In addition to the title and genuinely not understanding the poem, the third thing that leads readers to misinterpret and misunderstand Frost’s poem is the amount of metaphors that Frost is using. It is understandable to interpret everything wrong in this poem because with the constant metaphor it makes one question, what is true to what is being said and what is just another metaphor. Frost says “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” (1) meaning two choices and “Though as for that the passing there/Had worn them really about the same” (9-10). This meaning that even though he is choosing the choice less chosen, both of the choices that are being considered in life are equally considered.
In conclusion, Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,”
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry I could not travel both." (Frost 1) - in life, there are many "paths" or choices; ways one can go in life. He explains that many people go one way, perhaps because others went that same way. "Then took the other, as just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear" (Frost 1) In this, Frost is explaining that many people went one way while he wanted to travel the less worn one, because it might hold beautiful views – good experiences that no one else had gotten the chance to learn from. Life, he explains through this metaphor of travel, is full of choices. And going down one path may change ones life. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I- I took the one less traveled by; and it has made all the difference." (Frost 1) Robert Frost continues to teach an important life lesson to readers around the world through this extended metaphor
Conclusively, Frost uses multiple literary devices to create a more easily understood piece. Frost clearly depicts a real life situation in this poem by creating a problem involving decision making. Frost begins the poem by showing two roads, both covered in leaves. Both paths appear to be worn at about the same condition, but Frost cannot decide whether or not one road is better than another. He expresses his decision making process by elaborating on how he still would like to keep the first path for another day. However, he changes ideas and states how his decision that he took with the less traveled path was life-changing. The extended metaphor allows the reader to understand the figurative meaning of the roads, and apply them to real-life
Frost writes this poem with a calm and collective narration, spoken by the traveler, who is talking with himself trying to decide which road is the better choice. In line one Frost introduces the diverging roads, which are his main metaphors. Diverging being the key word in this line because it suggests that the traveler must make a choice. Line two the traveler expresses his grief of not being able to travel both. Yet, the choice is not easy, since "long I stood" (3)
One example would be where the traveler comes to fork in the road and has to make a decision to either take the path that everyone takes or the one that is barely used. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— /I took the one less traveled by,/ and that has made all the difference” (Frost). In his mind, Frost begins thinking of the pros and cons of each path. The one path is used regularly, which must mean it is safer and has a better walking path. The other path is very rarely used which could mean it is more dangerous, but it would have a lot more adventure awaiting. Ultimately, Frost decides to travel on the road less taken as a sense of adventure. Sadly, as soon he gets further down the road, Frost begins contemplating whether or not to go back and take the other road. This is a reflection back to his life where he is faced with a problem and has to make a decision. Always wondering what would have been if he had taken the other path. It is also the time when Frost decides to return to the United States. Since this poem has been interpreted by many as a coming of age poem, many speakers at graduations have read this poem to represent the path that those graduating must now choose as a new phase of their life begins. Other critics believe it is not a coming of age poem. Many believe the poem was simply a letter Frost wrote to his friend, and fellow poet, Edward Thomas about time they had spent
Discovering more of Frost's past life, it's no surprise that most of his poems revolve around the five stages of grief and loss. In understanding the process of grief , the poem "The Road Not Taken" seems to implement the stage of acceptance. In the first stanza, we are approached with two decisions "in a yellow wood", yellow meaning intellect, energy and wisdom . While Wood meaning tree, implying growth or a rapid increase in something. Tree's usually turn yellow in the fall, the season fall meaning death or dying, typically referring to a tragedy. Already knowing a positive decision will be made based on a rapid increase in death, we then turn to the next turning point "Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for the passing there had worn them about the same...".
