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.
In these opening lines, the speaker establishes that he is in someone else's woods, but he is uncertain about who owns them. He speculates that he knows the owner, but also notes that the owner lives in a nearby village and is unlikely to see him stopping there. The speaker also expresses his intention to watch the woods fill up with snow, implying that he plans to stay for a while.
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.
Here, the speaker imagines what his horse must be thinking about this sudden stop in the middle of the woods. The horse is used as a symbol of practicality and urgency, contrasting with the speaker's own desire to linger in the beauty of the snowy landscape. The mention of the frozen lake and the darkest evening of the year adds to the sense of isolation and quietness in the setting.
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.
In this stanza, the speaker describes the sound of his horse's harness bells, which symbolize the horse's questioning and unease about the stop. The only other sounds in the otherwise quiet woods are the gentle rustling of the wind and the snowflakes falling to the ground.
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.
In the final stanza, the speaker reflects on the beauty of the woods, describing them as "lovely, dark and deep." However, he also acknowledges that he has "promises to keep" and responsibilities that require him to continue on his journey. The repetition of the final line, "And miles to go before I sleep," emphasizes the weight of these responsibilities and the sense of duty that drives the speaker forward. The poem ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, leaving the reader to wonder about the speaker's intentions and the significance of the journey he is undertaking.