Whether there is value or purpose inherent in our lives, other than that which we ascribe to, has remained a matter of speculation. And if one was to consider the idea of the immortality of the human soul, the possibility of the afterlife and the certitude of our physical death, life becomes an affair of profound perplexity; and at times, one of little value and significance. It is our conscious or unconscious take on these questions that shape our attitude on life and, consequently, how we go about living it.
These questions have plagued humanity for a long time and have made the subject of many a poem. This essay will be based on two poems; the The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and May Olivers When Death Comes. I will show that implicit in these two poems is the celebration of the sublimity of the present moment and the intrinsic value of the novel experience. Indeed, I will show that, according to the two poems, life is nothing but an accumulation of experiences.
Discussion
Mary Olivers When Death Comes at first seems like a poem about death. This take is implied from the first three stanzas which, in quite morbid a manner, allude to the suddenness and inevitability of death. The use of when as the first word in the first line may seem simple enough. The word though conveys certainty, an unquestionable surety of something to come. The use of similes such as like a hungry bear in autumn and like the measle-pox serves to show us the unannounced nature and unwanted presence of death in our midst (Oliver).
When one reads on and when closer attention is paid to the significance of every word however, one realizes that the poem is indeed a celebration of life. From the fifth stanza onwards, the persona expounds how she, faced with the certainty of death, sees fit to lead his/her life.
The persona says that s/he will celebrate the uniqueness of every life and appreciate the harmony of our immortal nature: and I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as singular (Oliver). Thus, Oliver gives life an almost surreal quality. She advocates for a holistic lifestyle, one in which we appreciate all living beings, where we connect with every other human, marveling at whatever one beholds, where nothing is taken for granted:
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something precious to the earth.
When its over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms (Oliver).
The last line of the poem, I dont want to end up simply having visited this world, foregrounds the significance of experiencing our world (Oliver). If we dont take it all in while we still had the time, we would have been mere visitors to the world. The supremacy of the now has been brought out quiet forcefully in the poem. When death is certain and sudden, and eternity is just another possibility, the only reality we know is now (Oliver).
The Road Not Taken on the other hand is a poem about decisions. The persona of the poem is faced by a moment where a decision has to be made. Frost has used the analogy of a forked road. The persona, after a lengthy consideration, takes the one less travelled; the one which was grassy and wanted wear (Frost). In doing so, he hopes to travel the other road some other time: Oh, I marked the first for another day! / Yet knowing how way leads on to way/ I doubted if I should ever come back (Frost).
In this decision, to take the road that fewer people had trodden, while he knew that he probably will never come to travel the second, lies the meaning of the poem. Frost impresses upon us to be explorative, to not be afraid to find things out about which no one else seems to have bothered. Not taking the popular road made all the difference in the personas life. The persona looks into the future and predicts that he will look back upon his life and be appreciative of that one moment that he dared to explore:
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference (Frost).
Implicit in the meaning of this poem is the value attached to new experiences. Such an attitude, where great significance is attributed to the present moment, is informed by a lack of certainty about the future and apparent distrust in the notion of immortality; a concern to be found in Olivers When Death Comes.
Conclusion
At first glance, the two poems seem to clearly expound divergent subjects. When deeper analysis is carried out though, it is revealed that they actually share thematic concerns and are informed by similar attitudes.
In his ambiguous poem The Road Not Taken , Robert Frost speaks about life choices and how critical decisions shape ones life in the long run, or, perhaps, forever. The poem has a rigid rhyme scheme of ABAAB with four stanzas each with five lines. The title captures the attention of the reader by arousing curiosity to find out about this road that is not taken, and ultimately, the poem addresses this issue by talking about the road and its implications in life. The speaker arrives at a junction on a road and he has to decide which route to take. However, the narrator does not know what lies ahead, thus any choice can be good or bad. The poet takes the reader through a journey of emotional turmoil trying to make the right decision because the path chosen defines the future and lifes destination. As such, if the wrong choice is made, the decision-maker has to live with the consequences therein. This understanding calls for careful consideration when making important decisions in life because once a choice has been made, there is no going back. Frost uses symbolism and metaphor to warn people about the importance of making the right choices in life.
The opening stanza introduces the reader to the inevitability of change and decision-making in life. The speaker in the poem is traveling down a road and comes to a junction with two roads diverging in a yellow wood (Line 1) and he stands there contemplating which road to take. The first line ends with a metaphor a yellow wood , which hints that the setting of the poem is in the forest, most probably during the fall, a season of change or transition the inevitability of life. The two diverging roads symbolize choices in life and Frost quickly adds that unfortunately, he could not travel both (Line 2), which is an expression of curiosity about life choices and, at the same time, regret that the speaker is limited in his decisions and the inability to know what lies ahead. Therefore, he stands at the junction and looks down one as far as I could (Line 3), which symbolizes the difficulty of preferring one decision over the other. This line also carries some level of procrastination because the speaker wants to see what lies ahead of each path before making a choice. Unfortunately, the roads bent in the underground (Line 4), an indication that there are no guarantees in life. The last line is a metaphor for human beings inability to foretell the future with certainty; hence, no matter which road is taken, there will be challenges.
The second stanza ushers the reader into the realm of decision-making in life. The narrator takes the other road, but it is just as fair (Line 6). This assertion underscores the need to consider ones choices and realize that once a decision is made, there is no turning back. In Line 7, the speaker uses the word perhaps as a continuation of the theme of the uncertainty of life. The reader makes an informed guess that the speaker has taken the road less traveled because it is grassy and wanted wear (Line 8). This path symbolizes the hard decisions that people have to make in life. However, the metaphor of a less traveled road indicates that most people are unwilling to break away from the norms and the status quo. Nevertheless, the speaker is yet to decide because both roads are worn&about the same (Line 10). Procrastination is a common human character trait and the speaker in this poem is not spared from it, hence the indecision at the end of the second stanza.
In the opening of stanza three, the speaker recalls that both roads equally lay untraveled, and thus he took one path and saved the first for another day (Line 12). The narrator hopes to come back in the future and travel the other road perhaps to explore what lies ahead. However, he immediately realizes the futility of his thinking and regrets, Yet knowing how way leads on to way/ I doubted if I should ever come back (Lines 14-15). This realization symbolizes real-life occurrences. When a person makes a decision and settles on a certain path in life, it leads to another decision and on to another path, thus there is no coming back. The stanza also has subtle regret of the inability to travel both roads at the same time. In other words, in life, people have to choose one option over the other and stick to their choices no matter how the future turns out. It is a call to be prepared to live with the consequences of ones decisions and take responsibility because what has been done cannot be undone. Such is life, the speaker is well aware of it, and as he closes the third stanza, he casts doubt on the possibility of ever revisiting his choices.
