...“The Road Not Taken” is a poem Robert Frost wrote about himself, while reflecting on a personal experience. He brings up when he was to make a tough decision. That with all the evidence was gathered up, it came across as if he had regretted the outcome of the decision along with he is curious as whether the other choices could have been any better. While it is a such an intellectual poem where it could leave many in suspense. When reading “The Road Not Taken” for the first time you might of never been able to tell, weather if Frost was actually regretted the path he had chosen, or the fact that he was truly actually grateful for the path he had taken. It really all depends on how someone is to read Frost’s wording. I believe that the inspiration of this poem had come from the walks he had with his friend, Edward Thomas, of England. In 1914, when both Frost and Thomas lived in Gloucestershire, they had frequently had taken long walks through the countryside. While Thomas would have choose the path he mostly had thought might show his American friend a kind of special interest. Even so when he had gotten to the end of the walk, Thomas would regret his choice. When he would “sigh” over the decision he made is because he thought he might of taken the “better”...
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...The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost English 102 B23 Liberty University 16 June 2014 The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost A stylistic and exploratory analysis of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” uncovering the message from the work received by a diverse audience. There are a few themes in the poem The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost. The author communicates that he is faced with a choice to take one path or another and faces apprehension, hesitation, fear, indecision and regret as he is faced with the choice. While exploring the poem it seems that at first glance the author may be celebrating his choice of taking the road less traveled “took the one less traveled by” but in realty he is in a sense moving forward while looking back with the title being “The Road Not Taken”. This indecision is counter productive making him unable to live his life but to waste it away in indecision. The author communicates the difficulty of choices in life and the ability to have two different paths that can seem paralyzing from fearful uncertainty, which can lead to regret from indecision. The fear, possible regret, uncertainty, indecision and stagnation seems to be the tone of the poem. The poem is set in nature during fall with autumn leaves “in a yellow wood” piled on the ground from falling a while “leaves no step had trodden black”. The falling leaves pointing to time passing, two roads pointing to a choice at hand, the bend with the undergrowth as the uncertainty, the worn...
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...Making choices in life has proved to be universally difficult. Everyday people make choices that could impact their whole lives. In The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, the speaker utilizes an extended metaphor, and repetition to convey the speaker’s thoughtfulness and understanding attitude towards making decisions, and how the reader should understand the power that decisions have on their future. As a whole, the poem itself is one extended metaphor, using the choice between two paths to display everyday choices indirectly. Everyone, including myself, has to make decisions. AS a senior, one has to figure out what the future is going to hold. Questions such as “university or trade school?” help the young reader connect to the “two roads”...
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...Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey, life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, his poem, "The Road Not Taken", has left its readers with many different interpretations. It is one's past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shade of the light that he will see the poem in. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost's belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is. "And sorry I could not travel both..." It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what 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. 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 he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it surpasses his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. "Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim." What made it have the better claim is that...
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...Poetry Analysis Essay for “Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost Course # and Title: ENGL 102: Literature and Composition Semester of Enrollment: Spring 2012 Name: Timothy Bayless ID #: L22915807 Writing Style Used: MLA Timothy Bayless L22915807 ENGL-102 C04 Poetry Analysis Essay Outline I. Introduction A. Facts: Robert Frost thought a poem should start with delight but end in wisdom and has also won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times. B. Title and Author: “The Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost C. Thesis: The poem displays the difficult decisions people make in order to progress in life and how one choice can alter the future for better or worse. II. Body A. Meaning and Message i. Surface Meaning: A person comes to a “y” in the road and has to decide which way to go. ii. Deeper Meaning: Internal debates are overwhelming when deciding what the right decision to make is. iii. Theme: The choices made in life can alter the future for better or worse. B. Tone i. The person speaking in the poem seems to have a certain level of maturity and it shows in the debate about which road to take. ii. The tone of the speaker is solemn in nature. iii. The reason the tone seems solemn is because the speaker is left with...
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...Outline Thesis: In “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost uses imagery, metaphors, and the theme to tell the reader what has made the difference. I. Frost uses imagery to show the reader how decisions change fate. A. Visual imagery was used to show how bright his future is. B. Without Frost using imagery, the reader would not have understood why the decision was so important. II. The poem was an extended metaphor. A. The description of autumn is a metaphor for Frost’s fall in life, growing old. B. The roads are a metaphor for the future. C. “I doubt I should ever come back”, Frost was making this line a metaphor for one a person make a choice, they can’t take it back. III. Theme is centered around choices. A. Paths represent choices in life. B. Frost Talks about one path more but still chooses the other. Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken,” uses figurative roads to show readers how choices impact ones daily life. The poem begins with the narrator standing at a fork with two available roads ahead. Even though he explains how one path looks, he chooses the opposite path. Then changing his mind, to say the paths could be the same, but at the end says he took the less traveled by. Most of the time, the decisions people have to make are not easy or even logical. In “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost uses imagery, metaphors, and the theme to tell the reader what has made the difference (Kennedy & Gioia, 2007). Frost uses imagery to show the reader...
