Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

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'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.

Robert Frost was 48 when he wrote this poem; and only 49 when it was published in his New Hampshire book of poems.

The meaning of this poem is literal. A man goes riding his horse in the woods during the winter and stops to look at the trees. His horse is confused because they usually stop when there is some kind of house with a feeding trough. This particular man just wants to stay there and watch the peaceful, quiet woods but has his promises to keep—those promises are to be fulfilled once he gets there. “Miles to go before I sleep”, meaning that he still has a long life ahead of him and he can’t stop there forever.