The poem opens with a single end-stopped line, or a complete, fully punctuated thought that stands alone. The first line immediately makes effective use of alliteration, a device that will continue throughout the poem. The first line is composed of one-syllable words that work to highlight the iambic rhythm—an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. In fact, all the opening language is simplistic and accessible. The only words in the first stanza that are longer than one syllable are “village” (Line 2) and “stopping” (Line 3).

In contrast to the stillness that forms the heart of the poem, the first stanza implies motion. The phrase “I think I know” (Line 1) gives a sense of looking around and taking stock of a new environment, suggesting the speaker just arrived. The word “stopping” (Line 3), also, is a transition between movement and stasis. As the first stanza arrives at its final line, “To watch his woods fill up with snow” (Line 4), a shift has taken place and the speaker has gone from looking forward to immersing themself in the present moment.

The second and third stanzas introduce the poem’s other character: the speaker’s horse.