Robert Frost and the Roads That Led Us to Him
- Corey Stottlemyer
- Sep 1, 2025
- 3 min read
I have long been an appreciator of the poems of Robert Frost. My father once shared that he had bought a book of poems with the goal of memorizing “The Road Not Taken.” And I have often returned to “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” especially on the first snowfall of the year. And while I would have listed him as one of my favorites, it was not until a couple years ago that I really connected with him.
On our June 2023 trip to New England, Cade, Liberty, and I were staying near Danby, VT for a time in an old farmhouse. While there, we made a stop at Northshire Bookstore. On a whim, I purchased Robert Frost in Bennington County by Phil Holland, which promised “a guide to “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”” I was aware that Robert Frost had a connection with Southern Vermont, but I was not aware of how deeply he was connected there.
That evening, the three of us sat by the open windows, each absorbed in our new books. It was a surreal experience in our busy world to have this moment when we were sitting there quietly reading as a cool breeze came in through the window. I still remember that moment in time being very special, almost perfect if you will.
As I was sitting there, I read my new book about Robert Frost, which is a short paperback book of just more than 30 pages. While it was a short and easy read, it was incredibly engaging. While not a native Vermonter, he had come to the area to be close to other writers and the prospect of both writing and trying his hand at starting an apple orchard. While there, he wrote most of his book New Hampshire that won him his first of a record four Pulitzer Prizes. I very much enjoy connecting with artists and writers and knowing about their lives.
Learning how much of his life unfolded in this corner of Vermont deepened my appreciation and connection. The next morning before we left for New York and to see the James Taylor concert, I convinced Cade and Liberty to
visit the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in Shaftsbury, VT. The museum is owned and managed by Bennington College. As we walked through the rooms, they played recording of Robert Frost reading his poems. We saw artwork by J.J. Lankes who had done the woodcuts for the New Hampshire book of poetry.
The most memorable experience was being in the simple room where Robert Frost had written many of his poems, often at night with dim lighting. We were the only visitors there at that moment. I wondered if he had a look of satisfaction after finishing a poem, or perhaps a smirk like he had finally cracked a safe. I am sure there are scholars who could enlighten me on that, but I prefer to wonder.
When I think back on where the roads lead us on our trips, It is easy to connect the dots from an appreciation of Robert Frost, to purchasing a book about his life in Bennington County, to reading it as part of a family reading night, and then standing with Cade and Liberty in the Stone House Museum. But what I cherish most is that I did not plan it. The best memories are often the ones that unfold quietly.
