Analysis Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis Paper 2 - Essay Example The offstage presence of human society in the poem is an unavoidable reality because the speaker himself belongs to it. The speaker belongs to a society which necessarily requires him to be dutiful and responsible. In fact he has duties and responsibilities to himself and to others. But at the same time, he is also a freewill agent who can choose to shun these duties. Since he is a human being, he can easily be tempted to walk along the evil as well as unconventional path. While walking through the woods, he temporarily becomes tempted by its wildness. This wildness of the woods symbolizes something which is wild, unconventional and evil, and which is not accredited by the society. But though he is temporarily distracted by the wilderness, he finally chooses to perform his social duties and responsibilities. Indeed, the poem is endowed with two levels of meanings: literal meaning and metaphorical meaning. Though literally the poem captures some moments of a horse-ride of the speaker, metaphorically it refers to a man’s prioritization on social responsibilities over the call of the wild. On the surface level, the speaker of the poem says that in a darkest evening of the year he stopped by woods, while travelling to his destiny. He stopped by it because he is attracted by the lovely and mysterious scene of the woods. He watches the â€Å"woods filled up with snow† (Frost Stanza 1). ... In his own words, 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† (Frost Stanza 2). In the very beginning of the poem, the speaker provides a sense of remoteness from human society and civilization through the lines, â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know/His house is in the village, though† (Frost Stanza 1). Here, the imagery of ‘village’ refers to the speaker’s attachment to human society. Though he is amid the wilderness of the woods, he is the representative of the society which he belongs to. The remoteness of the speaker from social bindings is further reinforced when he tells that the owner of the woods â€Å"will not see [him] stopping [there]† (Frost Stanza 1). It means, he is far from the society up to his own will. He is a human being; therefore, he is a freewill agent unlike his little horse who must think his master’s stopping queer w ithout a ‘farmhouse’. Here, the imagery of ‘farmhouse’ also symbolizes the comfort which social life can provide to a man. But since the speaker is a freewill agent, he is easily tempted to revel in the mysterious and lovely wilderness of the woods. While his horse thinks it queer to stop by the woods, he thinks that â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep† (Frost Stanza 4). The contrast between his reaction and his horse’s reaction to the scenery of the forest rather highlights his existence as a freewill agent. If he wants, he can elongate his stay in the woods. Even he can respond to the call of the wild. He can revel in the joy of exploring the mysterious, unknown and the wild. But he