Answer the following questions

A. Memorise the poem '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 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.

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?

He refers to the owner of the forest (woods).

b. Identify the season in these lines.

 It is a winter season.

2. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near

a. Who is the speaker?

The poet is the speaker.

b. Why should the horse think it queer?

The horse thought it queer because there was no farmhouse near.

c. Pick out the rhyming words.

The rhyming words are : "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?

He refers to the horse.

b. Why does ‘he’ give his harness bells a shake?

He gives his harness bells a shake to get his master's attention.

c. How does the horse communicate with the poet?

The horse communicates with the sound of the bells.

4. The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep

a. How are the woods?

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

b. Whom does ‘I’ refer to?

'I' refer to the poet.

c. What are the promises the speaker is talking about?

The poet is talking about his commitments in life.

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?

The poet has repeated the last line to make a strong claim.

b. Explain: miles to go before I sleep

Miles to go refers to leading therest of his life until his death.

Read the following stanza and answer the questions below:

1. "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"

a. Who does "I" refer to?

I refer to the poet.

b. Where is the house?

The house is in the village

c. Who lives in the village?

The owner of the woods resides in a house in the village.

d. Pick out the rhyming words from the above lines.

know - though - snow

e. Identify the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.

"aaba"

f. Identify the figure of speech used in the 4th line.

Hyperbole

g. Pick out the alliterated words in the 1st and 2nd line.

1st line = these - think, 2nd line = see - stopping

2. "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"

a. Where was the poet?

The poet was between the woods and the frozen lake.

b. What was the evening like? Why?

It was the darkest evening, because it was winter season.

c. Where has the horse stopped?

The horse has stopped between the woods and the frozen lake.

d. What is meant by queer?

Queer means strange.

e. Why did the horse think it queer?

As there was no farm house to take rest, the horse should think it queer.

f. Pick out the rhyming words from the above lines.

queer - near - year

g. Identify the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.

"aaba"

h. What is the figure of speech used in the first line?

Personification

3. "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"

a. What does "he" refer to here?

He refers to the horse.

b. How did the horse react?

The horse shook its harness bell.

c. Describe the sound in the poem.

Sound of harness bells, wind blowing and the falling of the snow flakes.

d. What does sweep mean?

Sweep means soft and gentle.

e. What does "downy flake" mean?

Downy flake means soft snow crystals.

f. Pick out the rhyming words from the above lines,

shake - mistake - fake

g. Identify the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.

"aaba"

h. What is the figure of speech used in the first line?

Personification

f. Pick out the alliterated words in the first line.

dark - deep

4. "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 "

a. How were the woods:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

b. What are the promises that the poet has to keep up?

The poet has to keep up his duties and responsibilities.

c. Pick out the rhyming words from the above lines.

deep - keep, sleep - sleep

d. Identify the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.

"aaaa"

e. What is the figure of speech used in the last two lines?

Repetition

f. Pick out the alliterated words in the first line.

dark - deep

C. Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks.

After a long travel the poet entered a forest. He wondered to whom the wood belongs to! He realized that the owner of the wood lived in a village. He thought that the owner would not be able to see him stopping in his woods to watch how the snow would fill the woods. The poet felt that the horse would think it very strange to stop near the woods as he had never stopped there. He was actually standing between the woods and the lake. The time was evening. The horse indicated that the poet has made a mistake by shaking its head. The poet felt that the woods are lovely, dark and deep. He suddenly realized that he had worldly duties which would not allow him to stand in the woods for a long time.

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?

There is snow falling in its full swing. Snow flakes are downy. So it is winter season. The time of the day is the darkest evening of the year. Thus the poet highlights the season and the time of the day. 

2. In which way is the reaction of the speaker different from that of the horse? What does it convey?

The poet is compelled to stop to stare at the beauty of the woods. The horse is thinking it queer to stop by the forest before reaching the farmhouse. It conveys the contradictory ideas over a certain action.

3. What are the sounds heard by the poet?

The poet heard the sound of the harness bells and the wind blowing through the trees besides the falling of the snow flakes.

4. The poet is aware of two choices. What are they? What choice does he make ultimately?

The poet can wait and watch the lovely woods or he can go home and attend to the important business. His ultimate choice was to go a long way and reach home.

5. Pick out words from the poem that bring to mind peace and quiet.

"Woods fill up with snow" are the words that bring to mind peace and quiet.

E. Identify the rhyme scheme used in each stanza. One example has been done for you.

Stanza: Rhyme scheme

1. aaba

2. aaba (bbcb)

3. aaba (ccdc)

4. aaaa (dddd)

F. Complete the table by identifying lines, against the poetic devices from the poem. One example is done for you.

Poetic device:

Alliteration:

Watch his woods

His house is

See me stopping

My little horse must

He gives his harness

sound's the sweep

dark and deep

Personification

My little horse must think it queer

To ask if there is some mistake

Repetition

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep

Imagery

To watch his woods fill up with snow

Between the woods and frozen lake

The woods are lovely dark and deep

He gives his harness bells a shake