Throughout “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost takes advantage of various literary devices, particularly metaphors. In the words of Robert Frost himself, “Metaphors, saying one thing and meaning another, saying one thing in terms of another, the pleasure of ulteriority” (Andrews). Metaphors in this poem are extremely important when it comes to its analysis, it allows for the reader to full understand what the poet’s poem is portraying. One can see that this literary device was extremely significant because Frost uses metaphors throughout the whole entire poem. Stanza one states,
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth
, here the poet metaphorically symbolizes a road to represent a choice presented in life. This allows the reader to understand that two choices are presented to a traveler and a decision must be made. In addition, “Bent in the undergrowth” metaphorically represents the point that no matter how long one looks, it is impossible to predict the outcome of each presented choice. Metaphors in this poem allow for the reader to understand that decisions are somehow linked to the overall theme.
Not only are metaphors utilized throughout the poem “The Road Not Taken” but a literary device known as Imagery is as well. Imagery is another important device because it allows for the reader to have a clear picture of what the characters in the poem are visualizing. In addition, it also helps covey the theme to the reader. An example of imagery is given in stanza two line three, which states, “Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (Frost). Here the author is using imagery to inform the reader that the main character of the story is coming up with for why one path could be more favorable over the other. The reader analyzes this line of imagery to get a clear picture of the traveler’s decision-making process. Another line where the author uses imagery is in stanza two line five, which states, “Had worn them really about the same” (Frost). Here the author is using imagery to inform the reader that the paths are “worn” down, which informs the reader that both of his choices
Just as Conrad conveys the creation of one’s own path subconsciously in Marlow, the poem “Road not taken” by Robert Frost explores this idea, represented my literal paths and an alternate, unspoken third path. The metaphor of the physical journey shows the moral growth in the protagonist. The poem is written in first person, giving it a very personal and reflective tone, expressing a pivotal moment in the persona’s life. The use of andante, the flowing rhythm establishes a conversational tone. The rhyme scheme is simple and effective throughout the poem, however, it changes in the final stanza. By implementing a new scheme here, the final thought of reflection is emphasized. The "less traveled" road is symbolic of the gamble of choosing a more individual path in life, the protagonist’s own road. This can be compared to the quote by Antonio Machado, “Travelers, there is no path, paths are made by walking.” This quote exemplifies the fact that walking the path is more important than
The analysis of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost has been up for debate since the poem release in 1916. It is known to be one of the most frequently misinterpreted poems of all time, and even Robert Frost himself has said the poem is “tricky” to comprehend (The). When analyzing this poem many readers tend to focus only on the last lines of the poem and get caught in a trap of selective-interpretation. Quite a few people after reading Robert Frost’s poem firmly conclude that this poem is about non-conformity and individualism, however, that is not the case. Robert Frost’s poem is meant to be analyzed line by line for a complete interpretation. Readers can conclude that the poem represents making choices in life, but that is not the
Wherein this is the extent of the metaphor, where in this poem it is a changeable anomaly subject to the readers interpretation of taking the road less travelled and whether it be a positive (sigh of satisfaction) or negative (sigh of regret). This is all one can hope when using a metaphor relating to the readers life, that they substitute their own feelings and create their own meaning, their own attitude towards to such decisions and subsequently, such journeys.
a "yellow wood" (1) when "two roads diverged" (1), that he had to make a
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a famous poem that many people are familiar with. In the poem the speaker arrives at a fork in the road where both paths are strewn with leaves. The speaker stands there for a time to contemplate which direction to take, and finally decides to take the plunge on the one less traveled. He comforts himself with his decision by telling himself that he can take the other road another day even though he knows this is unlikely to happen. The poem concludes with the speaker’s affirmation in his choice by acknowledging the importance of his decision. Frost uses the image of two roads diverging in a yellow wood to symbolize the choices that one is confronted with in life and the consequences of making decisions.
“The Road Not Taken” written by Robert Frost uses several poetic devices such as imagery and personification to emphasize how indecisive Frost is about his decision on which road he should take. “The Road Not Taken” is about how the narrator chooses a path that he was once confused and worried about but over time become content with his final decision.