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...person they are today and the people they will be in the future. This theme clarifies the ambiguous interpretation of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” as it is often misconstrued on its underlying meaning. Many believe Robert Frost’s intentions were to convey a message to discover new roads and challenge one’s self. Others believe the poem to stay true to its title and suggest that people should proceed along the road less traveled by others, in other words express individuality. The poem tells the story of Robert Frost himself, who comes to a fork in the road in his life and is not sure as to which path to proceed along. Each path looks just as good as the other, in fact they look exactly the same which is why he finds great difficulty in making a decision. When he finally chooses, he pictures what life would have been if he had taken the other. In this poem “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost portrays not of having the ability to make a choice, but rather how a choice defines him as an individual and how this ultimately affects his lives. Frost makes it clear that each path is virtually the same, so instead of the theme being taking the road less traveled by; it is truly about how the choice to take the road less traveled by identifies him as a person. In the first stanza of the poem, Frost discusses what he sees before him; a fork in the road. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down...
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...The Road Not Taken: Poetry Essay Name Course Instructor’s name Date Thesis statement: The symbolic setting, title, content and metrical devices support the poem’s (The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost) overall meaning. Outline: Title “Poetry Essay” I. Introduction A. The influence of decision making process in human life. B. The problem faced by the speaker in the poem. II. Body A. Theme B. Symbolic setting C. Significance of the title D. Rhyme scheme and metrical devices III. Conclusion A. The lyrical elements of the poem B. All the elements of the poem support its overall meaning. Poetry Essay The Road Not Taken, the poem by Robert Frost is related to the dilemmatic situation of decision making in human life. To be specific, one’s decision in critical situations transforms one’s life into success or failure. Besides, wise decision at apt situations leads to success in life. But human beings are not ready to take decisions based upon their free will. This creates much tension in future life because false decisions lead to failure, which cannot be changed. In this poem, the speaker faces the same problem faced by human beings for generations. Theme: As pointed out, the theme of the poem is related to making a choice in one’s life or simply...
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...Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, a poem revered for decades, portrays the decisions we face in life; through a narrative. With each of its four stanzas incorporating different literary devices to create a solid storyline, open to interpretation by the reader. A narrative; “a story told, by a narrator about events that may by factual, fictional, or mythical.” (Threadgold 232) described here by Terry Threadgold, is one literary category Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken comes under, due to it containing, “the principal parts of a narrative – setting, complication, climax, denouement, and coda” (Threadgold 231). The setting takes place in a “yellow wood” (Frost 127) where two paths diverge, and the complication comes from deciding which of the two paths the narrator should travel along. The climax arrives when the narrator finds himself torn between his decision and is shortly followed by the denouement when he makes his decision on which path to take, concluding with saying “and that has made all the difference” (Frost 127): the coda. Frost’s poem is also open to interpretation by the reader, whereby they “[do] not necessarily follow the txt’s or the narrative’s instructions” (Threadgold 232), an act that leads to a deeper sense and meaning of the poem. Making it easy to distinguish a metaphorical link between the difficult decisions individuals make in their lives, and the decision between the paths the narrator must make. The connection between Robert Frost’s The Road...
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...The Revealing of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” Virginia White Liberty University Thesis: Through his use of imagery, symbolism, and emotion, Frost creates the theme of the importance of making the right choice in life. 1. Introduction and Thesis 2. Imagery a. Picture of 2 roads b. Person is in a yellow wood c. 1 path was grassy, one was worn d. Brings reader back at the end 3. Symbolism e. Comparing 2 roads to 2 choices in life f. Determining the outcomes of the choices by looking as far as he could down both paths g. Abrupt decision making h. Importance of making the right choice 4. Emotion i. Insecure/unsure in the beginning j. A little eager in the middle, taking risks k. Sad/melancholy at the end 5. Close The Revealing of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” One of Robert Frost’s best poems, “The Road Not Taken”, is a very realistic poem, making one think about their current situation in life and how important making choices can be. Frost finds himself at a halt at a crossroad in life, weighing the options of each path that he could possibly take. Through his use of imagery, symbolism, and emotion, Frost creates the theme of the importance of making the right choice in life. Frost uses imagery a lot in this poem, making one imagine where he was standing at that current time. The imagery used really contributes a lot to the poem...
