Miles to go before I sleep

American Poet Robert Frost wrote “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in June 1922 at his Vermont home after an all-night writing session. The poem first appeared in print in The New Republic on March 7, 1923, before appearing in his Pulitzer Prize-winning collection, New Hampshire, later that year.

The poem describes a traveler in a horse-drawn carriage who is both driven by the need to get to his destination and transfixed by the wintry woods. The traveler contemplates the beauty of nature against his own obligations.

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There’s no snow in sight. The temperatures near where I live have risen in recent weeks to the mid 60s, but I find I come back every Spring to this beautiful poem. My freshman year of college I came across this poem late one night before final exams. I had seen it plenty of times before, but this time it completely summed up my situation.

I so wanted to chuck everything. I wanted to give in to the moment. I wanted to order a pizza and a soda with my last $20 and say the “hell with it.” I wanted to watch the NBA or NHL playoffs and forget about even thinking about opening up a textbook. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to enjoy myself and not worry about grades or deadlines. I wanted to just be. Like Frost though, I was at the mercy of the moment. I had a lengthy list of obligations. I had papers to write, projects to complete, and exams to study and prepare. I needed to do well on the exams to bring up my grades. I had to suck it up and keep studying. The poem reminded me that I needed to keep pushing to the end. If I did that, I would get my just rewards.

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College students right now face this very challenge. My two sons are two of them. They can chuck it all or they can put the beautiful snow aside for the moment and keep to the task at hand.

In other words:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

Which would you choose?

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46 thoughts on “Miles to go before I sleep”

    1. I had to put in the time studying. I’ve never been one to just wing it. I so wish I could. I probably write about my college years too much … but it’s the time when I felt like I was finally rewarded for that hard work. And you’re so right. Everything after those years becomes exponentially harder. Ugh! 😩 🤣🤣🤣😎😎

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    1. The decisions we make in those moments really do play a big role in our lives!!!! Ugh. Like right now, I want to “play” on WordPress, tinker with a few upcoming blog posts and catch up reading some of my favorite bloggers. But, nnnnoooo! Work calls. I have a couple meetings and I need to pull some things together. In my Video conference meetings — no one will notice me goofing off, right? Ha ha, oh I guess I need to keep working. 😜😜😎😎😎😎

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      2. I did that once. Tried to look at comments readers were leaving to something I had written while I was in the middle of a team meeting. A friend saw the look on my face. We were on video and asked what I was laughing at. I was caught in the act. I had to fib. No more multitasking for me!!! 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤪🤪🤯😎😎😎😎

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      3. I totally hear you….if there was a camera on my when I’m reading blog comments my face would be all goofy grins. So much fun….our blogging peeps! 😜😜😜

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  3. I think this is why this poem resonates with so many people, even so many years after it was written – even if we haven’t been transfixed in the woods on a snowy night, we’ve all had this feeling! I have 3 clients awaiting my work, and all I want to do is drive to the beach and eat some ice cream on this sunny day. But, alas….promises (and contracts) to keep.

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    1. Oh I’m right there with you Jessica!!! The feeling of chucking everything is hitting me hard today. The beach, ice cream, sun — oh my goodness, I’m in! The clients, work bosses won’t really mind, right? They probably won’t even notice. Ha ha, but no, I have to keep working. Maybe another day!!!! 😜😜🤣🤣🤣😎

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  5. Very well said, very often we find ourselves at the this intersection of obligations vs. giving up. Poetry like this reminds us to keep going, to remember that the journey itself is more important than the destination. 😇

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  6. I paid my own way through college, at one point having 5 part-time jobs. I never took a vacation. EVER. I worked non-stop through college and right into my first TV job. Never got time off. Never looked at the snow or the trees…that has changed, but I wish I would have not been so worried about money and stopped to smell the roses…great post!

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    1. “…but I wish I would have not been so worried about money and stopped to smell the roses.” That is the struggle. I’m glad I learned hard work at an early age, but you’re so right, I feel like I’ve had certain experiences that have made me too conscious about money. I have to occasionally remind myself to back off. Money is nice, but it’s not everything. Family and relationships are more important. You can see that theme in a lot of my writing. Thanks John.

