Saturday, November 13, 2010

First Snow and Robert Frost



I wasn't expecting this much snow today, were you?

Despite the crappy driving conditions, this first snow makes me feel good. I don't know why.
It reminds me of the Robert Frost poem, Walking in the 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.

To me it always sounded like Frost (or his character) was looking at the snow in wonder, reveling in the solemn beauty of it. But in Now Close The Windows, Frost doesn't care how pretty the snow is and just wants the darn windows shut so the house doesn't freeze.

Now close the windows and hush all the fields;
If the trees must, let them silently toss;
No bird is singing now, and if there is,
Be it my loss.

(first stanza)

And of course, we'll all feel that way eventually, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

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