Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Susan Jeffers

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a delightful poem about a man stopping to enjoy the snow-covered woods on his way home one evening.  The illustrations add so much to this poem, and bring it to life in a way that makes you feel like you are in the woods with the kind man.  The illustrations demonstrate the man's kindness when he leaves food for the animals in the woods, and remembers his family who awaits him at home.  He continues on his journey for he has "promises to keep" with them.  The charcoal-shaded illustrations embellish the lovely poem with just a trace of color surrounding the man and his family.  The colors give an appearance of warmth in the midst of a dark, cold, snow-covered wood.

The poem makes use of rhyme to keep the words flowing.  For example, when the horse questions the man's decision to stop in the middle of the woods, "He gives his harness bells a shake/ To ask if there is some mistake."  The rhythm throughout the poem is steady, with eight syllables in every line.  The poem, along with the illustrations, appeal to many senses.  The sense of sight is beckoned by the illustrations to visualize the snowy woods, while the sense of hearing is appreciated when, after hearing the sound of the horse's harness bells, "The only other sounds the sweep/ Of easy wind and downy flake."

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening takes readers along on a magical journey amidst the snow-covered woods.  The illustrations and the words of the poem both contribute to entice the reader to embark on the journey along with the kind man.  This book is a marvelous option for children and adults alike to enjoy.

Frost, Robert.  1978.  Stopping by woods on a snowy evening.  Ill. by Susan Jeffers.  New York: Duton Childrens Books.  ISBN: 0525401156.