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Literary analysis of robert frost's the road not taken
Literary analysis of robert frost's the road not taken
Literary analysis of robert frost's the road not taken
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Modernism can best be described as a transition from the Romanticism period to new ways of expression such as doubt, self-realization, and futuristic thoughts. During the modernism period Robert Frost’s, The Road Not Taken may be one of the most known works of the period. The poem talks about the different paths the author encounters, pondering about which path to take and what it may have held. Similarly, the reader may encounter many different paths to an understanding of the poem as well. Since the poem was actually written as a joke to a fellow poet and dear friend of Frost, a new reader may have difficulty understanding Frost’s use of humorous contradictions. An unexpected increase in the analysis of the poem took Frost by shock, but perhaps …show more content…
Reading Frost’s poem, both reader and author travel down a road met by two paths as the poet seems hesitant about which path to take. Frost then creates an indecisive and gloomy feel, but quickly contradicts everything by the use of an unexpected exclamation mark. The strand in Frost’s unusual use of diction and punctuation may question what is truly trying to be stated. After further research Katherine Robinson and her Poem Guide, reinforced the reason the poem was written itself. Frost had actually wrote the poem for another poet, Edward Thomas when they had actually taken a walk together. Although Frost seemed indecisive and regretful, the background of the poem helps the reader understand his playfulness. In addition to the background of Frost, the world was also under an important time period well known as World War I. Frost’s use of this comic leap may also be hinting at the hope and joy the world held onto even after being split by two paths. Moreover, the first noticeable strand is with the word “and” which often times is used to emphasize overwhelming joy. However, Frost’s repetition of the word “and” numerous times always hinted at a second guess or remorse. After researching Jess Zimmerman’s article Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” & World War I, Zimmerman similarly claimed, “he was jokingly mocking Thomas’ inability to make decisions” (Zimmerman, par. 2). Although …show more content…
Frost’s thoughts from the path chosen not only reflect his own views, but also of the soldiers that would go to war. The repetitive use of the word “and” can be used to show excitement; however, Frost uses it as a way to express anxiousness. Similarly, the people of the time may have been in a similar anxious state of mind having to enlist under difficult economic stress. After acknowledging that the poem was written as a joke, the reader may have difficulty understanding how such a humor intended poem could be tied with death. However, Frost gives the reader numerous hints at a binary between life and death itself. Depicted throughout nature and by questioning his return, Frost not only becomes a man on a walk but also the unheard voice of thousands. Perhaps of the many reasons Frost’s poem gained popularity was the irony of a comical poem turning tragically true with the death of his friend and many more. After analyzing Frost’s poem the repetition, strands, and binary are equally important to understanding the history behind The Road Not
Throughout the poem “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost does an excellent job of using literary strategies and device in his poem. Frost uses pathos in this poem to appeal to the reader’s feelings. He uses many symbols, to make the reader think about the poem on a deeper level and really connect to it. The poem used excellent imagery to help relay the internal message from Frost to the reader. An overall view of his poem, would be a great work. He uses a variety of things throughout his poem to help make it an easier read. Making it easier to read, will also make it more enjoyable to the
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is often misinterpreted. For many years to come, people are going to read this poem by Robert Frost and one of many things will happen. The reader will either misinterpret or misunderstand the poem itself, and its’ sense of irony does not help either.
The central image that Frost presents, which is the path, provides a clear picture that the reader can focus on in order to reveal something about the poem. The “two roads diverged in a yellow wood'; vividly portray the fact that it is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity that will be missed out on. There is a strong sense of regret before the choice is even made and it lies in the knowledge that in one lifetime, it is impossible to travel down every path that one encounters. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler "looks down one as far as I could." The road that will be chosen leads to the unknown, as does any choice in life. As much as he may strain his eyes to see how far the road stretches, eventually it surpasses his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead. It is the path that he chooses that sets him off on his journey and determines where he is going and what he will encounter.
“The Road Not Taken” ends by giving a moral to us about Frost’s life and the path he did take. Although Frost doesn’t thoroughly explain the path he took, the reader ...
Robert Frost masterfully uses straightforward diction and a metaphor in his poem “The Road Not Taken” to portray a speaker who is struggling to make a life changing decision, encouraging both the speaker and the readers towards introspection. Frost dramatizes the internal conflict and consequences involved in making an important decision; an experience all humans face many times in their lives. There will always be times in life when a decision that defines destiny and alters the course, must ultimately be decided. By creating a natural atmosphere, the entire poem emphasizes a metaphor in which a person’s journey through life is compared to a journey on a road. The speaker of the poem is forced to choose one path instead of another, knowing
In this poem, Frost illustrates that every person has his own opinion. He states “Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim” (line 6-7). What make it better was “it was grassy and wanted wear” (line 8). It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seems that the other people take the more popular one. “And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black” (line 11). No one had yet to pass by on this road since the leaves have fallen. “I kept the first for another day” (line 13). The desire to travel down both paths is expressed and is not unusual, but “knowing how way leads onto way” (line 14). The speaker of this poem realizes that the decision is not just a temporary one, and he “doubted if I should ever come back”
Robert Frost utilizes several poetic techniques to reveal the theme in his poem, “The Road Not Taken”, which is stressing the importance the decision making of one is, regardless of whether or not it is agreement with the resolution of their peers, and how it can affect their future. The techniques exercised in this piece of work are symbolism, imagery, and tone. Symbolism is the most powerfully used technique due to the fact a good number of lines located in this poem is used to signify a certain object or idea related to our life or today’s world. Imagery is significant in drawing out the theme for the reason that it allows the reader to construct a depiction in their mind, permitting them to relate more to the poem and interpret the theme their own way. In this poem, imagery permits the reader to imagine the scene that this poem takes place in resulting in an enhanced understanding of the theme. The tone this work presents is an insecure attitude which allows the theme to be brought out due to the fact the theme relates to a dilemma in one’s life. As seen by the reader, these techniques strongly aid in the revealing of this specific theme. The first technique Frost utilizes to uncover the theme is the strongest method, symbolism.
In Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” there are many complexities that ultimately lead to the poem’s unity. At first glance this poem seems to be a very typical coming of age poem where the speaker has come to a major fork in the road and he must decide which path to take. At first glance this would be a very good statement to make; however, as the reader digs deeper and searches for the complexity and the nuances of the poem the original assessment seems to be shallow and underdeveloped. In order to truly appreciate this poem as a work of art, the reader must search for the unity and complexity within it, otherwise this poetic work of art will go by unnoticed and cast off as a coming of age poem and nothing else.
David Wyatt writes, "Nowhere in Frost is the tension between surprise and anticipation, wayward experience and the form into which it is cast or forecast, more acute than in 'The Road Not Taken'" (129). As the poem is read, one cannot help but be pulled into the questions of which road will be chosen, how they differ, and what will become of the traveler. Perhaps some hope to find guidance for their own journeys by seeking answers in Frost's work. According to Michael Meyer, "The speaker's reflections about his choice are as central to an understanding of the poem as the choice itself." (97) Frost himself admits, "it's a tricky poem, very tricky." (Pack 10)
This poem by Robert Frost was first read to me in the last year of my high school experience. Back then, not only did I have absolutely no interest in any literary work, but moreover, had no intension to lye there and analyze a poem into its symbolic definitions. Only now have I been taught the proper way to read a literary work as a formalistic critic might read. With this new approach to literature I can understand the underlying meaning to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". In addition to merely grasping the author's intension, I was able to justly incur that this poem, without directly mentioning anything about life's decisions, is in its entirety about just that.
One of Robert Frost’s most well known poems is The Road Not Taken. Frost had mentioned numerous times that it was a “tricky- very tricky” poem (Grimes). This can be examined in the structure of the poem, the symbolism, and the diction. The simple language he uses in the poem reveals the common relevance of the poem to the people. People have to go about making choices each and every day of their lives. However, sometimes we come to a cross-road in our lives that can be life changing that is what the sentence structure reveals to us (Mcintyre). He uses common words but in a way that is unclear to the reader. For example the opening line of the poem is “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Frost, Robert. “1.”). The reader is not sure what is meant by yellow woods. It may mean the onset of fall or even the coming of spring. The season could relate to the speakers stage in life. It may mean this is their youth and they have to make a decision that will plan out the rest of their life, such as I am about what college to attend. Or is it indicating he has reached his mid-life, the fall, and is now presented with opportunity to change his...
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” has influenced the hearts and minds of people over America since the 1900’s and has achieved the honor to be inducted into America’s literary standard. Robert Frost, one of America’s greatest poets of all time, composed this piece of literary perfection in 1916. “The Road Not Taken” stumps a man with the decision to choose a path as he encounters a fork in the road. The man in the poem says, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”. Unfortunately, The man does not know at that moment the path he chose was the correct one; all he says is that his decision made a momentous impact on his life. For decades, various literary critics have analyzed this piece of writing trying to uncover its true meaning. Many scholars have found this piece to be a truly inspirational work while others have pictured it nothing more than an ironic tale of right and wrong. Alexander Meiklejohn is one scholar who used Robert Frost’s poem to teach others about making the right choices. Katherine Kearns, on the other hand, feels that the poem does not live up to its popularity. The viewpoints and criticisms regarding this unique piece of literature stretch far and wide, proving that Robert Frost’s poem has intrigued readers for decades. A large volume of criticisms have emerged that offer new perspectives for readers to explore as they continue to read “The Road Not Taken” for decades to come.
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.
This poem is one of many written by Frost in 1916 and it is commonly used in high school writing classes. It has been written about frequently and often analyzed because of the connection people feel to the poem for the reason that everyone has to make life choices. The reading of the poem touches a wide variety of readers because each one can identify with the writers predicament of having to make a choice, with two different options, as in the poem which road to take either the well-traveled path or as he decides the less journeyed. As an outcome of this choice, the writer states, that his life was profoundly different than it would have been had he taken the other road. The other road the more traveled and seemingly the safer of the two makes the reader seem more fearless to except what the unknown has to offer thus making his own way in the world. In reading further the roads are almost the same both being beautiful and equally passable. The writer tries to explain why things happened the way they did and that is a significant moment in his life. One might pick the road that gets them to w...