The last stanza throws the reader into confusion with an open-to-interpretation statement. Frost says, I shall be telling this with a sigh (Line 16). The use of the word sigh at this point is equally confusing and thought-provoking. It could be chosen to show the speakers failure to make the right choices regret, disappointment, frustration, or contentment. Nostalgically, he posits, Somewhere ages and ages hence (Line 17). The alliteration used in this line emphasizes the long-term effects of decisions that people make in life perhaps they endure for a lifetime. The speaker finally confirms that he took the one less traveled by (Line 19) and it made all the difference (Line 20). The metaphor of the road less traveled is used to encourage people to make unpopular decisions if they are convinced that they are the right ones. Every invention or discovery in life has resulted from people making unconventional decisions and choosing to travel the less trodden road.
In the poem The Road Not Taken , Frost takes the reader on a journey to unravel the complexities of life and the uncertainties of the future. Nevertheless, people have to make decisions, which ultimately shape their lives irredeemably. In the end, Frost makes his choice and decides to take the road less traveled and he realizes that he made the right decision. The poem uses metaphors and symbolism to resent the inability of human beings to predict the future with certainty. As such, individuals have to make decisions and be prepared to live with consequences thereafter. However, the inability to foretell the future should not paralyze people to live indecisively. As Frost finally finds out, the road less traveled can change everything and without trivializing the difficulties and emotional anguish involved in making such decisions, he encourages readers to gather ones courage and make the right life decisions based on convictions and careful consideration.
The late Robert Frost was born in 1874. He is a highly regarded American poet who wrote numerous poems before his death. He managed to win four Pulitzer prizes for poetry in his lifetime; a testimony to the outstanding nature of his work. Faced with personal tragedies as a result of the death of his father, mother and later sister, Robert had a fairly difficult life. He spent his life in both the United Kingdom and the United States; a factor that came with choices. Like most if not all of us, Frost had to make choices throughout his life and it is not by chance that he wrote the poem; the Road Not Taken. He died in 1963 at the ripe age of 88 years at his Florida home (Muir 41). Much of his life was spent in urban areas but his poetry shows unique understanding of rural life (Nelson 84).
The Theme of the Poem
A Brief Dissection of the Poem: The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is about an individual who comes across two roads that lead into the woods and then diverge. This is the individual we can identify as the poetic persona or the person who is doing the speaking in the poem. In literal terms, one can assume that these are actual routes. But the paths are a symbol for the twin options that we face in life and we have to choose one since we cannot have both at the same time. The paths under consideration by Frost are not the same. One has been used before and it is relatively more worn than the other. But the difference in the wear is not that big as we are told in line four and five of the second stanza; Though as for that the passing there, Had worn them really about the same .
The persona or the person confronted with the choice goes ahead to pick the less used one; I took the one less traveled by&.line 4, stanza 4 . He wants to use the one that is yet to be exploited. He tells us in the 2nd stanza, 3rd line that it was grassy and wanted wear . In the last stanza, it is clear that he knows what the choice means. It will have a big impact in his life; &.And that has made all the difference , stanza 4 line 5.The sigh mentioned at the end of the poem can run both ways. It can be a sign of regret for having made the wrong choice or a sigh of relief for having achieved the better from the path taken or the choice made. This sigh has been a source of scholarly friction for some time with some suggesting that it shows regret (Larry 479).
The Theme of the Poem: Choices in Life
The Road Not Taken can be interpreted in a number of ways. But the most explicit theme that is effectively communicated by Frosts symbol of the Road is that in life we are bound to make choices from time to time. The roads as it appears in the 1st and last stanza can also be classified as a metaphor. The veiled or hidden meaning of these roads is lifes choices. Just like in real life, human beings are not able to make two choices at a time. If one choice is made, all the others are left out. The persona or the speaker in the poem also make it clear in the 1st stanza that he or she does not have the ability to travel both roads, &&And sorry I could not travel both 1st stanza, line 2. The meaning of this is that it is not possible for the persona to have both choices.
So what choice does the persona take?
In the 1st stanza, the persona tells how he or she takes time to examine the two roads, And looked down one as I would , line 4. He also looks down the other one and realizes that it is a bit grassy , stanza 2 line 3, and according to him, this is a reason for declaring that it has a better claim. This discloses a character trait of the persona or the speaker in this poem. The persona is non-conforming. He or she does not like doing what everyone else has done. This is the reason as to why he or she goes for the road that is grassy. It is grassy because very few people have walked through it compared to the first choice.Metaphorically; the message is that the persona is out to make a choice in life that is not a favorite in society. Very few people have made that same choice; but this is not an issue to him or her. He or she knows that the choice is significant and it will make a difference in life, And that has made all the difference , stanza 4 line 5. It is important to note that the persona expects to be telling the world about the choice and the difference it will have made at that time. This is shown in the first two lines of the last stanza. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence
Stylistic Devices Used in the Poem
Like most of Frosts poems, The Road Not Taken is rich in style. Below are some of the stylistic devices that have been used by Frost in this poem.
First Person narrator
In this poem, the persona speaks to us about what is going on. The choices he confronts and what he looks forward to doing sometime in the future as a result of the choice made. The evidence for this first person narration is all over in the poem. In line 2 stanza 1 I could , line 3, stanza 3, I marked , line 5 stanza 3, I doubted and line 1 stanza 4, I shall . The first person narration creates a moment of intimacy in communication as we can picture the persona explaining to us in detail what he or she is doing, did or intends to do.
Imagery
Frost presents a detailed description of the roads. One was a bit worn while the other was grassy and wanted wear 2nd stanza 3rd line. We are left with a clear imagery of two paths that begin off from the same point and take different directions with different characteristics.
Metaphor: This is the usage of real life objects or items with the aim of communicating a hidden meaning. The road Not Taken is metaphorically used to refer to the choice that was left out. We are always confronted with options in life and we have to make choices. As we go for some, we leave out others. The left out ones are represented by the roads that are not taken .
Symbolism: This is the usage of an object to refer to some other aspect of life.
In another dimension, the roads are symbols for the choices that we face in life from time to time.
Rhyme (Perfect rhyme)
This is perhaps the most pronounced style in this poem. The Road Not Taken exhibits perfect rhyme. The format of the rhyme is regular. It is as follows: a b a a b.
1st stanza:
wood&&. a,
both&&&.b,
Stood&&&a,
Could& a,
Undergrowth&&.b.
2nd stanza:
fair,&&&&&.a,
claim,&&&&&.b,
wear,&&&&&.a,
there,&&&&&.a,
same,&&&&&.b.
Rhyme scheme is a b a a b.
This rhyme scheme is reflected in the whole poem. It makes the poem have a musical touch, makes it more readable as well as understandable (Harpham & Abrams 316-317).
Repetition
The line Two roads diverged in yellow wood has been repeated. It appears in the first stanza as well as the last stanza. It stresses the significance of choices in life. In the 1st stanza, it is the first line while in the last stanza, it is the 3rd line.
Conclusion
The road not taken by Robert Frost is a well crafted poem. Its main theme is that in life we are always confronted with choices and we have to make them. The poem has a number of stylistic devices that make effective in the communication of the main message. The styles used include imagery, repetition, metaphor, symbolism and first person narration.
