SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 21
Download to read offline
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essay examples
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" tells of someone faced with one of life's major decisions
whereas only one direction can be chosen. Whichever road is taken will be final and will
determine the direction that their life takes. Frost writes this poem with a calm and collective
narration, spoken by the traveler, who is talking with himself trying to decide which road is the
better choice. In line one Frost introduces the diverging roads, which are his main metaphors.
Diverging being the key word in this line because it suggests that the traveler must make a choice.
Line two the traveler expresses his grief of not being able to travel both. Yet, the choice is not easy,
since "long I stood" (3)...show more content...
The exclamation point after line 13 conveys excitement, but that excitement is severed by his
admission in the following lines. "way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back"(14).
In the final stanza, lines 16–20 the tone of the poem changes completely. This is the only stanza that
begins with a new sentence, indicating that it is a stronger break from the previous ideas. The
speaker puts himself in a future situation discussing his life. What he states here seems to contradict
what he has said earlier. From his future prospective he says that the paths where different and that
he did not choose the one most traveled by. Perhaps he will in the future actually believe this and he
only wishes that he could choose in the present "the one less traveled by."(20) "The Road Not Taken"
was written with standard, simple diction. The most complex word used is "trodden"(12). The
majority of the lines contain nine syllables. This structure is maintained throughout the entire poem.
The stanzas are arranged like that of a thought. One continues to undermine the other, much like
decision making. Our first thoughts are always second–guessed by our second and so forth until we
make our final decision, which cancels out all that was thought before. This is what Frost manages
to do in the arrangement of his stanzas. Imagery is the primary concept of this work. The two roads
are each described in such a way that the reader can easy
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Reflection Paper On The Road Not Taken
The text I enjoyed was The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost because it made me think of the
future decisions I'll have to make and hope to be satisfied with them just like Robert Frost was with
his. Although, making the decision itself isn't that easy. Yet, seeing Frost be so sure about his
decision made me be at ease.
Personally, the text reminded me of my past decisions that when I see back on them today, I feel
regret and foolish on ever acting upon them. I want to see back on my decisions and be satisfied
knowing that I chose the best option without feeling any kind of remorse later in life. It also
reminded me of the future decisions I'll have to make especially now that I'm in my last year of
high school. Currently, I feel stuck between multiple paths and I don't know which one is the best
to travel by. Im scared to look back and feel unhappy with my decision and know I can't go back and
change it.
I want to believe that making a decision is an easy and clear one but it really isn't. Robert Frost
makes it seem that there are only "Two roads diverged in a wood." Honestly. It's not that simple
because one decision can bring you to more decisions and others will lead you to a dead end. Can
one decision make a difference in our life? In my opinion, it's a set and buildup of decisions that
make a difference in the long run. If life gave us a fifty percent chance on picking either one or the
other, then it would be easier knowing which way to go since other people have chosen
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Essay On The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is a narrative poem which includes four stanza of five lines written by Robert
Frost, an American poet, in 1916. Frost got an inspiration from his close friend whose name is "
Edward Thomas " while he was in England. The article is mentioned about the author's real
experiences when he was walking in the forest with Thomas and found that there were two routes
he had to select one. At the end of the day, the writer decided to choose a route that not too many
people pass and it had altered his life. This reflects to us that taking a risk is dangerous, but
sometimes it's worth to take it. Additionally, Thank You, Ma'am is an Americanshort story written by
Langston Hughes, an American novelist, in 1958 . The story is referred...show more content...
One significant reason that can occur from choosing one path less traveled by is that wild
animals can attack me and I may get heavily injured or even die because there is a few people can
assist me if they saw the wild animals attack. Another vital reason that can occur from choosing
one path less traveled by is that a criminal or even a gangster may assault me for stolen my money
or priceful items. I concern about my safeness because if this thing happens it is not worth for life.
As a result, taking the path that more people traveled by is more safety than taking the one path that
less people traveled by.
