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The Road Not Taken Metaphors

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Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is a short poem which uses an iambic rhythm, as well as, simple symbolism and an elaborate metaphor to allow the reader the ability to understand and relate to the narrator of the poem. This is a very simple and easily read poem, which is why it has become such a popular poem. However, the main reason for its popularity is the metaphors that Frost uses in this poem are easily relatable to many readers. Poetry readers can easily relate the poem to similar instances of being forced to make a difficult decision and the possibility of regretting the choices they make. For Christians, decision making can become easier, without regret. If Christians only seek God’s guidance when coming to a crossroads, or major …show more content…

The entirety of the poem is based off of the metaphor of two paths diverging and the narrator having to choose between them. The use of metaphors in general has been going on for centuries. In fact, the bible includes many such metaphors. For example, Isaiah 64:8 states, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). In this verse, God is compared to a potter and His followers are the clay that he molds into His design. This verse does not mean that God is an actual potter or that His followers are real clay. This use of metaphor is very similar to the way in which Frost uses metaphors in his poem “The Road Not …show more content…

The use of paths and forks in the road to symbolize life choices has become a very common practice. This poem is not about actual roads, or paths, though. It is about figurative roads that people may approach throughout their lives. For every road, or path, a person chooses to take there is one that was not taken. Just as, for every decision a person makes there is a decision they did not choose. The descriptions of the roads in this poem is a metaphor for the narrator’s future. A person, or in this case the narrator, may make a wrong choice that leads their life down a wrong path. Just as easily, a person can choose the right path. These paths, and the choices a person makes, can make a significant impact on a person’s life. They may always wonder, like the narrator of the poem, what would have occurred had they chosen the other path. This is largely due to the fact that a person can only see the immediate consequences of their decisions, not the impact those decisions will have on their distant

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