This is a cleverly ambiguous poem, in which Frost, characteristically, poses questions for which there are no answers. A bridegroom is interrupted on his wedding night, before the marriage can be consummated, by a beggar seeking help. (Given that this was written in 1913 we can assume the bride was still a virgin). The essence of the dilemma is the conflict between romantic love and brotherly love. Should joy of this important night be undermined by another human in need. There is of course no answer, though the bridegroom seeks a middle way by giving the beggar some food. Given the season, with winter approaching, the question of whether this is sufficient remains unanswered.

Structure
The poem comprises four eight-lined stanzas. The metrical rhythm is a mixture of anapaestic and dactylic, creating an ironically light rhythm for a poem that poses a serious question. There is a regular ABCB DEFE rhyme scheme throughout.

Language and Imagery
The voice is that of a third person narrator. The bridegroom is clearly not the poet. The language is simple but the meaning is complex and subject to interpretation.

Robert Frost’s poetry is infused with imagery relating to nature and this is no exception. There is reference to the sky, leaves of woodbine (a form of honeysuckle or Virginia creeper) scattering the yard, the season and the weather — all these have impact they have on the humans in the story.

The most vivid metaphor is in stanza three, where the groom wishes the bride’s heart in ‘a case of gold/And pinned with a silver pin’. The annotation suggests a range of possible interpretations.