The speaker is riding a horse on a snowy evening. He stops near a forest to watch the beautiful snow falling on the trees. He knows who owns the woods, but the owner lives in the nearby village, so no one sees him stop there.

His little horse is surprised because it is strange to stop in the middle of the forest when there is no farmhouse nearby. It is the darkest evening of the year. Everything around is quiet. The horse shakes his harness bells as if to ask whether they should move on.

The only sounds the speaker can hear are the soft wind and the light snowflakes falling. The peaceful woods look lovely, dark, and deep. He feels like stopping his journey and taking a rest in the lovely, snowy woods, perhaps, eternal rest. But soon he remembers that he has promises and duties to fulfill in life. He cannot stay there forever. He must continue his journey. He has many miles to go before he can rest or sleep.

The poem presents the conflict of the human heart. It shows that we often want to escape from our duties, or feel tired or heartbroken. But our duties and responsibilities make us continue the journey along the path of our lives.