Not unlike the painting, the poem features two roads. One road looks as if it was often traveled and probably more desirable. However there is another road. This one looks as if it was less traveled upon with leaves and grass partially covering it. As Frost writes, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” This shows that, despite not knowing the end destination, the road less traveled has allowed Frost to grow. This can be compared to Hockney’s painting in that Hockney shows to the viewer two roads. One that has a clear outcome and the other is more unknown and mysterious. Perhaps, what Hockney is trying to convey to the reader is that, in life there are often two ways to go. That sometimes it is better to take the road that provides more challenge so that one can grow into who they wish to
Frost shows the readers that it is hard to choose something without knowing what will be the result, thus he wants to try both of the options to decide on something, when he says “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ And sorry I could not travel both”. Whole poem is constructed of this metaphor, and every line refers to something in life. In the last part where Frost says, “I took the one less traveled by” he implies the idea that people wish to be different from others, thus they are prone to choose the option which had not been chosen by many other people. Instead of saying that he was having hard time deciding on a thing to do, Frost chose to use the metaphor of a road, which forced the readers to use their imagination to understand the real meaning behind what he
In Robert Frost’s poem “To the Thawing Wind,” in the literal sense, he is asking the Southwest wind to come, melt the snow and bring spring, but symbolically he is tired of the winter and wants warm weather. He wants to burst out of his cabin and have a good time, not thinking about poetry. The poet has been confined in his winter cabin and is wanting the wind and rain to melt the snow, so it will change his winter isolation. He has been longing for the “thawing wind” because that is when spring is coming. He is anticipating spring to come because it will bring him inspiration and the freedom needed to be able to do new things and enjoy everything good that comes with this season.
The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
In this poem, I believe the theme is that you have to jump at an opportunity when you get it, or you may never get that opportunity again. Moving on to the tone of the poem, I believe that it is wistful, and that the speaker might be looking back on his days, and realizing that he taking the other road might have made all of the difference in his life. There is very good diction in this poem, as some words express Frost’s feeling more than other’s would’ve. For example, in the line “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” (1), Frost really emphasizes the two roads separating from each other. In another line “In leaves no step had trodden black” (12), trodden is a more appropriate than another word such as crushed or pulverized, because it is the past form of trod, or to step in something, and gives an image of human feet stepping on the freshly fallen leaves.
As an illustration, in the text, it reads, “And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black.” (Document D). In summary, Frost is literally saying that two choices present themselves but neither one seem to be unsatisfactory, causing the decision making process to be more difficult. The evidence highlights that, ultimately, the nature of the decision is that there is no “right path” - just the path that is chosen and the other path, and this is what Frost was trying to explain. The poem is more so a journey that many generations have misunderstood due to the metaphor that readers desperately overanalyze, which still happens today in many of Frost’s
Frost uses several techniques in his poem, but perhaps the most significant is his use of the metaphor. First, he describes “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (1). The roads represent the different choices that people have to make in life and how there isn’t always one choice to be made. Each path is an important decision which he must make, so he has to choose carefully when examining each path. When he “looked down one as far as (he) could to where it bent in the undergrowth” (4-5), this represents him not being able to predict and see the future. The forest represents the unknown, and he cannot see or predict his unknown future. One may think that his choice
Frost entrances the reader’s mind with the bountiful amount of imagery within the poem. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” the comforting and well-known nature that Frost describes contradicts against the terrifying reality of the unknown through decision making. Frost goes on to explain how he, as many others do, try to visualize what his life would be like if he were to go down one of the roads he chose, “Long I stood and looked down one as far as I could” worrying about how decisions will affect every independent life can be a hassle and trying to understand and fully
In the first line, Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor: the diverging roads. The speaker expresses his regret that "[he] could not travel both" (line 2). The choice is not easily made since "long I stood" (line 3) before coming to a decision. In an attempt to make a choice, the traveler examines the path "as far as [he] could" (line 4), but his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered "in the undergrowth" (line 5). Thus, indicating that although he would have liked to acquire more information, he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment. In lines 6-8, the speaker is still unable to decide between the two paths since "the other, [is] just as fair" (line 6). He indicates that the second path is a more attractive choice since "it was grassy and wanted wear" (line 8). Nevertheless, by the end of the stanza, he remains ambivalent, even after comparing the two paths, for each was "really about the same" (line 10). Neither path has been traveled lately. In the third stanza, the speaker makes his decision, trying to persuade himself that he will eventually "come back" (line 15) to satisfy his desire and curiosity to travel both paths. However, deep down, he admits to himself that
The poem begins with a literal fork in the road. Almost automatically Frost allows us to picture ourselves as the subject of the poem. His vivid imagery describes how the road looks with the leaves turning colors during the fall season “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” () we are transported into the poem. Due to the beauty of both paths the speaker wants to travel both roads but he understands that is not possible. The man in the poem does not want to stay a long time in the middle of the two roads so he knows he has to make a choice soon. He begins to examine the roads closely and one seems like the better option but he chooses the other one despite peering onto the path of the seemingly better choice .