To the average reader, the simple lines of Robert Frost’s famous poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” represent only the surface beauty of nature in its most raw and untouched form. Although this poem is extremely popular and wonderfully written, many fail to comprehend its true significance. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” as with many of Frost’s poems, does not appear to be religious; yet the poet’s faith is embedded deep within. The complex religious beliefs of Robert Frost, formed throughout his lifetime, would be a core contribution to the references of both God and nature in much of his poetry. The foundation of Frost’s religion would be set when he was merely a child and would continue to develop and expand throughout his lifetime. Frost cannot be easily placed on the religious spectrum, and his faith is not always clear to …show more content…
Frost’s mother was born a Presbyterian, and struggled with faith herself until she moved to San Francisco with her husband. There, she found grace in the word of Emanuel Swedenborg, and permanently converted to the strange Swedenborgian faith (Sergeant 7). Swedenborg developed the idea of correspondence: the belief that everything in nature is somehow connected to God. He advised his followers to “listen for the voice of God in unusual places.” To Swedenborg, even something as simple as the ripple of water in a pond could signify a deep relationship to God (Parini 1). Frost’s mother also read the works of Emerson: a man who respected nature similar to the way Swedenborg did. She was swayed by Emerson’s Unitarism and admired his opinions greatly (Sergeant 7). It is known that Frost’s mother often brought the young poet to church in order to stamp the ideas of Swedenborg on him (Parini 1). Frost was profoundly influenced by the religious beliefs of his mother--an impact that would later show in his