness in the poem. The deep and dark vastness of the woods also represent uncertainty and fear - something they would already be able to relate to, in answering question 3. In making the links between the setting and the mood in the poem more obvious and relevant, students would be able to identify them and draw links for themselves in future poetry discussions.