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Literature: Symbolism of a Journey

In: English and Literature

Submitted By Lockeclan192
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Literature: Symbolism of a Journey
Tracy Locke
ENG125
Karen McFarland
October 7, 2013

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.
When reading literature we must enter the imaginary world, enter the world the author is creating. These two authors used words that give the poems the right tone in expressing the content, form, and style in the story to help the reader use their imagination and feeling as if they were on the

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