Stopping by 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. - Robert Frost

In its simplest form, this poem depicts a person stopping by some woods on a snowy evening. Taking in the lovely landscape in silence, he or she is tempted to stay longer, but then acknowledges the pull of obligations and considerable distance yet to be traveled before he or she can rest for the night. As with any poem there is always room for interpretation and this poem has a special meaning to me. When I started running, this poem spoke to me and has served as a constant warm memory and inspirational writing, consistently giving me hope and happiness. Many people who know me wont be surprised when I publish this post, because they know my deep rooted love for Robert Frost. Many people have asked me why I love this poem so much and what it means to me. For the most part, I consider myself a private person, but this like all poetry has a purpose to be loved as well as shared. Although, the entire poem speaks to me, the final stanza is my favorite part. 


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.


It always reminds me that no matter how lovely and enticing things can be whatever they might be, I have promises to keep. To me, promises include being the person I was raised by my parents to be and keeping my fathers memory and legacy alive-always. Miles to go, is a constant reminder that I have a long way to go to prove myself and continually remember and honor my father. I like to think of it as a long journey that I hope will last a life time- until I die, this dream and goal wont be able to sleep.


Tonight, I got a permanent reminder of my favorite father and poem. It also happens to be on the left side of my body- closest to my heart.