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 sounds 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.

Robert Frost的這首詩，除了結構極之工整，押韻嚴謹之外，語言其實非常簡單。很多學者討論過這首詩的意境，都認為詩的意味絕對不只表面上看起來一般簡單，甚至有引申至文明 (civilisation) 的邊緣、黑暗的意象等等。我不認為這是Frost的原意，我倒覺得其實這首詩所表達的感情平實而簡單，為什麼一定得想得這麼複雜？

寒冬中我途經這片樹林，這幽深的木林令我想起那位朋友，雖然他並不知道我在這裡停下，想起我們之間的羈絆。我實在想進去一探究竟，然而有更重要的承諾待我實行。無論天氣多冷、夜有多黑，漫天雪野之中只有我和我的小馬，即使已近黃昏，我也要守著我的承諾。是的，我必須遵守我的承諾。

詩中最後兩句的repetition最令人津津樂道，認為這是最有代表性、最具創意的表達手法，是令這首詩一舉成名的特點。不必把它過份神化，為什麼要重複這句句子？也許詩人是想藉此堅定自己的信念，讓自己堅持不要動搖，就像傷心時望著鏡子重複對自己說「我很好」一樣吧。

(Reference: http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/frost/section10.rhtml)