Thoughts
Darkness is closing in. The cold wind is blowing ever stronger. A snow storm is approaching and there appears to be no escape. This is the bleak landscape the speaker finds herself in. In addition to her portentous surroundings, she appears to be under a sinister spell in which she is immobilized to act.
Yet much of the poem's meaning hinges on the last line: "I will not, cannot go."
Internal resolve is holding her in place now as well. She is refusing to run from the storm and impending danger. She cannot leave. She will not.
She will hold out in the midst of overwhelming darkness and despair. The time has come to stand her ground.
Although this poem has an element of fantastical unreality, the internal battle is a realistic portrayal of the human psyche in the face of adversity.