Works cited
Harpham, Geoffrey & Abrams Mike. A Glossary of Literary Terms.Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.Print.
Larry, L. Finger. Frosts The Road Not Taken : A 1925 Letter Come to Light.American Literature, Vol. 50, No. 3. 478-479.Durham: Duke University Press, 1978. Print.
Muir, Helen. Frost in Florida.Mitcham: Valiant Press, 1995. Print.
Nelson, Cary.Anthology of Modern American Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is more than just a well-penned verse; it’s a universal symbol for the choices that shape our lives. This poignant poem eloquently illustrates the quandary of a traveler at a fork in the road, each path representing a different direction in life. Though the traveler must choose one way, the lingering wonder of the other possibility remains a haunting reflection of human nature. This allegory of life’s crossroads has become one of American literature’s most famous and frequently anthologized poems.
In this essay, we will explore the multifaceted layers of symbolism, theme, and impact within “The Road Not Taken.” We will delve into how Frost’s mastery of language and metaphor invites us to consider our own paths and how our choices can define our journey through life.
The Dual Path: Symbolism and Interpretation
The diverging roads in the poem symbolize the critical choices we face in life. Frost’s vivid imagery presents two pathways, neither more nor less worn, that encapsulate the often indistinguishable options we encounter. Analyzing these roads reveals not just a literal choice of path but a more profound dilemma that resonates with anyone who has stood at life’s crossroads.
The traveler’s choice between the two paths illustrates the human tendency to wonder about the road not taken, emphasizing the gravity of our decisions. It’s not merely about choosing one path over the other; it’s about the realization that every choice carries weight and shapes our future.
The interplay between the two paths also reflects a deeper philosophical quandary about determinism and free will. While the traveler can choose between the paths, there is an underlying sense that the choice is fraught with uncertainty and ambiguity. Frost’s depiction of the roads as being “just as fair” and “worn… really about the same” adds to the complexity of the decision, underscoring the fact that choices in life are rarely clear-cut.
This lack of clear differentiation between the paths mirrors the real-life experience of making decisions without complete information, where the consequences of each choice remain hidden and unknowable until the path is taken.
Theme: Choices and Consequences
The heart of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” lies in the universal human experience of making choices and facing their consequences. The poem’s traveler, confronted with two diverging paths, must make a decision that is symbolic of all the decisions we make in our lives. It is an experience common to all, reflecting the anxiety and excitement of the unknown.
Frost’s portrayal of the traveler’s decision is not a simple one. He acknowledges the difficulty of choice without clear indications of right or wrong. Both paths are “just as fair,” yet the choice must be made, and once made, it cannot be undone. The weight of this decision echoes the significance that even seemingly small choices can carry in our lives.
The concluding lines, where the speaker reflects on how the choice “has made all the difference,” encapsulate the poem’s message about the profound impact of our decisions. Frost’s timeless insight into human nature and decision-making is a profound reminder that every choice, no matter how trivial it may seem, can set the course of our lives.
A Psychological Exploration
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is not merely a narrative about physical paths and choices; it’s a profound psychological exploration of human decision-making. The poem’s beauty and depth lie in its ability to evoke a complex emotional landscape, transcending the literal to touch our lives’ psychological and existential aspects.
The Psychology of Choice
The poem’s traveler, standing at the fork in the road, embodies the internal struggle faced by every individual when confronted with significant choices. The hesitation, the pondering, and the final decision reflect the internal deliberation that accompanies every significant life decision. Frost captures the universal anxiety of choosing, the fear of regret, and the haunting “what-ifs” that often follow our choices.
The Existential Dimension
Beyond psychology, “The Road Not Taken” delves into existential questions about freedom, responsibility, and the human condition. The choice between two paths is a metaphor for existential freedom, emphasizing that we are the authors of our destiny. Yet, this freedom comes with the weight of responsibility. The traveler’s reflection that the choice “has made all the difference” underscores the burden of our decisions, echoing existentialist thoughts about the inescapable consequences of our choices.
A Therapeutic Reading
Therapists and counselors have often utilized this poem to explore choices in therapeutic contexts. It can be seen as a tool for self-reflection, a mirror reflecting our anxieties, aspirations, and the intricate web of decisions that weave the tapestry of our lives. It offers a poetic space to explore the past, contemplate the present, and envision future possibilities.
A Personal Journey
Finally, the poem invites each reader on a personal journey. The fork in the road, as described by Frost, is unique to each person’s life, representing the individual’s unique circumstances, dilemmas, and decisions. In reading “The Road Not Taken,” one embarks on an introspective journey, reflecting on personal paths taken or not taken, acknowledging regrets, celebrating courage, and finding a resonance with the human condition.
Impact and Legacy
Since its publication in 1916, Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” has transcended the boundaries of mere poetry, becoming a cultural icon and a resonant symbol for individual choice and the path less traveled. Its influence is manifold, touching various spheres of life, from education to personal development.
The poem’s enduring impact lies in its universal appeal. By presenting the profound human experience of choosing one path over another, Frost speaks to a feeling that resonates with people from all walks of life. Whether young or old, rich or poor, every person has faced a metaphorical fork in the road, and the poem serves as both reflection and guidance on this universal journey.
Its celebration of the road less traveled has permeated our cultural lexicon, making it a frequent reference in motivational speeches, commencement addresses, and personal philosophies. Its verses have been quoted by politicians and celebrities alike, underlining its continued relevance in contemporary discourse.
Furthermore, the poem has had an indelible impact on the field of literature, remaining a vital part of the American literary canon. It has spurred academic debates, inspired countless works of fiction and art, and found its place in classrooms worldwide.
The appeal of “The Road Not Taken” is not merely in its beautiful construction but in its timeless wisdom. The poem encourages readers to forge paths, take risks, and embrace the unknown. It is a rallying cry for individuality and personal courage.
Perhaps most importantly, Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” serves as a moral compass, a gentle reminder that our decisions shape our destinies. The choice of the road less traveled, imbued with both risk and reward, continues to inspire contemplation and courage.
Conclusion
“The Road Not Taken” is more than just a reflection on choice; it is a poetic exploration of human nature, decision-making, and the paths that shape our lives. Through masterful symbolism and poignant theme, Robert Frost crafts a narrative that resonates with readers of all ages and backgrounds.
This essay has shed light on the multifaceted layers of “The Road Not Taken,” revealing its timeless relevance and profound impact. The poem’s universal message continues to inspire and challenge us, inviting us to reflect on our choices, embrace the unknown, and acknowledge the power of the road less traveled.
In the end, Frost’s words serve as a gentle reminder that life is filled with forked paths and untraveled trails, and the roads we choose to take define our journey. It remains a powerful testament to the human experience, enduring as one of the most beloved poems of the modern era.
Robert Frost was an avid poet who lived in America between during the twentieth century. His poem “The Road Not Taken” is still one of his best works. Frost’s exceptional depictions of America’s rural life along with his mastery of colloquial speech, makes him one of the best poets of the twentieth century (Dickinson et al. 16).
