But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.
This is the concluding stanza of Robert Frost's famous poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". The poet comments on the ultimate vision of his life.
The last stanza of the poem, even if taken in isolation, is sufficient to immortalize Frost and his poetry. The repetition of the line And miles to go before I sleep is poignantly symbolic. When, for the first time, Frost says And miles to go before I sleep', there can be little doubt that the primary meaning is: I have a long way to go before I get to bed tonight. When he says it for the second time, however, 'miles to go' and 'sleep' are suddenly transformed into symbols. Miles to go perhaps assumes the dimensions of the tedious, seemingly unending journey of life and 'sleep' symbolizes the final sleep-death. A sense of responsibility goes on vibrating as the lines end. Frost's vision of life as reflected in these lines assumes universality because a healthy vision always looks forward positively. It finds meaning in using life as much as possible, keeping aside all temptations.
