Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

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 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 is 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. 

 

  This poem, one of the most famous in the world, seems to have an eerily pertinent message.  Having traveled around the globe, living in different countries, visiting places across America and Asia, I am uniquely disturbed by the apathy with which so many treat priceless moments such as the one Frost illustrates here.  With transportation and communication linking the entire globe, the tranquil contentment found in a simple vision of falling snow in the woods, rain falling on plains, or fog drifting through the mountains is becoming endangered.  The bustle of modern life leaves little room for such luxuries, and necessity dictates that we rush to meet the looming deadlines which tower over us.  I have seen the opposite end of the spectrum, however, while staying at my great-grandfather's home in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Icicles glittering along the sheer cliffs, warm colored leaves blanketing the undergrowth, all remind me of the innately captivating essence of nature.  Society cannot afford to miss moments like these.  So the next time you find yourself gazing out the car window deep in the country, take it in.  Hold it in your mind, use it as the habitation of your thoughts.  Otherwise you might go without a pure, unparalleled joy that all should experience.