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.
Robert Frost, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost's beautiful "stopping" poem might seem to be an odd choice in poetry for this hallowed day - I learned this poem as a youngster and never thought of it as a Winter Solstice poem at all, only realizing a few years ago (silly me) that the poet had written it on the eve of Yule many years ago as he paused with his horse and sleigh by the side of a country road near his New Hampshire farm. On some level, I must have known this, because I have always loved the poem.
This morning's Yuletide link is to views of this morning's solstice sunrise at beautiful ancient Newgrange in the fabled Boyne valley of Ireland. On the morning of the Winter Solstice, a beam of sunlight from the rising sun dances its way through the roof box over the entrance of the megalithic edifice and travels down the long passage into the heart of the inner chamber, illuminating a ritual stone basin below the intricately carved end wall for a few magical moments and filling the heart of the complex with radiance. Have a look too at the spectacular solstice sunset views to be seen at Maeshowe, the astonishing neolithic chambered complex on Stenness in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. We have been welcoming the returning light on this day of the year for a very long time, for centuries beyond our ken.
The blessings of Yule, the Winter Solstice and the turning light to you, to your hearth and your kindred.
5 comments:
Thank you for the lovely, familiar poem, Cate. I never thought of it as a Solstice poem and yet I see it is. Sigh. . . . Bright Solstice Blessings to you . ..
It would be wonderful to welcome the Winter Solstice at either Newgrange or Maeshowe - I'm hoping to visit Newgrange next summer when my friend S and I go to Ireland to celebrate our 50 year anniversary. Solstice Blessings to you and yours. Rowan aka Anonymous!
Nice poem! Winter Solstice is the original "Reason for the Season." Greetings!
As the Solstice draws to a close here in Scotland I send my sister, Nokomis, love and bright wishes for the coming year.
xxx
Taexalia
Ah Newgrange! What a magnificent place. When I walked down the passage I found I was transported back to a time of amazing spiritual force. The Frost poem is one of my favourites. I enjoyed this new interpretation.
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