Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS :
B. Read the following lines and answer the following questions.
1. He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
a) Whom does ‘he’ refer to? (QY. 19)
Ans: ‘He’ refers to the owner of the woods.
b) Identify the season in these lines. (QY. 19)
Ans: It is the winter season.
2. My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
a) Who is the speaker?
Ans: The poet Robert Frost is the speaker.
b) Why should the horse think it queer?
Ans: There is no farmhouse near and it is night time, the woods are dark. So the horse might
think it strange to stop there.
c) Pick out the rhyming words.
Ans: queer – near
3. He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
a) Whom does ‘he’ refer to in these lines?
Ans: He refers to the horse.
b) Why does ‘he’ give his harness bells a shake?
Ans: He shakes the harness bells as if he is asking the poet whether there
was any mistake in stopping at the wrong place
c) How does the horse communicate with the poet?
Ans: The horse communicates with the poet by shaking his harness bells.
4. The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
a) How are the woods? (QE. 19)
Ans: The woods are lovely, dark and dense.
b) Whom does T refer to? (QY. 19)
Ans: I refers to the poet, Robert Frost.
c) What are the promises the speaker is talking about?
Ans: Duties and responsibilities in life are referred to as promises.
5. And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
a) Why the poet has used the same line twice?
Ans: In order to emphasize the fact that he has to fulfil his duties and responsibilities before his death, the poet has used the same line twice.
b) Explain: miles to go before I sleep.
Ans: Miles to go refers to leading the rest of his life until his death.
C. Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks:
After a long travel the poet entered a __(i)__. He wondered to whom the wood __(ii)__! He realized that the owner of the wood lived in a __(iii)__. He thought that the owner would not be able to __(iv) __ him stopping in his woods to watch __(v) __ fill the woods. The poet felt that the horse would think it very __(vi) __ to stop near the woods as he had never __(vii) __. He was actually standing between the woods and __(viii) __. The time was __(ix) __. The horse indicated that the poet has made a __(x) __ by shaking its head. The poet felt that the woods are lovely, __(xi) __. He suddenly realized that he had wordly __(xiii) __ which not allow him to __(xiv) __ in the woods for a long time.
ANSWERS:
(i) forest
(ii) belonged
(iii) village
(iv) see
(v) the snow
(vi) strange
(vii) before
(viii) frozen lake
(ix) evening
(x) mistake
(xi) dark
(xii) deep
(xiii) responsibilities
(xiv) stand
D. Answer the questions in two or three sentences:
1. What information does the poet highlight about the season and the time of the day in the
poem?
Winter season is highlighted and the time is said to be a dark evening.
2. In which way is the reaction of the speaker different from that of the horse? What does it
convey?
The speaker, enjoys the scene of the snow-filled woods but the horse finds it strange to stop in
the woods without a farmhouse near in the dark evening.
3. What are the sounds heard by the poet?
The poet hears the soft, gentle sound of the breeze. He also hears the sound of the falling snowflakes, apart from the sound of bells in the harness.
4. The poet is aware of two choices. What are they? What choice does he make ultimately?
The two choices are whether to stay and watch the woods filled with snow or to return to his
village. The poet’s choice was to go to his village.
5. Pick out words from the poem that bring to mind peace and quite.
“The woods fill up with snow”,
“the darkest evening”
“easy wind”,
“downy flakes.
“lovely dark and deep”.
E. Identify the rhyme scheme used in each stanza.
Rhyme Scheme Stanza
1. aaba
2. bbcb
3. ccdc
4. dddd
F. Complete the table by identifying lines, against the poetic devices from the poem:
Poetic device
– Lines from the poem
Alliteration
– watch his woods
Personification
– My little horse must think it queer,
To ask if there is some mistake,
Repetition
– And miles to go before I sleep.
Imagery
– The darkest evening of the year.
Of easy wind and downy flake.
TEXTUAL : PARAGRAPH QUESTION:
G. Answer the following questions in a paragraph about 80 -100 words.
1. It is said, “The choices made by one, shapes one’s destiny”. Ponder on the thought and write a
paragraph.
Ans: The poet Robert Frost, in his poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ makes several choices, many of which his dearly beloved horse does not agree with. The biggest choice that he wrestles with is whether to return to the warmth and safety of the village or to stay and watch the woods fill up with snow. Our poet does seem to have a hard time making his decision. He ultimately decides to return home, but it seems to take all his will power. As he had worldly responsibilities and promises to fulfil, he leaves the woods reluctantly.
You can watch this Poem’s video with tamil explanation: CLICK HERE
 |
| SamacheerKalvi 9th English Stopping by woods on a snowy evening Unit 1 Poem |