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... “The Road Not Taken” By Robert Frost Robert Frost wrote the poem “The Road Not Taken,” which is a lyrical poem that uses symbolism, emotion and imagery to portray a decision making process in his life. Frost was a young person with decisions to make concerning his future and the path to take. In (line 1) you can see the symbolism of "yellow wood," which could be the early time of day or the early time of his life. In (line 4) he stands “And looked down one as far as I could.” The path is symbolic in that Frost realizes he cannot physically see the end of the path nor can he see the end of the path of his life. In (line 2) Forest says "And sorry I could not travel both" emphasizes the yearning for the two paths before him. This is symbolic in that he could not travel down both paths, and he must choose one. This is a representation of good and evil and choosing how to make the right decision. In (line 15) “I doubted if I should ever come back” this is symbolic of the doubt Frost has for his future and the choices of the two paths before him. In the poem Frost shows himself to be an adventurer by saying in (line 12) “In leaves no step had trodden black” this is the path Frost takes, which is the one less traveled. Frost feels good about the decision that he has made with the closing of the poem by saying, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost comes to the decision on what path to take. Frost beautifully...
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...An Extended Metaphor: Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”, it explores the aspects of human decisions and choices, corresponding to an oxymoron because choices that impacts so little should bear the most indifference, but instead it is the most complicated. It is shown through several different techniques such as metaphors, symbolism, repetition, and his writing style. Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco but soon moved to Pennsylvania (Robert). His dad died when he was around the age of eleven years old. Frost lived with sister who was two years younger and his mother. During his college years, he enrolled at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and later at Harvard University in Boston. He had multiple occupations such as a teacher, cobbler, and editor. His first poem, “My Butterfly,” was published on November 8, 1894 in the New York Newspaper. Later in his life, he married Elinor Miriam who inspired many of his pieces. He became well known for “the life and landscape of New England” but isn’t a regional poet because his works are “infused with layers of ambiguity and irony” (Robert). He died on Jan 29, 1963 in Boston (Robert). “The Road Not Taken” is about a person in the woods who comes across a fork with two roads. He states that the two roads are equally worn with untroddler leaves. However, in the second stanza it states that one road is “perhaps the better claim” and “it was grassy and ...
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...“The Road Not Traveled. Outline: The Road Not Traveled • Decision Making • Mood Setting • Significant Title Literary Device • Communication • Contradictions Narrator Final Thoughts The theme of the poem is decision making. The Road Not Taken is a decision we have to make every day. The decisions we make in life determines the outcome of the future. Just as if the road that “was grassy and wanted wear” was less traveled, our decision depends on if we are going to take the grassy road that no one else took or take the other road that everyone took. I believe that the setting in the poem is a gloomy setting in deep thought. I feel as though he may have been walking to clear his mind and came upon a fork in the road and he had to make a decision to go left or to go right. The lines “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth” “…Because it was grassy and wanted wear …”(Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken”, 1874-1963) are the lines that lead me to believe that he was out just walking to clear his mind when he came upon a fork in the road. A specific word in the poem is what gave me the information to think that the setting is gloomy and he was in deep thought; undergrowth. Undergrowth pertains to a deep forest or a area of land that has grown up to be thick and full of trees. The setting of the poem, The Road Not...
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...Sarah K. McAfee May 8, 2008 English 151-15 The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, tells a quick story about a lone traveler who arrives at the end of a path leading to a fork road. Confused about which road to take, the traveler speaks figuratively about how each path looks and in the end decides to take the path he calls “less traveled by” (line 19). Each person in life comes across crossroads where he or she has to choose which path leads to a better future. The reader can take what Frost wrote and interpret that this poem represents that decision that we eventually have to make. One of the major themes of this poem is “life’s decisions” because the author creates a scenario where people have to make a decision of which road to take in life. The poem’s theme is “life’s decisions” because in the poem the traveler arrives at a fork in the road and has to choose the path to take to get to his destination. In life, we also have to make that decision. This could be Frost’s interpretation of someone who is approaching this kind of scenario . The first stanza of the poem states: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth” –Robert Frost This stanza is describing the thinking process of the person who has to make his or her decision on which path to take. The person is trying to figure out how far each path will go but...
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... Reading a story, a poem, or a play introduces you to an imaginary world (Clugston, W.R. (2010). When reading literature we must enter the imaginary world; enter the world the author is creating. The story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty in 1941 and the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost in 1916 both use the theme of journey to symbolize life decisions. One speaks of a “Path” the other a “Road” the theme that each of these writings share is presented differently throughout the piece of literature. These two pieces of literature symbolize a journey, through using content, form, style, symbolism and imagination, although used differently in many ways they both are symbolizing a journey through life. The theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story (Clugston, W.R.(2010). In the pieces of literature I have chosen, the theme is speaking of journeys, one journey for love and the other life, but both having to make life decisions. The authors took different approaches in showing the reader the journey, the life decisions that had to be made. Both works have characters making a journey. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, the narrator has been traveling and has reached a point where the road divides. The narrator is a traveler. Likewise, in the short story “A Worn Path”, the main character is on a trip to town. She is travelling from home through the pines up the hill and down the valley. In both the poem and the short story, the characters are walking...
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