All things considered, this essay demonstrates the distinctive story between The Road not Taken and
Thank You, Ma'am. In addition, it also narrates the combination of these two story in terms of
comparing each other from the feature characters of Mrs.Jones , Roger , and Robert Frost. At the end
of this essay, I provide my opinion about choosing path decision from The Road not Taken. I think
that this essay helps me to improve my idea , cultivate my English writing skills as well as know
more deeply about these two
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
My own Analysis of the poem "The Road Not Taken"
The poem "The Road Not Taken" is a piece of literature written by the American poet Robert Frost.
Its genre is poetry. It is considered poetry because of its structure. It has a distinct numbered group
of lines in verse normally called stanza.
The structure used in Robert Frost poem varies with different types of poetry and can be seen in the
structural elements that it includes the line, couplet, and stanza. It is a straight forward series of
five line stanzas and each stanza presents a single idea. Its form is a traditional poetry which is
iambic pentameter, where each stanza has the same amount of lines. In the poem, it has five lines in
every canto with twenty lines in all. This form of...show more content...
It shows here how our decision would affect us in the later years. If I am twenty two now and
whatever road I take will probably impact my life as I reach thirty. "The Road Not Taken" reminds
us of the consequences of the principle of selection in all aspects of life, namely that all choices in
knowledge or in action exclude many others and lead to an ironic recognitions of our achievements.
There are three tenses of verbs used in the poem; the present, past, and future. The poem leads us to
travel from present, going to the past after the present situation and directing us to the future. It
started from a person who travels to take one road out of the two roads, going on to the experience
of 'what' when the road to take was chosen and directs us to 'what' of next afterwards.
In the final stanza, the use of the word 'shall' signals the change of tense to future, we hear a
different story, one that will be told "with a sigh" or one that will set out a deep audible breath of
weariness or sorrow and "ages and ages hence" which means sometime or somewhere a long time
later . At that imagined time and unspecified place, the voice will have nobly simplified and exalted
the whole impetuous matter into a deliberate one of taking the "less travelled"
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
In the Robert Frost poem ''The Road Not Taken'' there is a pervasive and in many ways intrinsic
sense of journey throughout. In such, the poem explores an aspect associated with human decision,
or indecision, relative to the oxymoron, that choices with the least the difference should bear the
most indifference, but realistically, carry the most difficulty. This is conveyed through the use of
several pivotal techniques. Where the first such instance is the use of an extended metaphor, where
the poem as a whole becomes a literary embodiment of something more, the journey of life. The
second technique used is the writing style of first person. Where in using this, the reader can depict a
clear train of thought from the walker and understand...show more content...
Wherein this is the extent of the metaphor, where in this poem it is a changeable anomaly subject to
the readers interpretation of taking the road less travelled and whether it be a positive (sigh of
satisfaction) or negative (sigh of regret). This is all one can hope when using a metaphor relating to
the readers life, that they substitute their own feelings and create their own meaning, their own
attitude towards to such decisions and subsequently, such journeys.
Furthermore, we have the use of first person, where the almost universal effect is to have an
in–depth look into the character and their immediate response to a problem or dilemma. This poem
no different, where in the first stanza we are ushered in with the use of anaphora in lines 2, 3 and 4
with the repetition of the word ''and''. This specific use of anaphora is used to create the mindset
and intelligible deduction of the traveller to the events and dilemma prescribed to him. Insofar as
his immediate reaction be being presented with a choice. It shows his reaction of regret in that he
is ''sorry he could not travel both'' and explains what he wish he could do ''be two travellers'' but also
how he initiates his decision making process ''looked down one as far as I could''. Also, the use of
first person is used to connect with the reader, enforcing the affore–used notion that the reader
substitutes their own personal truth into a positive
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Reflection Paper On The Road Not Taken
Response Paper "The Road Not Taken" "The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost, is probably the
most recognized poem in American culture. Anyone who has graduated from middle school at least
recognizes the words found in the poem's final stanza about the road less traveled and the difference
it has made (Frost 20), to which the poem's perceived themes of individual empowerment, and
"follow your heart" decision–making, is attributed. This considered, it's no surprise that I was
considerably shocked to discover, upon inspection of the entire poem, that "The Road Not Taken" is
not at all what I thought, but is in fact self–contradictory, and thereby a criticism of the nature of
human beings. The first thing that I noticed as I read through the poem was that it didn't make
sense because the conclusion that the narrator comes to, that he has taken the road less traveled,
doesn't match up with the experience that he describes having in the woods. The narrator arrives
at a fork in the road and begins to look down one as far as he can, describing it in detail. He then
states that the other path was "... as just as fair," suggesting that it looks about the same (Frost 6).
