Re: [nukkad] And miles to go ... sleep : Double Entendre

["Samira Razdan" <>]

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Adheer posted, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening"...
=====================================================================
Whose woods these are I think I know ... 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.
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This popular poem by Frost is a good candidate for psychoanalysis...
because it has a "deeper" meaning. In fact it is a "warm-up" exercise
for medical students aspiring to be psychiatrists/psychoanalysts.

On the surface... the poem is light-hearted, nice and simple -
a man is driving by the woods... he stops... because he is touched
by the serenity and beauty of the woods... and then he moves on. :-)

But a psychoanalyst reads "in-between" the lines... and in fact the
poem is more complex than it seems -
a man stops by the woods ... he is alone... and contemplates
suicide ... but finally changes his mind and moves on.

Here are some clues for the psychoanalyst :
The man is all by himself ... he drives to the woods ... and he
knows he is not being watched. The horse is confused why the man
would stop in such a strange/awkward place.
The "darkest" evening of the year has a double meaning - lack of
light and a "black/gloomy" mood.
The woods are "lovely, dark, and deep" suggests that the man is
seriously considering suicide.
And lastly... "And miles to go before I sleep" is repeated twice.
It can be said that a poet of Frost's caliber would not repeat a line
to maintain rhythm. The lines have two different meanings... that he
is a long way from home... and, he has realised his life's journey
is not yet over.

Now, psychoanalysis is a complicated science, deals with personality
analysis ... and any "clue" by itself does not justify a "dark"
inference ... but put together... they present a compelling "hidden"
meaning and motive.
And once the "pieces" fit together... the "hidden" meaning becomes
clear. And the "job" of the psychoanalyst is to help the patient
discover and interpret the "deeper" meaning... and thus begin the
journey to emotional recovery. :-)

Now... Frost's biography mentions that he did suffer from serious
depression his whole adult life... so it not surprising that he
would write poems about suicide or the intent of committing suicide.

We humans, adults and kids ... knowingly or unknowingly... often
engage in "between the lines" or indirect communication. And sometimes
"messages" can be communicated very effectively in this manner. But
this manner of communication may affect relationships... often... in
undesirable ways.

To the psychoanalyst ... patients often present the same kind
of "puzzle" as Frost's poem. Their words tell one story... and
sometimes underneath, another tale unfolds... often darker...
even sinister...
                 ... les mysteres de l'esprit humain...

Sincerely,
-Sam.












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