In most of his works, the rural New England’s setting is used as a tool for examining philosophical and sociological themes. His work made him an American literature heavy weight managing to win him several Pulitzer prizes in the process. Frost’s stature in Poetry can only be compared to that of other notable figures like Eliot and Stevens.
Summary
In this poem, the speaker has come upon a diversion in a path in the woods. In the woods, the leaves’ color is already turning. It is in this fork that the speaker contemplates on which road to follow. The main problem is that the speaker cannot follow both paths. After examining one of the paths as far as he/she can see, he/she decides to take the other.
In the speaker’s mind, the path he /she takes is less worn out. However, the truth is that both paths are almost the same. Near the end, the speaker reflects on how he plans to try the road he/ she did not take. Nevertheless, the chances of doing this according to the speaker are very minimal.
In “The Road Not Taken”, the poet uses a reflective tone to address the significance of the choices one makes in life. In this poem, Symbolism is the tool used to bring about this reflection. The “road” referred to by the speaker is the most prominent symbol in the poem. In this case, the road refers to a path in life.
The poem addresses universal themes that are easy to relate to. In turn, this increases the poem’s audience. The poet also employs devices such as rhythms and rhymes. These make the poem easy to read and synthesize. In the end, the speaker uses a nostalgic tone when pondering on what lay on the path he/she did not take.
Analysis
This poem has four stanzas. Each of the four stanzas has five lines. These five lines have a rhyme scheme of ABAAB. The poem is in the form of a narrative. Each of the lines in the poem has nine syllables. “The Road Not Taken” is one of the most popular poems by Robert Frost. Sometimes the title of this poem is mistaken for “The Road Less Travelled”. Over the years, the poem has been studied in high schools around the country.
Most analyzers classify “The Road Not Taken” as a nostalgic interpretation of personal choices. The narrator decided to use the path that is “less travelled” instead of the more popular one. The narrator also acknowledges that his/her life would have been fundamentally different if his/her choice was different. In the narrator’s view, the road not taken was more popular than the one he/she took.
Most readers find this poem easy to relate to as it is easy for them to empathize with the narrator. This is because almost everyone has been in a situation where he/she had to choose between two options. Like the narrator, in most cases one cannot see beyond the “bend in the undergrowth”. Without this knowledge of where the path would lead, the only consolation is to have faith that one made the right choice.
The narrator’s decision to follow the less popular path shows bravery. Most readers would like to possess such bravery when making life-choices. For instance, most people are in the habit of going with the more popular decisions when put in the narrator’s position. The narrator chooses to take a less safe path in the hope that those who come after him/her can emulate this.
A closer analysis of the poem reveals that the narrator’s hypothesis is somehow inaccurate. The narrator is talking about these two possible paths years after making his/her choice. For instance, when the narrator reaches the diversion point, both paths are described as being “equally fair”.
It seems that even the narrator cannot conclusively declare that one path is better than the other is. The narrator uses the term “perhaps” in justifying this choice. When the narrator is justifying his/her choice, old age has already come. Therefore, in the narrator’s admission it is impossible to find out which of these two choices is the better one.
In the first three stanzas, there is no sense of remorse in the narrator’s voice. The narrator is very confident with his/her decision (Shan 116). In addition, the narrator does not admit to the importance of this decision in his/her life. It is only later that the narrator tries to organize the events of his/her life in a manner that makes sense to both the narrator and the audience.
The need to justify this choice is perhaps a way of addressing questions pertaining to the outcome of the narrator’s life. In the end, the narrator sticks to the belief that the path taken was the less popular one. This is in a bid to let the audience know that making this choice was inevitable.
The narrator’s alludes to the fact that he/she had to make his/her choice in the morning. In the third stanza, the narrator acknowledges that he/she was at the path in the morning, and not many people had used the path at the time. This means two things, the first is that this choice was being made early in life, and the second is that there were no many examples to be followed.
These two claims successfully alert the reader about the complexity of the narrator’s situation. Most people can also relate to this by remembering the decisions they made when they were younger. This makes it easier to sympathize with the narrator. The fact that the narrator lacked a choice he/she could emulate makes the situation even more complex. This is because in such scenarios most people use other people’s experiences when making their minds.
Life is full of choices. Even the seemingly inconsequential choices can impact one’s life in a big way. This statement surrounds the poem’s main theme and message. The title of the poem is “The Road Not Taken.” Still, the poem explores the other option or the road that was taken.
Using rhymes and rhythm, the poet conveys his message skillfully. The basic argument is that even though one may be faced with difficult choices in life, one eventually has to pick a path and stick to it. The only thing one can do is to believe that the path he/she took was the right path.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Emily, et al. Four Major American Poets. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education, 2010. Print.
Shan, Liu. “A Poem of Exotic Tragic Beauty- Appreciation of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.” Science & Technology Information 19.1 (2007): 116-117. Print.
Robert Frost is a prominent poet of his time. Creating the masterpieces of literature, this person could not even imagine that his creativity is going to be so touching and impressive. There are a lot of different interpretations of Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” that it is easy to appear in the situation that one cannot understand what the poems are about.
At the same time, having read several interpretations, it is possible to consider the ideas which are more relevant to the theme the author wanted to deliver. Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is the presentation of human consideration of life paths from different perspectives depending on the age of a person.
Therefore, Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is the interpretation of the author’s vision of a youth, middle age and an older age of a person who makes decisions, stating that youth and older age are the most emotional periods while during the middle age people are the most reasonable in their choices.
Author’s Consideration of a Poem
Many critics tried to connect Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” with his personal life, searching for the most incredible issues there, however, according to Frost, who tried to explain the poem himself, it was rather complicated from what it was seen from the first sight. Frost tries to make sure that his poem is correctly understood and writes many letters to critics and even publishes a poem.
In a letter to Miss Yates in April, 1925, Frost says that the final words are rather puzzling for the reader as trying to tease the audience the writer creates an impression that the author is sorry for the life he has lived, however, this is not really so (in Finger 478). Moreover, to make sure that all the readers who are interested in Frost’s poetry get the correct vision of this piece of writing, he writes the explanation in prose “The Constant Symbol” and publishes it in the Atlantic Monthly.
Two paragraphs of the explanation are read as “a metaphorical gloss of the poem” (Eisiminger 114). The author wants to assure the public that he does not regret about the life he has lead. The poem is absolutely about other things. The author presents the example of the President in the White House, a person who has achieved much and does not want to live another life, however, he is interested about what would be if the circumstances were different. This is exactly about Frost’s life and prose (Eisiminger 115).
Poem’s Content and Principal Theme
Therefore, the main theme of the poem is not the regret about life but different perspective of life which may be followed in different age periods. Being young and inexperienced, people are usually more emotional and the ways they choose are considered absolutely different, and they believe that they are offered a plenty of choices (George 230). Frost writes
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there (Frost 10).