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  8. Ah, the home stretch of the college assignment or term – always a cause for stress and distractions. I’m so glad I didn’t have mobile devices and social media when I was a student or nothing would’ve gotten done in time. Good luck to your sons as they navigate the final stretch of the year!

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    1. Great point. I would’ve been a mess with a cellphone. It was bad enough for me studying in the library. All those distractions. All those great things I wanted to read and study . . . but couldn’t at that particular moment. My youngest son actually has it pretty easy. He’s graduating this semester and has just one final. My other son, his first semester since getting out of the Marines, has four. I feel for him. Ha, ha.

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  9. Oh, what a question. If I remember from college, I did my best to do both — enjoying the night as much as I could and then belatedly diving in to study. Wishing your sons the best with their studies!!

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    1. Shhhh, between you and me Wynne, I probably enjoyed the night a little more than I should. My kids somehow think that I got great grades in college. I don’t know where they got that idea, but I’ve never been one to burst their bubble. Ha, ha.

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    1. Thanks for the shout out Mike. I really appreciate it. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading my blog. I’m touched anytime someone is able to take something away from my writing. I was nominated and wrote about the Sunshine Blogger Award last April. The award – writing prompt every so often seems to make its way around the WP community. I like your questions though. Give me some time and I’ll respond. (“You’re invited to my house for dinner. What should I cook?” You’ve got me thinking on that one.) Thanks for stopping by!!!!

      Sunshine Blogger Award

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  13. I always set the reward aside and get the work done. I hate having things hanging over my head. I clean the kitchen before bed, finish all the laundry before sitting down with a cup of coffee, and while I was in school I remember how the work was never done. There was always something to study, read, memorize. When I graduated I remember thinking a job was easy comparatively. I love Frost. Such a beautiful poem. Hugs, C

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    1. Yes, the fun is never as fun when there’s something hanging over you. I try to do the hard thing first. I try to not make a big deal about the different generations. My normal approach is that we’re all just people. But I do see a difference in younger generations. For example, when I leave for work, I want to be done with work for the day. I don’t want to leave early and then pick it back up later in the evening. My own kids though have no problems with that. It’s actually their preferred working style. It really is a beautiful poem. Thanks Cheryl for commenting! Always appreciated.

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  14. Oh, to be in college again! If I had a time machine, I would go back to then. If I were a millionaire, I would be a student for life! Love the Frost reference, too!

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    1. Loved the college experience. I know I look back with rose-colored glasses. My sons tire of my joking about going back. But, I love how I was able to challenge myself, but avoid the real adult frustrations that bring us down! Ha ha. No mortgage. No adult-adult bills. No 50-hour a week job where my boss has expectations and responsibilities for me. Ha ha. And yes you’re onto something with being a student for life! How I want to one day spend my retirement!!! 🤪🤪🤪😎😎😎

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  15. Perseverance is key isn’t it. I think we’ve all been through this, the internal struggle to do what isn’t immediately fulfilling but best in the long run. Great post.

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    1. Oh, it’s all Frost. I’m just along for the ride. I remember reading that poem and thinking . . . I really don’t want to study right now. Ha, ha. It’s a pity, but I put the book back on the shelf and went back to work. I have no idea how I did on my final exams, but I suspect my scores weren’t great. Ha, ha.

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  17. Both… just need to find a little balance. When I was in college, Thursday night was party time. Friday night was recovery from Thursday; Saturday was for grocery shopping and whatever personal stuff needed to get done; and Sunday was for studying and getting ready for a lot of long nights of study during the week. Our campus is an agriculture and engineering campus, so nature was everywhere and I enjoyed it every day.

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    1. My youngest will graduate this semester. All four years I’ve joked at the start of the year about moving to campu for the Lectures, Nature. Reading, and Exploring. Sounds great to me. Sadly my son never liked my joke!!! I don’t know why???? 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️😎😎

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  19. My WASP background rises. I would keep to the task at hand.

    It’s graduation day here for our local college. It was fun biking to my volunteer gig this morning and congratulating each graduate that I saw making their way to the ceremony.

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