The narrator explains that he took the other path, considering that it sat, "... having perhaps [my
emphasis added] the better claim, / Because it was grassy and wanted wear;" but quickly dismisses
the thought in the following lines, "Though as for that the passing there / had worn them really
about the same," (Frost
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Poetry Essay
Shamyra Thompson
Liberty University
Poetry Essay Outline
"A Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
Thesis: In the poem "A Road Not Taken", Robert Frost shares how sometimes in life one has to
make decisions rather they're good or bad. However there are consequences following one's
decisions and choices. One can use their second chance by looking forward and choosing to take the
right paths in life.
I.Mood & Theme
a.The poem's author, Robert Frost, focuses on the theme and the mood by representing the choices
and decisions that have to be made.
b.In the ending of the poem, regret is displayed after realizing the wrong choices were made.
II.Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
a.Reading this poem,...show more content...
Although Robert Frost shares how sometimes in life one has to make decisions
rather they're good or bad, however there are consequences following one's decisions
and choices. One can use their second chance by looking forward and choosing to take
the right paths in life.
Mood & Theme
In this poem written by author Robert Frost, the poem focuses on the theme and
the mood by representing the choices and decisions that have to be made. The whole
poem is based on someone who spends time throughout his traveling journey making
choices and knowing that making the wrong choices can't be taken back once the choices
and decisions have been made. In the poem Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a yellow
wood, And sorry I could not travel both."(Frost, 1916) This is his way of setting the
mood for the readers to get a better understanding of where he was coming from as he
explains how there are different paths in life one can take, but one can only take one at a
time in hopes of making the right decision. Frost developed metaphors such as "Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood" (Frost, 1916) throughout the poem.
Poetic Devices & Figurative
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Literary Analysis
ВЃ "The Road Not Taken"
Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" describes a traveler faced with a choice of which one
of two roads to travel. He knows not where either road might lead. In order to continue on his
journey, he can pick only one road. He scrutinizes both roads for the possibilities of where they may
take him in his travels. Frost's traveler realizes that regret is inevitable. Regardless of his choice, he
knows that he will miss the experiences he might have encountered on the road not taken.
Images in the poem reflect the difficulties of the choice the traveler faces. The difficulty is shown in
the passage "long I stood" (3)...show more content...
He predicts that he will always remember this moment of choice and will be telling it "with a
sigh" (16) when he is old. His choice will have made "all the difference" (20) and affected his
whole journey. Frost creates a tone of inevitability that no matter what the choice, there will always
be regret.
Frost presents the traveler's choice of paths as a metaphor for the difficult decisions a person
must make in life. The divergent paths are the choices to be made at various points along the
way. Regardless of how he tries, the traveler cannot see beyond where the path is "bent in the
undergrowth" (5). Likewise, nobody can predict what effect one choice will have on his life. The
traveler sees the two paths as very similar or "just as fair" (6). As much as the traveler would like
to return to the diverging roads, he realizes that he will not get another chance to travel the other
path. With maturity comes a resignation that a choice has affected a person's life and there is no
going back. He also tries to make the best of his decision by saying that it has "made all the
difference." (20).
In "The Road Not Taken", images of the bright woods and wide open opportunity to choose are
contrasted with the indecision and regret of only being able to travel one path. Word choice and a
slight sorrowful tone reinforce the theme of regret. Frost presents divergent roads as a metaphor for
the choices a person must make in life. The traveler's rueful resignation that
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Persuasive Essay On The Road Not Taken
Each day we must make decisions on what we are going to do that day, or even the next day,
however we come to the two roads that diverge, and the roads that diverge are significantly life
changing. A poem that comes into mind is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. This poem
affects me personally because I am to that point in my college career where I must decide on
where I am going to further my education, do I want to major in something else, or even move out
of state. The message that Frost is trying to get across is that you have options, and you come to
that point in life where you must decide. Frost identifies in his first sentence of his poem that reads,
"two roads diverged in a yellow wood." (Frost) Which means that we come to this "intersection" in
life, therefore the human mind tries to look down as far as it allows us. Thus, we need to decide,
furthermore act, and when we make a choice, we kind of regret of not taking the other option.