How can an author effectively convey a universal message to the broadest audience possible? Simple. The author must simply create a completely impartial narrator, devoid of sex, status, or age. The Road Not Taken is a poem told by an impartial narrator who has come to a crossroads in his/her life. The crossroads is represented by a forked path that leads through a forest. The setting is also impartial; the forest is anytime and anywhere the reader desires it to be. The narrator is forced to make a life-decision, thus changing the course of his/her life forever. Symbolism and imagery are used effectively to reinforce the main theme of the poem.
In "The Road Not Taken", images of the bright woods and wide open opportunity to choose are contrasted with the indecision and regret of only being able to travel one path. Word choice and a slight sorrowful tone reinforce the theme of regret. Frost presents divergent roads as a metaphor for the choices a person must make in life. The traveler's rueful resignation that
Robert Frost went from an unstable farmer aspiring to be a poet to a celebrated American poet and four-time Pulitzer Prize winner. In his poem “The Road Not Taken”, he writes about the hard choices that people have to make in their lives. Robert uses extended metaphors and symbolism to show the uncertainty and psychological chaos people feel while making hard choices.
Thesis statement: The symbolic setting, title, content and metrical devices support the poem’s (The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost) overall meaning.
In the first line of the poem, readers can picture the speaker standing at “two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” This line paints a clear picture of the poem’s setting. Further along in the first stanza, imagery is used when the speaker says, “and be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could/ To where it bent in the undergrowth” (3-5). Here, the readers can visualize the speaker standing at a path analyzing what it has to offer. Imagery is also illustrated when the speaker chooses the other path “because it was grassy and wanted wear” (8). The path is personified to illustrate how the speaker is tempted to travel it instead. In this stanza, the speaker makes his or her decision and begins a new experience. In the next stanza, the paths are referenced again when the speaker says, “In leaves no step had trodden black” (12). This line paints a picture of two paths that have never been travelled by anyone else before the speaker. Through the use of imagery, the two roads are given illustration, and the readers can gain insight on how the reader comes to make his or her
When analyzing literature, there are many different interpretations on what the poem, or book, might be about. In the poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”, you can interpret so many different things. In the poem, there are at least two different interpretations and even more if delved into deeper. One popular interpretation comes off of the bottom three lines in the last stanza. The lines are, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” The common interpretation that people use with these lines is that the speaker in the poem took the road less taken by others, and it paid off in the end. The other clear interpretation that people could get out of this poem is that in the first three stanzas, the speaker was talking about the path they took and why they took it. And then in the last stanza, the speaker is saying how in the future, they will talk about
In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost uses an extended metaphor of two roads to develop the theme of the hard decisions in life. One example of this is, “And be one traveler, long I stood” in (Frost 3). That means that the author is a traveler with a hard decision to make, also meaning he stood for a long period of time thinking about his decision. Another example is “Through as far that passing there, had worry them really about the same.” (Frost 9). One last example is, “Two roads diverged into in a wood and I took the road less traveled by.” (Frost 18.) Meaning, instead of taking the road that everyone else traveled he took the one less traveled. You’re going to have hard decisions in life, but sometimes dare
Robert Frost's poem “The Road Not Taken” describes a traveler facing a choice, he can either choose the road not taken, or he can choose the road most traveled by. He does not know where either road might lead, but in order to continue with his journey, he can pick only one road. He analyses both roads for the possibilities of where each may take him in his journey. Frost's traveler realizes that regret is inevitable. Regardless of his choice, he knows that he will miss the experiences he might have encountered on the road not taken. Frost, uses literary elements, such as Denotation and Connotation, Symbolism, alliteration, consonance, and assonance in order to convey massage.
What differentiates poem from other works of writing? What makes you realize that what you read is a poem but not a short story? Bearing in mind that the answer might differ from person to person, I believe that the crucial difference is that the underlying message is generally not obvious in the poem, and it forces the readers to think about it for a while to understand its deeper meaning. The fact that the message is not apparent in the poem, is often attributed to the usage of metaphors in the poetry. According to Oxford Dictionary, metaphors are the “figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable”. Even though they are used for different reasons