Both poems, which center around imagery based on trees, use the symbolism of nature to describe the speaker's outlook and intentions.
The poem, "Loveliest of Trees", discusses the speaker's age and how he has limited time to live now that he has gotten older: "Of my threescore years and ten, twenty will not come again." Instead of dwelling on him age and inevitable death, the speaker takes on a "seize the day" attitude by enjoying the beauty of cherry trees, "I will go to see the cherry hung with snow." The speaker's optimism is also highlighted because setting of the poem is spring, a time of rejuvenation and beauty.
Unlike the indulgence of the first speaker, the speaker of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", is hesitant to his impulses. After finding himself in, "the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year", the speaker decides to carry on with his duties despite finding pleasure in his surroundings. This aversion is summarized the last lines of the poem: "The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep". Similarly to "The Loveliest of Trees", season also reflects the disposition of the speaker. The dullness and listless aspects of winter parallel to the speaker's decision to turn down a gratifying experience to take care of previous commitments.
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