The Power of Choice Revealed in The Road Not Taken
Frost's flare for using nature to and man's interaction with it to relate powerful philosophical messages are expressed in his renownd poem, "The Road Not Taken". "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a very powerful poem with one basic philosophical theme: individuality comes down to being able to choose between the popular choice or societal norms and a choice less explored. In other words, the central meaning of this poem is that one should not make a decision because it reflects popular opinion-one should make sound choices because of their benefits to the individual-because choosing unique alternative could make all the difference.
What does Frost mean by the "road less traveled by (19)"? Much of the poem suggests that Frost's use of the word "road" is metaphorical and not literal. "Road" as used by Frost refers to a decision or a choice. However, by using the literal application of roads, Frost shows that deciding which road to take will determine the outcome of one's journey, much like a decision will determine the outcome of one's goals and aspirations. Frost chooses to the take the road that "was grassy and wanted wear" (8). Why? Clearly, like a unique idea, the less traveled road may lead to a different sense of realization where only few men have been. Thus, the "road less traveled by" clearly speaks of Frost's personal endeavor to be different or unique. He did not want to follow in the footsteps of conformity; this is why he takes the road less traveled by.
Frost alludes to the fact that a traveler cannot take two roads at the same time-he/she must choose between the two. The main reason for making this assertion is to show that we cannot abide by two decisions about a particular goal in our life at the same time. Consequently, we must weigh our decisions carefully. Note Frost says "I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference" (19-20). What does this say about how we should make our decision? Clearly, this infers that we should not make our decisions based on popular opinions. In other words, we should not make a decision because it works for everyone else; we should make a decision because it is right for our circumstance -- because it could make all the difference.
... Biography, Volume 6: Modem Writers, 1914-1945. Gale Research,1991. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: The Gale Group. 2004http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRCć
Carter and Perrault both offer interesting insight in their short stories depicting the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood by the symbolism of the wolf and flip in moral. In “Little Red Riding Hood”, Charles Perrault uses the wolf as both a religious symbol and a symbol for men who prey on those weaker and more naïve than themselves, usually women. The devilish wolf is sneaky and cunning and at every opportunity has “a very great mind to eat her up” in the woods, but instead makes a deal with her. Like the classic devil, he charms her with his manners and suavely offers her his assistance. The child herself is naïve, or as Perrault puts it, ...
To put it in a nutshell, ‘Cogito ergo sum’ is the starting point of the whole structure of Descartes’ philosophy. But it is the ‘epitaph’ of his ‘universal doubt’. ‘Cogito ergo sum’ is not pure immaterialism. Rather it’s pure theory of perception. It is fallible to conclude that Descartes is immaterial; it is very vulnerable and susceptible to attack, because the immaterialism is derived from Descartes whole body structure of his philosophy. While in light of ‘I think, (therefore) I exist’, it is not pure immaterial or material to say the least.
“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
Have you ever had to make a decision in your life? I’m pretty sure we all have, the decision can even be what you ate for breakfast in the morning. Robert Frost wrote a poem about a man who has to make an important decision. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, by Robert Frost, he states, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference” (Woods). To me taking the road less traveled by means, doing something on your own. It means not following a crowd, it means doing something unique. It can be hard to go your own way, but that is what Robert Frost is talking about. Everybody should go the path is right for them, not the one that many other people have gone down. There are many examples of people taking the unexpected path, I have gone through a path many people have never seen before, so have
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
In “The Road Not Taken” Frost emphasizes that every person is a traveler choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey-life. There is never a straight path that leads a person one sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, “The Road Not Taken” has left me with many different interpretations. Throughout this poem, it is obvious that decisions are not easy to make and each decision will lead you down a different path.
From Rome’s start on the banks of the Tiber to its fall a millennium later, Rome slowly developed into a socially diverse nation. In the Roman Empire that stretched across the entire Mediterranean, there existed many different peoples with differing ideals. Even so Rome experienced few dramatic societal changes and instead developed by slow growth over the course of several centuries.
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.
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.
Decisions separate one’s life from another. Robert Frost proves this to be true in his poem “The Road Not Taken.” The metaphorical twist Frost uses in his words and sentence structure emphasizes the importance of different decisions and how those choices will impact the rest of one’s life.
In analyzing the poem 'The Road Not Taken'; by Robert Frost, it represents 'the classic choice of a moment and a lifetime.';(pg 129) He relies much on the reflections of nature to convey his theme. However, this poem seems to be in essence very simple but
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 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.