Frost's first stanza says it all; "sorry I could not travel on both and be one traveler, long I stood and
looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth." (Frost) Trying to figure out
what you will be doing for the next step is life changing. Today is that big day, when you make your
final decision, on what road you are going to take. When you do decide what you are going to do,
you will ask yourself, did I make the right move. Frost has a fabulous way of describing real life
situations in his poem, he writes; "perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted
wear." (Frost) When Frost says, "it was grassy and wanted wear." This means when you decide on
the path, you will recognize the path is "green", and you are going to follow through with the
option that you decided on. When you first encounter a bad experience, you immediately start
thinking about of what you could've done. Robert Frost states in the third stanza "yet knowing how
way leads on the way; I doubted if I should ever come back." When you doubt something, you are
uncertain about something, and when you are uncertain about it you just don't 'flip a coin', and base
your move on 'heads or tails', thus you will not make an irrational decision, you will
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Essay about The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about the speaker deciding which road to take. Both that
were equally overlaid with un–trodden leaves. He chose one and told himself that he will take the
other road on another day, but the speaker knows that the opportunity to do so are very unlikely to
come up. He hoped that he will be able to recreate the scene someday in the future where he took the
road less traveled by. The mood of the poem; "The Road Not Taken" is a feeling of anticipation
because the traveler have to choose which road to take. The tone of this poem is satisfy with a bit of
curiosity because even though the speaker wishes he could have taken both roads, the speaker is
please with the one he chose. But he still wonder what...show more content...
The decision itself is really not important as the aftermath of making that decision. The speaker is
not satisfied about his decision, but rather regretful because he wanted to know what's on the other
road and vice versa. Simply this is a human nature to regret the decision we choose in life after we
made them.
There are many figurative language in this poem. The one that has been the most recognize in
this poem is the metaphorically use of the word road. Road is a metaphor for the decision we
have to make in life. There are no right or wrong but it's not an easy decision to make. There are
also personification in this poem; "Because it was grassy and wanted wear", because a road can't
want something. That is a characteristic that a road can't have. Another personification is in, "And
both that morning equally lay", the morning can't lay down because that's an human
characteristic. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" is an imagery because it forces the reader
to come up with an image in their head that incorporates yellow and wood, and the only image that
the reader comes up with that makes sense is an autumnal forest. The descriptive language in this
poem is amazing because it makes the reader feel like they are in the speaker's shoe in autumnal
forest deciding which road to take. "The Road
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Essay on On 'The Road Not Taken'
On "The Road Not Taken" Most people believe that "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost was
written to inspire people to be different, and to not follow the majority. However, the poem was
actually written to gently tease one of Frost's good friends, and fellow poet, Edward Thomas. Frost
and Thomas would take walks in the woods together, and Thomas would take Frost down one path
and later regret not choosing a different path. This would lead one to believe that Frost is actually
ridiculing the action of regretting decisions. Considering this pert nit background information, the
poem's meaning can be quite contrary to popular belief. It guides the reader from the idea that Frost
wants you to differentiate yourself, to a concept of...show more content...
