“The Road Not Taken”
By: Robert Frost
“The Road Not Taken” is a poem about Robert Frost reflecting on a personal experience. He talks about the time when he had to make a tough decision. With the evidence gathered up, it seems as if he regretted the outcome of his decision and he is curious as to see whether the other choice could have been better or not. This is a very intellectual poem that could leave people in suspense. For a first time reader, you would never be able to tell if Frost actually regretted taking the path he chose, or if he was actually grateful for it. It all depends on how a person reads Frost’s wording.
The inspiration for this poem came from his walks with his friend, Edward Thomas, of England. In 1914, when Frost and Thomas lived in Gloucestershire, they frequently took long walks through the countryside. Thomas would choose the path which he thought might show his American friend a rare plant or any kind of special interest. However, by the end of the walk, Thomas would regret the choice he made. He would “sigh” over his decision because he thought he could have taken the “better” direction. Frost would always tease Thomas for all those regrets he would have.
Frost takes a “sigh” in the poem. That could really throw people off. Frost might be implying that it was a sigh of relief, or possibly a sigh of regret. He could be completely happy about the path he chose, or he could be regretful for it. This poem could be analyzed in many different ways. From the research I did, I learned that Frost never really told anyone what the “sigh” at the end of the poem really meant. He said that it was a very tricky poem. This “sigh” came from those that Thomas would make after their walks through the countryside. When Frost returned to America as a successful discovered poet, he wrote “The Road Not Taken”. The manuscript copy of the poem was sent to Thomas immediately. Frost’s expectations were that Thomas would notice how the poem pivots ironically on the phrase, “I shall be telling this with a sigh”. Unfortunately, as it turned out, Frost’s expectations were disappointed. Thomas didn’t notice the gentle jest because the irony was handled too subtly.
If someone thinks in a positive manner, they will realize that is never really a right or wrong choice in your life.
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is often misinterpreted. For many years to come, people are going to read this poem by Robert Frost and one of many things will happen. The reader will either misinterpret or misunderstand the poem itself, and its’ sense of irony does not help either.
Everyone is a traveler, carefully choosing which roads to follow on the map of life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a single direction in which to head. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken'; can be interpreted in many different ways. The shade of light in which the reader sees the poem depends upon her past, present, and the attitude with which she looks toward her future. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost’s belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man he is.
Poems can be extremely difficult to comprehend and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost was not an exception. In this poem, it displays how the speaker has come to a fork in a path in the woods. He is unsure which way to go, and wishes he had the option to go both ways. He looks down one path as far as he can but then decides to take the other one because it is not quite as worn. The speaker then reflects on how he wishes he would of taken the other path and how it affected his life.
Frost uses the idea of “The Road Not Taken” as an example of the paths that most people in life do not take but some decide to not follow the pack. We instantly recognize that this poem is going to be about life choices and that we do not necessarily know what the outcome of taking that path will be. He also uses the tone of the poem to deliver the meaning of the poem just like Silverstein. He uses tone by giving the reader an idea that the character will in the future question his choices because he will have to go through the uncommonly taken path (life) alone. Overall, the poem uses similar literary devices to instill the main theme of life into the
Have you ever been faced with two important decisions? Life is full of options and when when you encounter two decisions you have to choose what path you are going to take. Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” represents two tough decisions and having to choose one and not the other. Robert Frost uses a few poetic devices, such as, metaphor, symbolism and vivid imagery to express and show the decisions we make in life. These poetic devices also help Robert Frost get his point across about the roads.
I agree with David Orr on his analysis of Frost’s Road Not Taken that is presented in his article, The Most Misread Poem in America. One point of agreement is when he says, “...his decision made “all the difference” only because this is the kind of claim we make when we want to comfort or blame ourselves by assuming that our current position is the product of our own choices.” Frost’s poem describes a decision made by the traveler that depending on which one he chose, the result would be different. Sometimes, as readers, individuals tend to read the ending as something that it’s not, to make it appear alright in their minds, or to create an idea that is relatable to them. Which goes against the writer”s plan for their poem, and it takes away
“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
In this poem, Frost illustrates that every person has his own opinion. He states “Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim” (line 6-7). What make it better was “it was grassy and wanted wear” (line 8). It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seems that the other people take the more popular one. “And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black” (line 11). No one had yet to pass by on this road since the leaves have fallen. “I kept the first for another day” (line 13). The desire to travel down both paths is expressed and is not unusual, but “knowing how way leads onto way” (line 14). The speaker of this poem realizes that the decision is not just a temporary one, and he “doubted if I should ever come back”
In his poem “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost discusses the theme of choice. The speaker of the poem finds himself standing in front of two roads diverging in a wood. He is in the process of decision-making for quite a while until he finally takes one of the roads. Now, he spends his time thinking over the choice he made and how he will relate to this choice in the future. To effectively convey the uncertainty of decision-making, Frost develops ambiguity and uses nature imagery in the poem.
David Wyatt writes, "Nowhere in Frost is the tension between surprise and anticipation, wayward experience and the form into which it is cast or forecast, more acute than in 'The Road Not Taken'" (129). As the poem is read, one cannot help but be pulled into the questions of which road will be chosen, how they differ, and what will become of the traveler. Perhaps some hope to find guidance for their own journeys by seeking answers in Frost's work. According to Michael Meyer, "The speaker's reflections about his choice are as central to an understanding of the poem as the choice itself." (97) Frost himself admits, "it's a tricky poem, very tricky." (Pack 10)
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.
The two roads in the poem relate to various paths one might be faced with in life. One path “bent in the undergrowth” (5) which means it had taken many times. However, the other path “was grassy and wanted wear” (8). This is the path in one’s life, which seems “unpopular” at the time. Not many people choose the path that is not typically chosen by others. This is what Frost is doing in his poem as he uses these solid metaphors: challenging his readers to “go against the flow” as the man did.
Above all, 'The Road Not Taken'; can truly be interpreted through much symbolism as a clear-sighted representation of two fair choices. The two roads in the poem, although, 'diverging,'; lead in different directions. At the beginning they appear to be somewhat similar, but is apparent that miles away they will grow farther and farther away from each other. Similar to many choices faced in life. It is impossible to foresee the consequences of most major decisions we make and it is often necessary to make these decisions based on a little more than examining which choice 'wanted wear.'; In
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.
The speaker, throughout Robert Frost?s ?The Road Not Taken,? is a way of identifying with the reader through basic human feelings and struggles. Everyone faces hard decisions and feels the struggle within to choose the right path on which to base his or her life. It is how we choose and how we deal with what is down the road that makes us who we are.