It seems that the author has chosen the path which required more attempt to go through it. It seems that the author has chosen they way which was more complicated. However, the nest passage sates that “both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black” (Frost 10) meaning that looking at the situation from the middle-age perspective, a person sees the situation more objectively (Bassett 43).
Finally, the last lines inform the reader that “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — / I took the one less traveled by” (Frost 10) meaning that with age a person again becomes emotional and cannot consider the situation objectively (George 231). Therefore, it ay be concluded that he main idea of the poem is to show how a person’s vision of the life evolves with age, when time passes.
Poem’s Form and Structure
The poem consists of four stanzas five lines each. The first three stanzas of the poem provide the reader with the comparative analysis of the younger personal identity with the middle age ones. The last stanza is a vision of the situation which happened with a young person from the perspective of an older personality.
Therefore, the whole poem is the vision of one person at the situation being in different age groups. The main purpose of this logical structure is to show the aging of a person and the changes which occur in the perception of life. The whole poem has nothing to do with regret and the form and structure of telling supports this idea.
Personal Response to the Poem
As for me, a poem is a great example of how people should behave and how people are to see their lives. First, when having appeared in the situation people are to choose the way which seems less investigated, people should choose the way which is not chosen by others or others do not choose it due to its difficulty.
This slight difference is not seen in the middle age as people in this age lack emotional aspects and they become more practical. I see how people of the middle age make decisions, they refer to facts and practical appropriateness of the decisions, while younger people also pay attention to intuition and other emotional aspects.
The final stanza is the most important, as for me. It presents the vision of the life from the perspective of lived years. Only in this age people can look at their life and try to imagine what would be if they chose another way, another pass. And looking at their lives, those who achieved something, those who in youth chose more difficult path (as they believed), they saw the difference, they understood that in case of another choice they would not be proud of their destinations. Therefore, I am sure that the poem may be considered as the example of the human growth both in age and in mental perception of the world.
Conclusion
Thus, Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” is a great example of human development, the example how people who have achieved much view at their lives from the perspective of time. Moreover, the poem is a little tricky that confuses the reader making him/her think harder.
It is not the statement of the regret about the past. Vise versa, the poem is the vision of wise people of the possibilities of their lives and the analysis whether those possibilities were used or not. Reading this poem one should think about his/her personal life trying to understand at which position he/she appears now and where there is a possibility to change something, if necessary.
Works Cited
Bassett, Patrick F. “Frost’s THE ROAD NOT TAKEN.” Explicator 39.3 (1981): 41-44. Print.
Eisiminger, Sterling. “Robert Frost’s essay ‘The constant symbol’ and its relationship to ‘The Road Not Taken’.” American Notes & Queries 19.7/8 (1981): 114-116. Print.
Finger, Larry L. “Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”: A 1925 Letter Come to Light.” American Literature 50.3 (1978): 478-480. Print.
Frost, Robert. The Road Not Taken, Birches, and Other Poems. New York: Coyote Canyon Press, 2010. Print.
George, William. “Frost’s The Road Not Taken.” Explicator 49.4 (1991): 230-233. Print.
1. Robert Frost is the prominent poet of American literature. His lyrical poems are saturated with philosophic vision of a human life. The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost expresses the uncertainty and finality of choice. The poem is rich with symbolism, which is open for interpretation of the reader. The aim of this essay is to evaluate this poem through poetic analysis, and reveal its message.
2. Kennedy and Dana (2010) discussed the symbolism of this poem in their book. The following analysis is based on Frost’s poem, presented in their book. Evaluation of any poem seems to be impossible without the analysis of its sound devices and figures of speech. The analysis helps to understand the message of the poem and realize the author’s vision of the world. The poem “The Road Not Taken” gives an opportunity to deepen into the main theme: the uncertain human nature and problem of choice.
2.1. One may note that the poem’s rhythm and structure provide clues to the overall meaning. First of all, it is necessary to understand the rhyme of the poem. Each of four stanzas of “The Road Not Taken” consists of five lines (the scheme is ABAAB). Lines have four syllables (iambic tetrameter). The rhyme is strict; however, the last line is an exception: “And that has made all the difference” (Frost, 20). In the word “difference”, the stress is on “-ence”.
The poem’s rhyme emphasizes on the words that create the message; thus, one should pay attention to the following sound devices. For example, in the first stanza, assonance (“wood”, “stood”, “looked”, “could”; “both”, “roads”) gives an opportunity to catch the following information, concentrated in these words: a person stood in the wood, looked on the both roads, and considers which road to chose, realizing that it is a quite difficult task (Frost, 1, 2, 3, 4).
In the same time, the first line “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” deepens a reader into the poem’s setting (Frost, 1). The whole poem is not a situation but person’s reflection of the setting: there are two roads, and only one of them can be chosen, and it does not matter whether it will be right or not. The euphony facilitates the process of absorbing into the poem, and allows to experience with the narrator the problem of choice.
The figures of speech contribute to the imagery of the poem. For example, the epithets “just”, “fair”, “grassy”, describe the road, chosen by the narrator (Frost, 6, 8). Such symbolic metaphor like “roads” (Frost, 1, 18) suggests an idea of human lifelines or the ways which one chooses in life to follow. Also, the symbolic epithet “less traveled” means that the road is full of challenges (Frost, 19). All the people encounter this dilemma.
2.2. The title of the poem focuses the reader’s attention on the road that is not taken by a person. Without gain, there is no loss. The narrator wants to show that life does not have a right path: there is only other path and chosen one. It is evident, that the poem has a philosophical view on a human choice in life.
Symbolism of the poem, expressed by the road-metaphor and other elements, contributes to Frost’s perception of the world: a human being may choose only one road to follow; for this reason, decision can be a difficult process, because everyone realizes that one day, one may regret of the choice made. The roads “equally lay” mean people are free to make a choice (Frost, 11).
Also, there is an irony that can be seen in the following lines: “I shall be telling this with a sigh/ Somewhere ages and ages hence” (Frost, 16, 17). The narrator anticipates the wrongness of the decision in his future, and realizes that betrayal of the moment of decision is inevitable. Once, he will sigh with remorse, and recollect these roads in the wood; nevertheless, sometimes, people can not change the way chosen.
The identity of the narrator is more or less predictable. In the poem, Frost shows his uncertainty in the fork of life. He believes that one should choose one of the roads, but nobody knows for sure whether this choice will be right or not. A reader sees himself in the poem: everyone can be uncertain in making a choice.
For this reason, the mood of the poem is quite sad that can be seen in the following lines: “And sorry I could not travel both”, “Oh, I kept the first for another day!”, “I shall be telling this with a sigh”, “And that has made all the difference”, etc. (Frost, 2, 13, 16, 20). Such words like “sorry”, “sigh”, “difference”, “another day” contribute to the mood of the poem.
3. The significance of the poem lies in its subject matter and theme: human uncertainty in the choice. Frost shows a reader only one of view on this problem; most people can not but agree with the main point. Human experience suggests that there are wrong ways in life, but the poem’s author stresses that one is free which way to follow.
