One of Robert Frost’s most celebrated poems “The Road Not Taken”, makes anyone who reads the poem wondering what if. The symbolism of the fork in the road has been the topic of many interpretations, however, many claim that this poem symbolizes the never-ending curiosity that exist within human nature, making choices in life not knowing the how it will affect one’s life. Through the course of time, one may come to consider the selection of the road they've chosen, contemplate on the potential opportunities gained or lost through such choices, and wonder about "The Road Not Taken.”
Numerous speculations have been made about the poem, but according to Arti Agarwa Frost cites himself that the inspiration behind the poem came from his old friend Edward Thomas, a Welsh poet. It has been stated by Frost that Thomas was never satisfied with the choices he made, and when the two would walk the countryside in England, Thomas would always regret the path he had chosen for them. “The Road Not Taken” is a playful mocking of not only Thomas’ relentless regrets, but also the regrets found in human nature.
During the poem, the speaker recalls approaching “two roads diverged in a yellow wood”. The symbolism behind the two roads is fairly simple to comprehend, it is an early autumn morning and the roads symbolize the choices that one comes to during their journey of life. Mindful that only one path can be traveled, the speaker is wary with his decision “long I stood | And looked down one as far as I could | To where it bent in the undergrowth” (lines 3-5). This is where most people’s opinions are formed. For example, an online article written by William Pritchard, states that the speaker’s decision upon choosing a road was due to an instinct, and...
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...dering about “The Road Not Taken.”
Works Cited
Agarwa, Arti. "The Road Not Taken- Inspirational Stories." The Road Not Taken- Inspirational Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Andrews, Terry L. “The Road Not Taken.” Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition (2002): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2011
Ballantine, Leslie F. "CPP - The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost." CPP - The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Bouchard, Jennifer. “Literary Contexts in Poetry: Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” Literary Contexts in Poetry: Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ (2008): Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
Grimes, Linda S. "Robert Frost's Tricky Poem "The Road Not Taken"" Suite. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Pritchard, William H. "On "The Road Not Taken"" On "The Road Not Taken" N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014
Have you ever been faced with two important decisions? Life is full of options and when when you encounter two decisions you have to choose what path you are going to take. Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” represents two tough decisions and having to choose one and not the other. Robert Frost uses a few poetic devices, such as, metaphor, symbolism and vivid imagery to express and show the decisions we make in life. These poetic devices also help Robert Frost get his point across about the roads.
Everyone is a traveler, carefully choosing which roads to follow on the map of life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a single direction in which to head. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken'; can be interpreted in many different ways. The shade of light in which the reader sees the poem depends upon her past, present, and the attitude with which she looks toward her future. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost’s belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man he is.
Poetry is a form of art in which an exclusive arrangement and choice of words help bring about a desired emotional effect. Robert Frost said that a poem is formed when “an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” His popular poem, "The Road Not Taken," like any other poem, has as many interpretations as it has readers. Using rhetorical analysis, one can break down the meaning(s) of this seemingly simple poem.
Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 689. Print.
In “The Road Not Taken” Frost emphasizes that every person is a traveler choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey-life. There is never a straight path that leads a person one sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, “The Road Not Taken” has left me with many different interpretations. Throughout this poem, it is obvious that decisions are not easy to make and each decision will lead you down a different path.
In Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, Frost shows the everyday human struggle to make a choice that could change the course of one’s life. In his poem, a person has the choice to take one road or the other. One road is worn out from many people taking it, and the other is barely touched, for fewer have taken that road. Throughout the poem, the speaker learns that just because so many other people have done one thing, or walked one way, does not mean everyone has to. Sometimes you just have to go your own way.
Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." The Poetry of Robert Frost. Ed. Edward Connery, Lathem. New York: Hot, Rinehart and Winston, 1969. 105.
Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken”. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7Th Ed. Nina
In analyzing the poem 'The Road Not Taken'; by Robert Frost, it represents 'the classic choice of a moment and a lifetime.';(pg 129) He relies much on the reflections of nature to convey his theme. However, this poem seems to be in essence very simple but
“The Road Not Taken” examines the struggles people run into when they come to a place in their life where a life altering decisions has to be made. The man who is described in this poem is traveling when he comes upon “two roads diverged” (1). He then has to choose which path he will take to continue on his journey. After standing at the diversion for a while, he knows he has to make a final decision. One path was worn down and “bent in the undergrowth” (5), so he took the other path, which was described as “perhaps the better claim/ Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (6-7). The man of the poem begins to ponder about a time when he will be telling his story of the path he took. Although we are not sure if the man regrets his decision or is relieved, he lets us know taking the road less traveled “has made all the difference” (20).
Wood, Kerry M. "Poetry Analysis: The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost - by Kerry Michael Wood - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. 22 May 2008. Web. 03 May 2011. .
"The Road Not Taken Theme of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans." Shmoop: Study Guides & Teacher Resources. Shmoop University, Inc. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. .
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” provide us contrasting and sometimes similar glimpses of life. “The Road Not Taken” is about taking control and living life. “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening” entails the desire for rest, perhaps due to the speaker’s feelings of weariness from facing life’s struggles. The poet also explains the tough choices people stand before when traveling the road of life. Sometimes people regret the possibilities of the road not chosen, sometimes people feel proud about the road they have chosen.
In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, author Robert Frost uses the simple image of a road to represent a person’s journey through life. A well-established poet, Frost does a proficient job of transforming a seemingly common road to one of great importance, which along the way helps one identify who they really are. This poem is one of self-discovery. Frost incorporates strong elements of poetry such as theme, symbolism, rhyme scheme, diction, imagery, and tone to help create one of his most well known pieces about the human experience.