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What is the usual routine of the poet and the horse in the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

The usual routine of the speaker and his horse is to hurry from one spot to another without stopping to watch the snowfall. We know this for several reasons. First is the behavior of the horse. Not only does the speaker surmise that the horse will think it "queer," or unusual, to stop, the horse himself



... gives his harness bells a shake   


To ask if there is some mistake.  



The horse thinks it...

The usual routine of the speaker and his horse is to hurry from one spot to another without stopping to watch the snowfall. We know this for several reasons. First is the behavior of the horse. Not only does the speaker surmise that the horse will think it "queer," or unusual, to stop, the horse himself



... gives his harness bells a shake   


To ask if there is some mistake.  



The horse thinks it is a "mistake" that they are stopping. 



While the speaker does stop to take a moment and enjoy the snowfall on this "darkest evening of the year," he emphasizes that he must hurry onward. He says:




But I have promises to keep,   


And miles to go before I sleep,   


And miles to go before I sleep.



These lines indicate that he is a busy man with many responsibilities ("promises to keep"). He is burdened by the cares of life. That he is busy is emphasized by the repetition of the last line of the poem. He is not a person with time to linger, though he wants to and has to urge himself on by repeating that he has "miles to go." This moment of stopping to appreciate the beauty of the world is unusual for him.


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