Although a decision was made to take a certain path, it is ironic that Frost described both paths as
being practically the same. Perhaps Frost used the word "taken" instead of "chosen" since there
was virtually no choice to be made. The way the poem has been remembered, is that one should
follow one's own heart, and not what other people do. After only a brief review, it is conceivable
how someone would assume the popular belief associated with the poem. However under a closer
review there are many contradictions hidden within the poem. First the key concept towards the
poem's popular belief is that of choosing something different. At the very end of the poem Frost
writes, "I took the one less traveled by/ and that has made all the difference" (19, 20), giving the
reader the impression that a rebellious decision has been made. Frost contradicts himself earlier
by describing the two roads as being about the same. Towards the beginning of the poem, at the
end of the second stanza Frost writes, "Though as for the passing there/ Had worn them really
about the same" (9, 10), and also at the beginning of the third stanza "And both that morning
equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black" (11, 12), this leads the reader to believe that there
isn't a big difference between the two roads, and that there is no reason to believe that one is less
traveled than the other. Frost is actually saying that neither of the two roads had been
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
Although most haven't read it in its entirety, Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," is one of
the most popular American poems of the twentieth century. The story is often misremembered as the
tale of an adventurer who chooses the path where fewer have been. Frost begins his poem with
juxtaposing two roads diverging in a wood. He cannot see very far ahead on either path. The narrator
is a quintessential nonconformist when he, theoretically, "choose[s] the one less traveled by." (19)
Frost presents a classic conflict: the decision between the common, easy path and the exceptional,
challenging path. The road less traveled is more challenging to travel because the reader assumes
there is a reason he road more traveled is more traveled for...show more content...
The speaker says that both roads are equally beautiful, and also equally worn. He says he will leave
the first path for another day, then admits to himself: "Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I
doubted if I should ever come back." (14–15) The speaker never fully rules out taking the road less
traveled, and never officially denies that he will come back. Yet, he admits to himself that one
choice leads to another and most likely he will never journey back to the fork and be faced with
the same decision. The speaker anticipates the regret he will feel when "telling this with a sigh"
(16) based on his decision no matter which path he takes. But in the last stanza the speaker argues
he should not feel any regret because it does not matter either way. The narrator says how he will
someday look back and claim "with a sigh" that choosing the "one less traveled ... made all the
difference." He knows that he will comfort himself by saying that the choices he has made have
lead to the place he is in his life, when, in reality, his position is a combination of his choices and
chance. He knows that his choice was really arbitrary, and his destiny will likely not be impacted his
outcome either way. In this last stanza, the speaker acknowledges the stereotype of the
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
Choices of Life
All people are travelers, all choosing their paths on a map of their life. "The great thing about
man for Frost is that he has the power of standing still where he is." There is never a straight road
there are always curves and turns in which one must encounter and act upon. Readers can interpret
the poem "The Road Not Taken" in many ways. It is a persons past, present and the way one see
things, which determines their choices and paths they follow. This poem shows how Frost believes
that it is the road that you choose that makes you the person you are.
Decisions are always hard to make. It is impossible not to wonder what would have happened
before you made your decision and what could have happened after you made your...show more
content...
When the traveler is about to make his decision he "looks down one as far as I could". The road
leads to the unknown, as do choices in life. When he looks at the paths he does not know where
they lead, nor does he have any knowledge of what he will encounter. He must choose which path
he will take and which one he will leave behind, the same way you decide what to choose in any
choice of life. "Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim," There is a
reason that the path he chooses had the better claim "it was grassy and wanted wear;" It was not a
path for everyone because the other path was more worn and most people had traveled that one.
He calls the path he chose "the road less traveled by". The traveler's choice reflects his personality.
It shows that he is an individual and does not follow the crowd. He wants to do what is different.
"And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black." The leaves had covered
the ground and since the time they had fallen no one has passed on the road. Frost does this
because each time a person comes to the point where they have to make a choice, it is new to
them, somewhere they have never been, and they feel like no one else has either. "I kept the first
for another day!" The desire to travel both paths is not unusual, but "knowing how way leads on to
way", the speaker of this poem realizes that the decision is not a temporary one and he "doubted if he
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken Essay
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 opens the door for many interpretations.
In using a simple fork in a road, Frost writes much to symbolize life and choices in which one will
make. Frost uses unique ability to see an ordinary, everyday activity to portray such a theme. By
using such simple endeavors, Frost reaches his audience on a more personal level. However, it is
only one's past, present and the attitude with which he or she looks upon the future that determines
the shade of light in which the poem will be...show more content...
It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and where the road will take him.
Then as we close out the first stanza, we establish that yet 'one'; road has been 'looked down'; as far
as possible. However, the use of the semicolon after 'undergrowth'; initiates a turn of the head to lead
into the examination of the other road. (pg133)
'Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim.'; What seems to have made
it such a better claim is that 'it was grassy and wanted wear.'; It was a road obviously not for
everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other often traveled path.