The wrongness of the chosen road will be obvious only in the future; and this he transmits through sad irony. Figures of speech and overall melodic harmony of the poem makes it a unique diamond in American literature. Moreover, it is a thought provoking, psychological and philosophical poem that raises one of the most essential human problems: problem of choice in life.
4. The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost remains a valuable heritage of the world literature. Reading this poem, one may realize the problematic and uncertain character of human choice in the fork of life. The author looks at this problem through philosophical and psychological point of view that makes the poem symbolic and significant.
Works Cited
Kennedy, Joe, and Dana Gioia . Literature: an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 6th ed. Harlow, UK: Longman, 2010. Print.
Form and figurative language form the backbone of poetry. Form refers to the physical structure of a poem while figurative language entails the use of various stylistic devices in a poem to express a certain meaning. Such styles include similes, metaphors, personification, symbolism, irony, among others. On the form, poems are structured into lines and stanzas.
Based on this, poems can be categorized as free verse or sonnets. This essay will focus on the analysis of form and symbolism in three selected poems. The poems are Ozymandias by P.B. Shelley, The Sick Rose by William Blake and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. Most importantly, the essay will draw a comparison of the use of symbolism in these three poems.
Use of Symbolism
The three poems rely heavily on the use of symbolism to put their messages across. In Ozymandias the poet analyses the issue of mortality through several powerful symbols. An “antique land” (Shelley, line 1) is the first symbol in this poem. It is central to the understanding of this poem since it is a pointer to its subject matter. An antique land is an area full of historical relics and artifacts.
It is, therefore, a symbol of long periods, long enough to create history. It creates the feeling that the reader is going to be treated to relics of the past – and that is exactly what happens. There is also the symbol of the broken statue rotting away in the desert. It is a great work of art, meant to last for an eternity but somehow, it has succumbed to the ravages of nature and is now hopelessly broken down.
The dilapidation of the mighty statue is symbolized by the “trunkless legs of stone” (Shelley, line 2) implying that the rest of the body has been wasted away. Also, there is a reference to a “shattered visage” (Shelley, line 3), which denotes a run-down head of the statue. Through the use of these symbols, Shelley intends to communicate to the audience the extent of the destruction of the statue.
The poem also seems to be asserting the fact that this is indeed a historical relic. The statue symbolizes a once great king, who, in his honor, constructs a statue of himself. The king may have intended to leave a lasting legacy behind. But after many years, the strong legacy is being eroded by either force of nature or men who are miffed by his misdeeds.
The expressions depicted on the shattered visage symbolize the passions and feelings that Ozymandias had when alive. The sculptor did his best to immortalize those feelings on stone, as it is illustrated thus: “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read” (Shelley, line 6). The visage has a “frown,” wrinkled lip” and a “sneer of cold command” (Shelley, line 4-5).
This suggests that King Ozymandias was far from being friendly. It depicts an authoritative personality, who does not brook discontent or alternative opinion. This may also symbolize the dictatorial tendencies harbored by the king during his heydays. The poet has employed symbolism to succinctly illustrate these feelings, and possibly show that Ozymandias’ reign may not have been popular.
This may drive readers to the conclusion that the great destruction of his statue could have been orchestrated by disenchanted subjects who are out to erase that part of their history from their lives. Unfortunately, the feelings survive because they have been “stamped” or cast in stone.
Through symbolism, the poet can juxtapose life and death. Reference to life is denoted by the speaker, who receives the tale of Ozymandias from a traveler from an antique land. Right after the representation of life, there is death. The broken down statue represents a mighty ruler who is no longer alive: “stamp’d on these lifeless things” (Shelley, line 7).
Death is also implied in the last line of the poem: “The lone and level sands stretch far away” (Shelley, line 14). There are no other forms of life around the statue. Symbolism is also rife in the poem The Sick Rose by William Blake. The rose is itself symbolic. Naturally, the rose is known for its alluring beauty and sweet scent, and also for its nasty nettle.
In this poem, however, the rose is sick: “O rose thou art sick” (Blake, stanza 1.1). It may symbolize the society, an individual or an item that is on the verge of destruction even though it seems to be doing fine. A society may experience success in various fields, particularly socially and economically, but its moral fiber could be decaying.
As such, this society would be considered “sick.” Blake seems to be driving a warning home: that we should not always judge things by their face value. This is a short poem, and the poet manages to convey a lot of meaning through the use of the symbol of a rose.
The cause of the sickness of the rose is also symbolic. It is an “invisible worm” (Blake, stanza 1.2) that flies in the night. The worm sneaks into the rose undetected and is only felt when the rose begins to wither and die. This connotes a destructive element that quietly makes its way into the being of a society or an individual and embarks on a slow, but sure process of destruction.
It could be a lifestyle, for example, alcohol consumption or smoking, which an individual may adopt without consideration of their harmful side effects. The effects often go undetected in their early stages and are only realized when it is too late.
The use of this symbol is deliberate. The poet might have been reacting to certain undesirable elements around him, which people were not noticing. It is possible he was referring to the effects of the industrial revolution in Europe, which brought about increased the production of goods and services but had a dehumanizing impact on the population.
The interaction between man and man was severed as the man was replaced by a machine. Through symbolism, Blake can introduce a new twist to the poem in the second stanza. The worm finds the “bed of crimson joy” (Blake, stanza 2.1-2) and launches its nefarious agenda from there. This indicates that the worm attacks that which is a perpetual source of joy to the rose.
This introduces the “dark secret love” (Blake, stanza 2.3), which the worm exploits to kill the rose. This implies that it is the intimate aspects of an individual or society’s life that destroys them. The rose is engaged in a dark secret love with the worm. It is dark because it is undesirable, against the norms of the society and so, it has to be secret.
Blake is emphasizing the fact that it is the things that people do secretly that finally destroy them. Essentially, through the use of symbolism, the poet can compress a lot of meaning into a short, powerful poem. The poem burns itself indelibly into the mind of the reader and can engage them long after they read it. Symbolism has also provided Blake with the opportunity to dress his rather serious poem appealingly.
The readers are likely to enjoy the poem without realizing at first that it is a scathing criticism of their secret lives. Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, is also built on symbolism. The four-stanza poem depicts an individual at crossroads. The individual chooses the path that many people have avoided and lives to cherish this choice.
To begin with, the title is itself symbolic. It refers to an uncharted course of life in which one has no experience and information about because it has not been taken by others before. It implies venturing into areas that others have avoided for one reason or another.
It indicated independent decisions that keep one away of the clutches of mob psychology that sometimes orchestrate the downfall of some people. Through a symbolic title, Frost can create suspense and entice people to read the poem with the urge to find out more about the road less traveled.
The “road” in this poem is pregnant with meaning. It refers to the crucial decisions that shape one’s life. The road forks out into two and the speaker has to decide which one to follow. Looking as far ahead into each branch has little effect; thus, the speaker is confined to their wits to inform their decisions:
And I looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth (Frost, stanza 1.3-4)
Each path disappears into the undergrowth implying that each choice is unfamiliar to the speaker and, therefore, might be tempted to make a random pick. However, after some soul-searching, the speaker decides not to follow the crowd. It is interesting to note that although the speaker does not regret the choice he made, he still wonders what could have been the outcome of taking on the road that others had already traveled on.
