Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
             Through critical analysis of this short prose in the archetypal perspective, one can firmly establish the mood and the tone found in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Examination of key types of archetypal categories, namely, character and situation types, as well as Symbols and associations can lead to a conclusion of the mood and tonal effects of this poem. The poem is of a simple structure, and is written in first person narration, and includes no character names, which leads us to look at the main character's nature.
             The main character is a nameless man, who with his horse, wanders into a snowy forest. He is an outcast, as he finds comfort in being alone, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep..." this shows how he finds tranquility in the empty woods. Another reference to his reclusiveness, is near the end of the poem, "And miles to go before I sleep." For a second time, we see how he is outcasted from others. His indication of still being alone and isolated for an extended period of time establishes that it is out of willingness that he is alone. These incidents would show that the main character is the archetypal outcast, ignored and not belonging to a group.
             After establishing the archetypal character type, the situation can then be addressed. From the title, as well as reference found in this prose, winter seems to be a reoccurring insinuation. Winter is most often associated with death, as it is the end of life in the season. In the poem, the, "darkest evening of the year", is most commonly referred to as the first day of winter. In the forest, winter is seen as a time of death, as the trees have shed their leaves, and there is much more darkness than any other time of the year. Near the end, the main character repeats, "I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep,
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