Therefore, Frost calls this 'the road less traveled by.'; The simple fact that the traveler chooses to
take this path over the frequently chosen path,indicates the type of personality in the traveler. It
shows that the individual is one to not particularly follow the crowd but sets him apart from the rest
by doing something new and unique. It is often called 'the path of least resistance.'; In being
somewhat of an easier way with less obstacles to overcome.
'And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black.'; The leaves had somewhat
covered the ground and since the time they had fallen no one had yet to travel on this road. Perhaps
Frost does this to show that each time a person comes to a point where they have to make a choice, it
is new to them. It envisions that it is somewhere the traveler has never been.
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Meaning Of The Road Not Taken Essay
In this generation, people copy other people by their actions and the things that they buy. During
school, most girls wear the same shoes, and they think it is cool to own expensive well–known
shoes such as Nike and Addidas. Shoes are shoes at the end my point is why don't people just do
their own thing and buy what they love, not what they assume to love. Well, the poem the road
not taken by Robert frost is about two roads, let's say the right is travelled by most people and the
left is travelled by less people. I am a person that likes to be different and unique and I am against
people who like to copy other people.
When social media was created a while ago, people would always stick with something was
trending, especially now, just because a celebrity bought hoverboard; a self–balancing two wheeled
board, that doesn't mean that everybody should get it. Social media caused all of this and made
people waste money on the stupidest things that instead we could all make something better and
more meaningful to help the world be a better world not worse. The road not taken relates to me in
so many different ways and it explains things that I see around me. It has a deep meaning of what
life is now....show more content...
And I would try turning it into something even better than what is trending. Sometimes I buy plain
shirts and put on my favorite picture on the internet, and if people asked me from where I bought it,
I would say I made it by myself and I could inspire them to make their own shirts. Sometimes i
wish if I was like a celebrity and do all of the things that celebrities do, they get what they want
and everything is right in front of them, other times I want to be cool and wear all of the expensive
and trendy stuff, but being yourself is the best feeling a person could ever
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
The most common interpretation of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is that the speaker is
trying to decide which road to take. Does he want to take the road that everyone else takes
because it is easier and all the clearing has been done for him, or does he want to take a chance
and take the road less traveled and he has to clear his own path? The poet is trying to convey a
much deeper meaning. The poem is an excellent example of the use of symbolism .The poet uses
the two roads to symbolize choices made in life. The yellow road indicates that the poem is taking
place in autumn, which denotes that the speaker is in the later years of his life. The use of these
simple images emphasizes that no matter how simple or unimportant a choice may...show more
content...
Nature in this poem sets the scene and can hold a metaphorical meaning as well. "TWO roads
diverged in a yellow wood," (line 1) sets the scene, the speaker tells the reader the woods are
yellow, so we can conclude that the poem is taking place in autumn. This could be a metaphor for
the time in the speaker's life that he is making this decision. The fall of his life when he is
beginning to get old." To where it bent in the undergrowth;" (line 5), the reader finds out the woods
must be pretty thick, because the road can disappear in the undergrowth, could represent an aspect of
the speaker's future that he is unsure of." And having perhaps the better claim,/Because it was grassy
and wanted wear"(lines 7–8) the speaker is bias in favor of nature, he thinks one path may be better
than the other because fewer people have worn it down. These lines are a metaphor for a decision
that is less commonly made." And both that morning equally lay/in leaves no step had trodden black,
(lines 11–12) here the reader sees autumn images continue. It appears that it is morning time. There
is a contradiction to an earlier claim that one path is less traveled. The lines tell the reader the
leaves have just fallen masking that the path was more or less traveled. Metaphorically this points
out there is ultimately no way to tell which choice is
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essays
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
In his poem "The Road Not Taken" Frost's theme is about how the choices one makes affect life.
When we come to a fork in the road, a decision needs to be made. Both paths are different and
choosing the right one – if there is a right one – will depend on where we have been. Each choice
that we make plays out differently in our lives. We can look back and wonder what would have
happened if we choose differently. But that is outweighed in what we would have missed. Each
choice affects who we are, where we are going, and moreover our lives.