Another powerful symbol lies in “knowing how way leads on to way” (Frost, stanza 3.4). The speaker is well aware that the outcome of the decision made cannot be reversed: “I doubted if I should ever come back” (Frost, stanza 3.5). This is because the all-determining decision will have to be sustained by other decisions in the course of one’s life.
Frost has effectively employed symbolism to advance the subject matter of the poem. It is both a piece of advice and a warning. The poet advises people to explore areas hither to unexploited before and to adopt fresh approaches and outlooks in life.
As a warning, Frost prevails upon individuals to refrain from the mob mentality or doing things because others are doing the same. People should, therefore, be independent when making decisions or choices that reflect on their lives.
Conclusion
The three poets have employed symbolism to a greater extent to enhance meaning. Very powerful messages are put across to readers via memorable symbols, which are largely familiar, e.g., roads, rose, and statue. Symbolism has thus been used as a tool to lengthen the plot of the poems.
It has also been used aesthetically, as can be seen from the three poems. The various symbols make the poems interesting and attractive to read. Symbolism is, therefore, one of the most important aspects of figurative language heavily used in poetry.
The two popular poems by Robert Frost – The Road not Taken and A Question – focus on experiences and hardships that a person should undergo before a decision is made. Although they rely on the problem of difficult choices, they are a number of differences in their viewpoints on philosophical conception of life. In particular, The Road not Taken focuses on the events that influenced the narrator’s choice and provided the rationale for his actions.
In contrast, A Question deliberates on what has already been done. Specific attention requires the question about the value of death and life, as well as about the reflection on previous experience. Hence, the leading aspects and themes discussed in both poems are associated with the difficulties in decision-making, influence of life experience on the choices, and consequences of our actions. All these themes are represented from the viewpoint of the narrator who is concerned with the problems of being.
The structure and size of the poems differ significantly. In particular, The Road not Taken is a four-stanza poem with five lines each. The rhythmic pattern is iambic tetrameter which coincides the ABAAB scheme. Rhymes are masculine and straight, except for the last line where the stress is put on the last syllable.
A Question has only one stanza with four lines, but it also has iambic structure. Although the poems are from different collections, they indicate similar features in terms of themes, characters, and philosophical outlooks on life. Biographical features in both verses are explicitly illustrated. Although the author focuses on natural phenomena, most of subjects relate to the human feelings, experiences, and emotions.
Description of life experience is, probably, at the core of all literary works introduced by Frost. According to Bloom, “Frost’s verse is often so apparently paraphrasable as to seem the précis for some short story: a domination of plot that takes up the slack seemingly left by an overly straightforward, honey, and blunt language” (87-88). Presence of metaphysical elements, as well as reflection on the sense of existence, is also associated with autobiographical features of Frost’ poetic work.
Decision-making is, apparently, the prevailing theme in Frosts’ poem because both literary pieces focus on this issue. The problem is highlighted almost in similar figurative manner because Frost refers to the ideas of decision-making through representations of metaphorical comparisons. Thus, in the first poem, the author compares choices with paths in the forest: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/And sorry I could not travel both” (The Road not Taken 9).
While interpreting this, the author assumes that an individual cannot made two opposite decisions, just as it is impossible to take roads simultaneously. Similar to this poem, A Question also relies on metaphorical comparisons while deliberating on the matter of choice: “…tell me truly…if all the soul-and-body scars were too much to pay for the birth” (A Question 45). In the passage, the author compares “soul-and-body scares” with the consequences of the decisions that people made during their lives.
Influence of life experience on people’s choice is also brightly demonstrated in both verses, but at different angles. In particular, both poems refer to such feelings as regret and frustration while questioning the outcomes of the choices made. At the end of The Road not Taken, Frost makes use of the word “sign” to render his disappointment with the decision he made in life: “I shall be telling this with a sigh/…I Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by” (9).
At the same time, negative experience is interpreted in the second poem, in which the poet compares human knowledge with “soul-and-body scars” that should be paid off. With regard to these metaphorical interpretations, it should be assumed that both verses unveil the author’s viewpoint on the concept of life, in which experience defines the goals of human existence. It also creates understanding of what role free will and fate play on our lives.
Consequences of our actions shape our future. Frost refers to human lives with irony because all our decisions are largely limited by the existence of choices in front of our paths. In the majority of cases, people are under the influence of circumstances that make them choose the path they go.
Nevertheless, Frost constantly questions the inevitability of the choices made and justifies the chosen solutions in life. At the same time, he thinks that people are not the only ones to blame in their searching. In particular, there are other supernatural powers that do not depend on circumstances created by humans. In both poems, external powers are represented, but in different capacities.
In conclusion, Frost’ verses analyze the role of decision making in human lives, as well as how it is affected by personal wisdom and external circumstances. Although both novels relate to different epistemological dimensions, they discover such problems as the matter of choice, importance of life experience, and consequences of human actions. While investigating these topics, the emphasis has been placed on literary devices that the author employs, including metaphors and irony.
Works Cited
Frost, Robert. “A Question”. A Witness Tree. Robert Frost. US: J. Cape. 1943. 45. Print.
Frost, Robert. “The Road not Taken” Mountain Interval. Robert Frost. US: Henry Holt, 1916. 9. Print.
Bloom, Harold. Robert Frost. US: Infobase Publishing, 2003. Print.
Most people reading Robert Frost’s poetry get so caught up in the beautiful imagery of the Vermont landscape that they forget to pay attention to the deep meaning he typically embedded within his poems. An example of this is the mistaken concept by many people that Frost is recommending they take the road less traveled by as a means of living an independent and happy lifestyle. Pulling from the conceptual metaphor that life is a journey, this essentially translates to the concept that individuals should strive to follow their own path in life rather than attempting to follow the paths that have been mapped out for them by others. It isn’t bad advice, but it isn’t exactly what Frost had in mind when he wrote it. According to Larry Finger (1978), he once told an audience, “You have to be careful of that one; it’s a tricky poem – very tricky” when referring to “The Road Not Taken.” While the conceptual metaphor still applies, a close reading of the textual cues of the poem indicate that Frost is not recommending which road should be selected, only providing a warning that, once selected, it is impossible to know what might have been missed on the other way.
