Robert Frost The Road Not Taken Essay

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

Why does the title emphasize the road not taken? The emphasis on “the road not taken” is Frost’s way of making us think as we read this poem that no matter which way the speaker chose to go a road would always stay not taken. The speaker intended to complete his journey on the chosen path, then at another time go back, and take the other direction.

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...".

Frost presents the traveler's choice of paths as a metaphor for the difficult decisions a person must make in life. The divergent paths are the choices to be made at various points along the way. Regardless of how he tries, the traveler cannot see beyond where the path is "bent in the undergrowth" (5). Likewise, nobody can predict what effect one choice will have on his life. The traveler sees the two paths as very similar or "just as fair" (6). As much as the traveler would like to return to the diverging roads, he realizes that he will not get another chance to travel the other path. With maturity comes a resignation that a choice has affected a person's life and there is no going back. He also tries to make the best of his decision by saying that it has "made all the difference." (20).

Frost wrote this poem about how a person took a walk and had to choose one path or the other. Both paths seemed equally worn and leafy. However when looking back later the narrator begins to think that maybe he chose the path less traveled.

In the last paragraph Frost says “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” When he uses repeated images he is describing a re-telling of his life’s journey. He explains ages and ages which shows years that have passes he will talk about the two roads in the woods, which were the two paths that he could have taken. He chose to take the one less traveled by, which could have been a harder path but the one he thought was best for him. His last line is more of a philosophical than an actual description. He says “I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Meaning

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.

?The Road Not Taken? (1916) tells of someone faced with two of life?s decisions however only one can be chosen. Whichever road is taken will be final and will determine the direction that their life takes. Frost drives this poem by a calm and collective narrative, spoken by the traveler of the diverged roads. Who is speaking with himself trying to convince himself of which road is the better choice. Frost wrote this poem using standard, modern language.

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

Frost implies that “the path less traveled” means that this is the path he is thinking of taking.

In the poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, I believe is about life choices. This poem is much deeper than readers may think. This poem can be interpreted as having a deeper meaning about free will or choice, by life is what you make it. It gives the feeling of tension on having to choose one road over the other (Plunkett, 2015). This poem is not just choosing to take one road over the other in the middle of nowhere, there are many roads in life that people have to make many choices throughout their lives to go down. Some may be the right roads and others are the wrong roads, but having free will to make our own life choices is our choice to make. You have to stand up and be accountable for the paths you take whether they are right

The title ‘The Road Not Taken’ suggests there is no “right” path, only the chosen path and the other path. It will always be the path “not taken” and hold the mysterious unknown – always leaving the speaker wondering what has been irrevocably lost. The poem explores making choices and the theme of individualism. The purpose of the poem was to provide assurance that there will never be a right or wrong choice. To understand these ideas further, we must open the doors to Robert Frost’s life and what, or in this case who, inspired his poem.

The Road Not Taken was published in 1916, almost 100 years before I would read and find direction from his words. On the first read through I knew that this poem would soon be a favorite of mine, as it is for so many other people. This is understandable because of the poems timeless nature about an age old question, which path do I take? Throughout life we are faced with choice after choice, these choices form the route that becomes our life. So choosing your path when it comes to a fork in the road is a crucial part of where you end up and who you become. In the first stanza frost outlines an important factor of making a choice:

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