Monday, May 10, 2010

assignment 8

I believe for the reader response criticism to look at “Stopping by the woods On a Snowy evening” by Robert Frost. The reason why that this form of criticism works so well with this poem is because the poem is left very open to interpretation by the writer. It is left up to from in their own mind what is happening in the poem. Things I believe the poem is about a old man who was riding by horse next to the woods. He is just riding by the woods until something makes him stop. When he stops all he does is watch the snow fall in the woods and blanket the ground. This is a very unusual thing for him to do that even his horse finds it strange. What makes him stop is not stated in the poem so it up to the reader thinks of one. He could have stopped because the woods make him remember fond memories of his long life. It could be that that the dark, calm, and peaceful look of the woods is comforting for him. The one interpretation I believe that the dark woods remind the old man of death. It could that he is dying or wants to die. It is most likely that he has lived a long, hard life and wishes that he can just rest and let everything stop. The reason he continues on is because he feels that are still a lot of left for him to do before he dies and takes his final rest.

3 comments:

  1. I agree, this poem is for reader-response criticism. I feel that he did live a depressing life, and it shows in the way he expresses his words.

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  2. I really like your interpretation of this poem. Your interpretation really makes me think twice about the poem and see this poem in a whole new way. I agree that the old man stops in the woods to reminisce on his long life. You really did a good job applying reader response criticism to this poem.

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  3. The way you have expressed your interpretation as a reader is really interesting. I also think that he must have stopped there because the woods might have made him remember the memories of his long life or the dark, calm, and peaceful woods might have appeared comforting to him. this can be interpreted in either way. It makes sense whatever you think of this poem as a reader response critique.

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