Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
In this month’s podcast about Winter books, I mentioned a picture book of Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.As I said, anyone who has ever seen this book understands how beautiful it is. Frost’s poem is wonderful as it is, but with Jeffers’ illustrations, it is transformed.
Here’s the poem:
Whose woods these are I think I know.Susan Jeffers illustrates each line with the most amazing pencil drawings of snow you have ever seen, and in each illustration the only spots of color are the man’s red coat, green scarf, and colorful packages. Then, she lets her illustrations tell another story, giving the man not only a reason to stop in the middle of the woods, but also more insight into his character. For example, after the line, “He will not see me stopping here/To watch his woods fill up with snow,” the next page is a wordless spread of snow falling, animals scampering, and the man lying in the snow. What is he doing? You turn the page, and there he is, looking down proudly at the snow angel he has made.
His house is in the village, though.
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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.
But that is not his real reason for stopping. I’ll let you discover that for yourself. It warms the heart.
Our current cold snap, with temperatures down in the twenties and thirties this week, puts me in a Wintery frame of mind. One of the things I miss most about living on the east coast is snowfall—the hush, the soft sound of a million little flakes of fluff hitting the trees and the ground. Looking at Jeffers’ illustrations, I can imagine myself there in the woods, stopping on my way to meet loved ones in the deep of Winter. And the world falls away, behind the curtain of tiny, floating crystals of serenity.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
posted by Renee at 8:36 PM
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1 Comments:
Renee, just stopping by your blog, after looking up the image for this Jeffers. I lost my home in a house fire a few years ago and this book - a favorite of mine - burned up. I am an English teacher who loves Frost...and a mother who had bought many of Jeffers' illustrated children's books. I couldn't agree more with what you say about both the Frost poem and her illustrations.
I had read the poem with an English class and I brought in this book and the kids (high school students) wondered if there was Christian images in the one spread with the church steeple and so forth.
We wrote to Ms. Jeffers and she wrote back one of the most beautiful letters I have ever had. It was about the making of the book and how that one spread - is it the one where it says "The only other sound's the sweep of easy wind and downy flake"? - where the man is standing with his back to us, observing the wonders of the scene, would be her mother...standing there in the glory of things...taking it all in.
I have lost the letter, of course. Everything burned in the fire. But oh, what a memory I have of this kind and generous woman. As I recall, she opened with something like An artist can work alone for a long time, but occasionally someone will send a letter across the desk and it makes things even more worthwhile.
The stationery had a horse's head (her own illustration...who else can do horses like Jeffers?) It was delightful.
She said, by the way, that there was no Christian imagery intended; she was not a fan of organized religion, but that she was "profoundly" (I remember that word) in love with our world.
It really shows, doesn't it?
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