Figures of Speech

Metaphor

• Definition: A Metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other (without using “like” or “as”).
• Example: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep.”
• Explanation: The woods here are not just real trees; they also stand for peace, rest, and even death. The poet compares the beauty of the woods to the calm rest of death.

• Definition: Personification is a figure of speech that gives human qualities to non-human things.
• Example: “My little horse must think it queer.”
• Explanation: The horse is given the human quality of “thinking.” In reality, a horse cannot think like a man. It shows that even the horse feels surprised at the poet’s strange stop in the dark, cold night.

• Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
• Example: “Whose woods these are I think I know.”
• Explanation: Here, both /wh/ and /th/ sounds are repeated. This alliteration creates a soft, calm tone. The tone matches the quiet mood of the snowy evening.

• Definition: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
• Example: “He gives his harness bells a shake.” (the long “e” sound)
• Explanation: The repeating vowel sound gives the line a musical flow.

• Definition: Repetition is the repeating of words or phrases for emphasis or rhythm.
• Example:

And miles to go before I sleep.”

• Explanation: The repetition of the line shows the poet’s deep sense of duty. It also hints at the long journey of life ahead before the final rest.

• Definition: Imagery is the use of words that create pictures in the reader’s mind.
• Example: “To watch his woods fill up with snow.”
• Explanation: This line gives a beautiful picture of snow slowly covering the woods. This image helps the reader see, feel, and imagine the calm, white evening.

Symbols

• The Woods: The woods in the poem stand for peace, beauty, and rest. They are calm, dark, and lovely — like a dream world where the poet wants to stop and forget everything. But they can also symbolize death or eternal rest, because they are deep, silent, and far from human life.
• The Journey: The speaker’s journey through the snowy woods stands for life itself. The road he travels on is like the path of life, full of duties and responsibilities. Even though he wants to stop and rest, he knows he must keep moving — just like people must keep living and working until their tasks are done.