The conceptual metaphor that links ‘life’ with ‘journey’ is culturally ingrained in nearly every Western-born individual. Generally speaking, a conceptual metaphor is defined as a metaphor “that is so basic in the way people think about something that they fail to perceive that it is a metaphor” (“Conceptual Metaphor”, 2007). It is an idea that is brought forward by Lakoff and Johnson that illustrates that this connection is made at such a deep level that it cannot be avoided. “Lakoff and Johnson revealed, through theoretical argument supported by empirical investigation, the centrality of metaphor to thought exemplified in the ubiquity of metaphorical forms in everyday, conventional language” (Bailey, 2003). In other words, we are only able to discuss our ideas and beliefs with others through the use of the conceptual metaphor, which requires a shared language and cultural base and serves as a means by which we define ourselves. “Accordingly, we talk about things the way we conceive of them, and this is fashioned through and grounded in experience and culture: our basic conceptual system ‘is fundamentally metaphoric in nature’” (Bailey, 2003). Thus, when Frost discusses taking a walk in the woods and coming to a place where a choice must be made, the reader has already made the jump, deep within their mind, that this poem must have something to say about life. However, for most, the beautiful scenery the poem conjures up – the ‘yellow wood’, the ‘undergrowth’, the ‘grassy’ way and the fresh leaves that ‘wanted wear’ – causes them to pause here and reflect that Frost himself took the road ‘less traveled by’, assuming he is recommending this as the best course of action for everyone.
A close reading of the poem reveals that this is merely a trick of the light, so to speak. While the poem is making a connection between Frost’s walks in the woods and the journey through life, the connection he was making was quite different from prescribing a particular path to follow. As has been indicated, “most people seem to interpret this poem as a tribute to the road less traveled, as an endorsement of the decision to plow new ground, to explore new territory, to try or to create something new” (Bellah, 2004). While this interpretation has plenty of validity to it, it is not necessarily supported by the text any more than Frost’s comment about the poem being tricky serves to increase confidence that there is only one valid interpretation of the poem. As Bellah (2004) points out, the title of the poem is “The Road Not Taken” rather than “The Road Less Taken” (emphasis added), which provides the first clue as to the author’s original intentions and a different reading of the poem. By analyzing the poem through each of its four stanzas, one can begin to trace the linguistic tools used by the author to make his meaning clear.
The first stanza of the poem establishes the setting and the mood of the poem. It opens with the line “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” This immediately places the reader within an idyllic, timeless, peaceful place. Frost is able to do this by using words such as ‘diverge’, which suggests leisure time and a lack of concern as people only allow themselves to ‘diverge’ from their purpose when they haven’t any pressing purposes on their schedule. The wood he is in is yellow, which is a color most often associated in the Western culture with happiness, friendship and pleasant sunshine, something that is most welcome in Vermont during the spring or fall when the leaves on the trees are more likely to be described as yellow. At the same time, Frost establishes that this is not a frightening wood as a yellow wood does not contain any shadows or fearsome places within its depths, only deeper and perhaps friendlier yellows. Having warmly welcomed his readers into his world, he confides he is “sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler”. This indicates that both roads before him are equally appealing and equally unknown. Rather than pausing to determine which road he’s going to take, he instead seems to be wishing he could take both roads at the same time and remember all of the experiences of both. He “looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth”, again illustrating he has plenty of time to spare and that he has found nothing frightening down the somewhat overgrown path in this first direction.
The second stanza opens with the second path, the one Frost indicates he elected to take, which was “just as fair”. For Frost, however, this second path has the ‘better claim’ on him because it appears for a moment to not have been as well traveled as the first. He suggests this idea by saying that the second path ‘wanted wear’ or needed someone to walk on it more often to reclaim it from the grasses that were starting to crowd over it. At the same time, while the first path was described as having undergrowth that prevented a longer view, this second path is described as grassy, indicating that perhaps it is more in the sun with all the psychological appeal that connotes and also perhaps affords a longer view of what lies ahead. However, Frost admits that despite their differences, both paths were equally ambiguous as he would never know what lie down either one of them until he journeyed along them. In this respect, they were identical, “Though as for that the passing there / Had worn them really about the same”.
The idea that the paths are equal is explicitly stated in the third stanza, as is the concept that once the choice has been made, there is no recapturing the other option, bringing the poem into greater contextual meaning. In describing the paths, Frost says that “both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black”, refuting claims that one path before him was, in reality, traveled more frequently as he is the first to step on either one today. Having successfully navigated the discussion around to the conceptual metaphor of life equals a journey, Frost now points out one of the common fallacies individuals tell themselves as they pass through life, “I kept the first for another day”. Making a life application, this is similar to the hard life choices people must make as they mature, such as whether to pursue a career or a family. Often, these are mutually exclusive pursuits and one is subjugated under the other with the internal promise that the other will be followed sometime in the future. But Frost says, “knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back”, illustrating how difficult this step is and emphasizing the idea that while one may choose to follow a career later, that career will not be the same road as the one met back in the yellow wood that day before deciding to have a family first.
This realization reached in the third stanza is only fully revealed in the fourth stanza as Frost, still standing at the crossroads, projects his thoughts into the future when thinking back on this decision, “I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence”. This opening to the stanza invokes a sense of the sadly nostalgic, as if the speaker will be still regretting the fact that they could not experience both roads at once. Regardless of where he ends up, which is as unknown as where he would have ended up had he taken the other road indicated by the use of the word ‘somewhere’, this decision will have greatly impacted the definition of this somewhere while the definition of the other somewhere will forever be lost. While he might actually prefer where he ends up on this path to where he would have ended up on the other path, he will never know the difference, therefore he will never know whether his sigh is in satisfaction or in regret. However, in the end, “I took the road less traveled by / And that has made all the difference”. The word focused on here is typically ‘difference’, usually interpreted to indicate that it is a positive difference and it was Frost’s decision to take the less traveled road that brought about positive influences into his life. However, Frost seems to be focusing on the word ‘I’, meaning he has made his decision as to which road was the better road for him. While he will never know if he was right or wrong, his decision has ‘made all the difference’, he has lived his life according to the decisions he has made.
Thus, in the end, the underlying message seems to be nearly the same, that individuals should make choices in their lives based on their own paths and their own inclinations because the path selected often ‘leads to way’ by pointing to new pursuits in life. Thus, it is almost never possible to turn back and try that other path in the woods. “Frost’s poem reminds us that one rarely returns to roads not taken. That’s why … it’s so dangerous to keep putting things off that we consider truly important. Temporary choices have a way of becoming permanent ones, and today’s procrastinations are tomorrow’s regrets” (Bellah, 2004). At the same time, he illustrates the longing more than one of his reader’s have shared, the longing that one could be both career hotshot and bask in the glow of family at one and the same time or combine any number of mutually exclusive choices in life – perhaps the backpacking trip across Europe for two years or the college education. “Like it or not, we can’t take all the roads we want to in life. Frost’s words also remind us that we really are one traveler, and trying to choose everything in life will leave us just as empty as choosing the wrong thing. We can’t keep changing roads and expect to reach the end of any of them. Ultimately, over-commitment arrives at the same destination as procrastination: at the road not taken” (Bellah, 2004). While Frost’s poem does offer the reader wisdom for life, as has been shown in this analysis, the wisdom offered is much deeper than a simple pointing of the way.
Works Cited
Bailey, Richard. “Conceptual Metaphor, Language, Literature and Pedagogy.” Journal of Language and Learning. Vol. 1, N. 2, (2003).