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The Road Not Taken Analysis

In: English and Literature

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The road not taken written by Robert Frost in 1916 is one of Frosts most well known poems. The road not taken consists of four stanzas each containing five lines and follows the rhyme scheme ABAAB. Frost used a variety of literary techniques, combined with simple language to make the road not taken so easy to relate to.

the road not taken focuses on the narrator who reaches a fork in the road where he must decide on which path to take. the narrator hoses the path that he considers to be less traveled. this poem acts as an extended metaphor for difficult life decisions. From this poem the reader can interpret that frost is trying to convey the message that no matter which decision you make there is always a chance that it is the wrong one. From the last lines of the poem "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference" the reader can also interpret that Frost is trying to say that making the right decision can have a huge impact on life.

For the road not taken Frost was able to have a very large intended audience with the use of simple, easy to understand language and the relevance to everyday life. Frosts intended audience is anyone who has decisions so make but is indecisive about those decisions. The road not taken was written in 1916 shorty after Frost had moved back to America, Frost was 42 at the time. According to Emerson media (n.d.) it is believed that Frost wrote this poem due to regretting a decision made in his life. Frost uses past tense for the majority of the poem however the last stanza is written in future tense which draws the readers attention. Frosts tone in the poem helps to portray his message to the reader. Frost comes across as uncertain through the first three stanzas which helps the reader to connect with the poem as Frost seems just as indecisive as the reader would be. the final stanza however sees Frosts

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