1a. What does the speaker say about the owner of the woods?
2a. What does the horse think is queer and perhaps a mistake?
3a. What sounds are described in this poem?
1b. Why might he be concerned about where the owner is?
2b. Is there good reason for the horse to be restless and anxious? Why, or why not? Compare his attitude to that of the speaker.
3b. What do these sounds suggest about the atmosphere in this place?
4a. What two contradicting thoughts does the speaker voice in the last stanza?
4b. Why might the speaker want to stay? Why must the speaker move on?
5a. How well does the author create a specific mood in this poem? How would you describe the mood?
5b. If you were writing about winter, what mood would you try to create? How would you do it?
Rhyme. Do all the stanzas have the same rhyme pattern? Is there any connection between the third line of a stanza and the first, second, and fourth lines of the following stanza?
Repetition. What line is repeated in this poem? Why do you think Frost wanted to repeat that line?
New Adjectives. Downy is an adjective, or word that modifies a noun or pronoun. Make a list of as many words or phrases you can think of that mean the same, or nearly the same, as downy. Consult a thesaurus or dictionary if you get stuck.
Correcting Sentence Fragments. A sentence contains a subject and a verb and should express a complete thought. A sentence fragment is a phrase or clause that does not express a complete thought but has been punctuated as though it did. Complete the following sentence fragments, making sure each has a subject and a verb.
Example While I made dinner. The kids watched television while I made dinner.
1. Until the sun goes down.
2. An old and feeble man.
3. Went racing up the hill.
4. A huge clap of thunder.
5. The dry, brittle wood.
6. Why did the boys?
7. When it snows.
8. Jumping up and down.
9. Feeling alert and energized.
10. Her tear-streaked face.
