There are times in life when you find yourself standing right in front of two paths. They seem different. Yet they are the same. Choosing one and following it, no matter how hard it might be. Robert Frost born in San Francisco, March 26 became one of America’s foremost 20th century poets and a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” both portray a monumental moment in the speaker’s life, where the narrators is presented with two courses in life, where they have to choose any one path to follow. In “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, Frost’s use of theme, meaning, and writing format helps bring these two poems to life. Frost’s use of theme and meaning, both portray the decisions or choices the narrator must take in “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. In “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker describes coming upon a problem in his travels, with a fork in the road. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Bouchard/Frost). He must go down one, but feels he would not be able to take back his decision. Taking in both pros and cons, the speaker chooses the one that is less traveled. “He predicts that the path he will choose will affect his life greatly. In fact make “all the difference,” that he tells this with a sigh, “I shall be telling this with a sigh,” (Frost) indicated that he will have some questions, about where the other path may have brought him”(Bouchard). “The Road Not Taken,” is a double perspective when it comes to making choices. One is fairly obvious while the other is more subtle. “It expresses both turmoil of making the choice and the depressing expectation that the choice he makes between ... ... middle of paper ... ...ly from line to line, with the balance of rhythmic pull of the verse, “The speaker never arrives, nor really leaves” (Ingebresten). The natural scene of the woods is heightening by the drama Frost adds, while his sense of dramatic and contextual irony undercuts the simplicity of the narrative. In conclusion, the use of theme, meaning, and writing format of “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” both share choices the narrator must take daily without knowing the outcome of each decision. The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” is a meaningful poem. It conveys an important idea of keeping one’s duties and responsibilities when alive, while “The Road Not Taken” is a decision, for good or ill, the choice he makes will be permanent and highly effecting. We cannot travel all the roads available to us; we must make a choice and move on.
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost shows the reader how the choices they make will be hard decisions and will follow them. The setting of this poem takes place in the woods, in the fall. The woods will typically be a quiet and serene place making the setting an ideal place for decision making. The setting also helps to show the symbolism that Frost shows by describing the two paths. Frost uses pathos when appealing to the reader’s feelings because any reader has had to make a decision in their life. Creating this symbol helps to relate to the reader. The Imagery that is created helps to make the reader feel as if they are standing in the snowy woods, looking down two paths, and trying to make the decision of which one to take. Frost used
Decisions are an everyday part of life. Although many decisions made throughout the day may not be crucial to our path of life, most every decision will affect life in some way. Pop tart or bagel, milk or orange juice, as well as drive or take the bus are all choices people make to begin their day, but Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is a perfect example of a life altering decision. Frost wrote this poem when his dear friend, Edward Thomas, was stuck between staying with Frost and becoming a poet, or going to war against Germany in World War I. “Two Roads”, later changed to “The Road Not Taken”, angered Thomas, and caused him to enlist in the war, only to be killed in action two months later at Arras on Easter Day. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost has a literal meaning from the speaker, or traveler, of the road he did not take, but the deeper meaning certainly shows how decisions alter your life.
Frost realizes that had he taken the other road he would not be where he is today. He was adventurous and choose the road that had been traveled the least recently and that one decision changed his life
My father introduced me to "The Road Not Taken" when I was a young teenager because he figured that I was beginning a period of my life where I would be forced to make many important decisions, and he saw this poem as a source of guidance through those decisions. This poem carries truth and edification in its words. It forms a beautiful analogy of life and all its complications. After my father finished reciting the poem, I never gave a second thought that day to Robert Frost or his poetry. It was weeks, possibly months, before I resumed thought on "The Road Not Taken." It was not until one year ago that I actually read it. Nevertheless, I did remember that poem, and no matter how many times I put it aside to contemplate other things, it was always waiting for my return. Through all of my high school years, it tagged along beside me, reminding me that change is good, reminding me that risk is what life is all about.
The style of the poem is a sonnet; the language used in the poem is clear and simple. The poet Frost tells a story in easy to read form. There is repetition throughout the poem. For example; “”I have been”, I have walked out in rain,” I have out walked””, (Frost 1-2-3). There is a comparison within the poem, a night watchman (the only person mentioned) in the poem and the walker. Frost draws the comparison of them both being alone at night, with the night watchman one walking with purpose, whereas the walker’s purpose is not defined.
In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” personification is used through the symbolization of the roads. Frost’s metaphorical embodiment of the two roads reflected as ways, journey and even as an adventure in life. He describes the decision people need to take in their lives as he had to, when he was needed to choose between two roads to go in his life. The poem amplifies Frost’s own life and decisions. The poem is addressed to all people who get in to their crossroads in life, where they need to decide between two roads to travel in. The paradox is when Frost regrets on choosing one road over another because he loses all its possibilities. However, he chose the better road even though he contrasted it when he realizes that both roads are mainly the same. Frost uses also an antithesis as the fact that he cannot go in both ways, although he wants to.
The four quatrains of this poem are the definition of simplicity. It tells of an experience on a late night where Robert Frost comes across some snowy woods late in the evening. The lovely scene before his eyes intrigues the author and tempts him to remain in the woods. However, the author is still aware of the large ground that is to be covered before he can relax for the remainder of the evening. When it comes to Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the surface analysis gives a basic story. But a deeper, poetic interpretation offers into the author’s perspective. For instance, this is evident in the first quatrain where the author is...
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.
In his celebrated poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost describes the decision one makes when reaching a fork in the road. Some interpret Frost as suggesting regret on the part of the traveler as to not choosing the path he forgoes, for in doing so he has lost something significant. Others believe he is grateful for the selection, as it has made him the man he is. The diverging roads are symbolic of the choices society is faced with every day of life. Choosing one course will lead the traveler in one direction, while the other will likely move away, toward a completely different journey. How does one know which is the right path; is there a right path? The answer lies within each individual upon reflection of personal choices during the course of life's unfolding, as well as the attitude in which one looks to the future.
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” show the readers similar struggles of life. “The Road Not Taken” is about taking control of one’s life and living it aside from how others live theirs. While “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening” shows the desire for rest. Sometimes people regret the possibilities of the road not chosen, sometimes people feel proud about the road that they
In “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” written by Robert Frost, there are two poems that can be compared together to gain new insight into their deeper meaning. In these two poems Robert Frost illustrates the journey of two contrasting travelers, who are given choices along the way to explore their decisions and thought processes. These carpe diem, seize the day, poems presents options for the travelers that are negative, but in the end implies to persevere. In “The Road Not Taken” the setting takes place in the woods, where the speaker has two roads and contemplates one at a time (“Road”). While in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” the setting travels from a village to the woods, where the speaker stops between
Perhaps one of the most well-known poems in modern America is a work by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken. This poem consists of four stanzas that depict the story of the narrator traveling through the woods early in the morning and coming upon a fork in the path, where he milled about for a while before deciding upon one of the two paths, wishing he could take both, but knowing otherwise, seeing himself telling of this experience in the future.
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.
There are many choices that one needs to make on a daily basis to simply get through the day. Life choices however are more important and have an everlasting effect on the individual. They are less frequent but have more of an impact on one’s life. The writer Robert Frost chose to use the poem “The Road not Taken” to show how one’s decisions can change the outcome of your life. Frost used the details of picking the road, the inability to reverse his choice, the consequences of his judgment, along with the external factors that influenced his judgments to express to the readers how life’s decisions make a difference all by writing a poem.