"And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep...."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The final two lines of the poem are an example of epizeuxis, or the repetition of words in succession. Frost applies epizeuxis to not only emphasize the length of the speaker’s remaining journey, but to convey a sense of the speaker’s regret that he cannot remain in this peaceful place.
"He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Lines nine and eleven use enjambment, in which a thought or phrase that begins in one line flows into subsequent lines. In conjunction with sibilance, the momentum of enjambment intensifies readers’ anticipation for what might happen to disrupt the quiet evening—or, simply, whether the horse’s question will be answered.
"He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The entirety of the third stanza features sibilance, or the repetition of words containing the letter “s” so that the lines make a hissing sound when read aloud. Through use of the softly sibilant words “gives,” “his,” “harness,” “bells,” “ask,” “is,” “some,” “mistake,” “sound’s,” “sweep,” and “easy,” Frost augments the poem’s tranquil tone in a way that subtly builds anticipation. The stanza ends on the phrase “downy flake,” which doesn’t include any sibilance, preparing readers for a shift in focus to occur in the poem’s final stanza.
"My little horse must think..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Frost uses anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human thoughts and behaviors to animals or otherwise nonhuman things, in his description of the speaker’s horse. The speaker imagines his horse thinking as a human would about the unusual place in which they’ve stopped. Similarly, in the next stanza, the horse asks “if there is some mistake” by shaking his harness bells. Here, anthropomorphism establishes a symbolic bridge between humans and nature—in this case, a man and his horse—by suggesting that there are experiences or qualities shared by both.
"He will not see me stopping here..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Frost employs assonance, or the repetition of vowel sounds, in this line. Repeating the “ee” sound in the words “he,” “see,” “me,” and “here” lends musicality to the words when read aloud.
"Whose woods these are I think I know...."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The poem begins with an end-stopped line, or a line that concludes with punctuation. Frost establishes a slow, heavy rhythm by concluding the statement “Whose woods these are I think I know” with a period. Such heaviness generates a thoughtful tone, potentially suggesting that the speaker is confiding something secretive to the reader.
