Notes Chapter 3.3 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Class 10 English Maharashtra Board

Notes For All Chapters – English Class 10

Poet: Robert Lee Frost

Key Themes:

• Beauty of nature
• Duty and responsibility
• Conflict between desire and obligation

Warming Up Activities:

Chit-Chat Questions:

• Where did you go for a picnic recently?
• Who accompanied you?
• Why was the picnic spot chosen?
• What games, food, or sights were enjoyed?
• How did you feel when it was time to return home?

Imagery Exercise:

• Examples of Imagery:
  • Bright blue sky, soft white clouds, and birds flying high.
  • Miles of barren land with sparkling sand and cacti.
• Definition: Imagery is a poetic device that creates vivid mental pictures.
• Activity: Compose a 4-6 line poem using imagery.

About the Poet:

• Robert Lee Frost (1874–1963):
  • Famous American poet known for realistic depictions of rural life.
  • Skilled in using colloquial language.
  • Won four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry.

Detailed Analysis of the Poem:

Stanza 1:

• The poet admires the woods and notes their owner’s absence.
• Key Line: “Whose woods these are I think I know.”

Stanza 2:

• The poet’s horse finds the stop unusual as there is no farmhouse nearby.
• Key Line: “To stop without a farmhouse near.”

Stanza 3:

• The horse shakes his harness bells, breaking the silence.
• Key Line: “The only other sound’s the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake.”

Stanza 4:

• The poet reflects on his obligations and the journey ahead.
• Key Line: “And miles to go before I sleep.”

Poetic Devices:

1. Imagery: Creates vivid scenes, such as “woods fill up with snow.”
2. Repetition: “And miles to go before I sleep” emphasizes obligations.
3. Alliteration: “His house” and “dark and deep.”
4. Personification: The horse is described as thinking it queer.

Exercises from the Chapter:

1. True/False Statements:
   • The speaker stops to watch snow falling. ☑
   • The owner of the woods is unknown to the speaker. ☒
   • The horse worries about the cold. ☒
   • The poet does not emphasize the beauty of the woods. ☒
2. Proof Lines:
   • No one catches the speaker: “He will not see me stopping here.”
   • The horse draws attention: “He gives his harness bells a shake.”
   • The horse’s anxiety: “To ask if there is some mistake.”
   • The poet’s conflict: “But I have promises to keep.”
3. Symbolism:
   • Journey: Life
   • Snowy evening: Challenges of life
   • Woods: Temptations/peace
   • Promises: Duties
   • Sleep: Death or rest
4. Rhyme Scheme Validation:
   • Stanza 1: Correct (aaba)
   • Stanza 2: Correct (bbcb)
   • Stanza 3: Correct (ccdc)
   • Stanza 4: Correct (dded)
5. Rhyming Words Suggestions:
   • House: Mouse
   • Woods: Goods
   • Easy: Breezy
   • Wind: Kind
6. Figures of Speech Matching:
   • “Whose woods these are I think I know” – Alliteration
   • “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” – Personification
   • “And miles to go before I sleep” – Repetition
   • “My little horse must think it queer” – Inversion
7. Meanings Matching:
   • Mistake: Error
   • Downy flakes: Soft snow falling
   • Woods: Jungle
   • Queer: Strange