Stopping by Woods

Nov 18

You may have read or at least heard of the famous poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Composed by the 20th century American writer, Robert Frost, the poem became a classic example of a work that uses a simple story to convey a deeper meaning. The poem describes a traveler who stops by the woods at dusk on what would be “the darkest evening of the year.” The reader senses that the man wants to stay and linger, but he realizes that he must move on as he has “promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

Over the years, literary critics and teachers have analyzed the poem to search for the symbolism and message found in the text. Many writers have commented on the image of the traveler representing the human journey through life and the struggle between our sense of desire and duty. The snow and silence of the woods can signify purity and heaven, while the village recalls society and civilization.

The other day, I did not stop in the woods, but I stopped by an old cemetery in the section of the city where I grew up. As part of my November prayers and devotions, I wanted to spend some time in the place where my grandparents and great-grandparents are buried. While it was not a snowy evening, it was a windy day at dusk. The cemetery is surrounded by old trees, and the words of Robert Frost could easily be applied to the scene I witnessed: “the woods are lovely, dark and deep.”

The woods were not filled with snow but fallen leaves that seemed to be everywhere. The cemetery was silent, except for the crunching sound that accompanied my walk. Meditating on the journey of my own ancestors, and all of the souls that surrounded me in that sacred space, I thought of the final stanzas of the poem. I thought of the miles they had walked, the promises they had kept, and the sleep that they were now experiencing.

St. Francis de Sales tells us to embrace the silence of this season and time of year. He calls us to carve out a period of prayer as we prepare for the coming of the Lord. The gentle saint reminds us that in the stillness of nature and night, the Lord reveals himself.

As autumn gives way to winter, as light gives way to darkness, may we all take time to stop and seek the Lord each day, each night, and each season of the year.