The persona had two roads to chose from and wonders what would have happened had he taken the
other road. Frost's title reflects this. The first three...show more content...
And that at this point in time one of the roads must be chosen.
After the choice of roads is described and considered, Frost writes "Oh, I kept the first for another
day! /Yet knowing how way leads on to way, /I doubted if I should ever come back." This is
where the narrator makes his choice. Here, he knows he is bound by that choice. He wants to
hold on to the other possibility, but knows this cannot be. His choice becomes the road taken. The
choice he did not make, becomes "The Road Not Taken." He takes the other road that is "grassy
and wanted wear." The road he chooses has a "better claim," because it is the road that is less
traveled on. By taking this road, a clue to his personality is revealed. He is the type of person that
wants to try something new and different. He makes the choice based on who he is and what
choices he has made in the past. Knowing that this choice will again change his life and bring him
new experiences.
In the third stanza, the image of the leaves that cover the ground have not been stepped on and
"no step had trodden black," indicates that no one has walked down the road since the leaves have
fallen, therefore describing a road not traveled. That path does not fit who he is at this juncture in
life. "I kept the first for another day," relates to his desire to travel down both paths. "knowing how
way leads on to
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Road Not Taken Thesis
The poem I have selected for my topic is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Robert Frost
was born on March 26, 1874. He was Born in San Francisco, his father, William Prescott Frost Jr.,
and his mother, Isabelle Moodie, moved there shortly after getting married in Pennsylvania. Robert's
dad died from tuberculosis when he was eleven years of age. He then moved in with his mother and
sister, Jeanie, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His only sister, Jeanie, was two years younger than him,
at the age of nine when he moved in with them.
Whenever he was in high school he started picking up the hobby of reading in writing. He graduated
high school and attended Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire. He then enrolled
to Harvard University
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
In life, we are often faced with tough challenges and decisions to make. In the poem, "The Road
Not Taken", by Robert Frost, He demonstrates how the way one handles major difficult decisions,
affects the outcome of life. The poem consists of 4 stanzas which each have a slightly different
purpose to the poem; however, the first and second stanzas both have the same effect.
Firstly, in the first stanza, Frost describes standing at an open road that splits into two separate
paths: "two roads diverged in a yellow wood". He goes on to say how he wishes we could try
going down both paths to see where each ones leads. The two paths represent two different ways
he could go about living his life. When he says: "And I looked down one as far as I could" he's
referring to how he tried his best to find all the pros and cons of one of the two possible options.
In the second stanza, Frost decides now to look on at the other path, or to consider the second
option he has: "Then took the other, as just as fair". The words "perhaps having the better claim,
because it was grassy and wanted wear could mean a choice that wasn't exactly normal, or made
much sense but he wanted to pursue it anyways. These stanzas present the readers with the situation
and bring out the idea of having a tough decision to make, which links to the first half of the theme.
...show more content...
He realizes that either paths, or decisions, have an equal amount of pros and cons, therefore are
about the same: "And both that morning equally lay". He then reveals that he wants to come back
and take the other path someday: "Oh, I kept the first for another day!" But shortly thereafter
realizes that it probably won't be possible to come back. Because usually one path leads to another
and eventually, it ends up being too far in the past to go back to where everything
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Road Not Taken
The poem my group and I chose to annotate was Robert Frosts "The Road Not Taken". We chose
this poem because it is one of the most widely recognized poems of all time. The assignment was
a bit complex in my opinion, especially when it came to part two the write up part. Part 1 was a
good experience being that it was a group assignment. I had a fantastic team, and we each shared a
part in annotating the poem. We each had a role in the annotation of the poem, we took two parts
of speech each to identify in the poem and we rotated roles as well. The difficult part was trying
to identify main verbs from adverbs, and adverbs from adjective. In our poem, we managed to
find all the parts of speech listed that we have been working with over the last few weeks of class.
The poem yet simple as it seems, it is a bit more complex than it appears to be. It poem uses
symbolism and metaphors, the ability to say one thing and mean another. The poem has four stanzas,
twenty lines, three sentences and it uses simple words but has a complex structure. The poem uses
the metaphor of a path that can be compared to life, and a similar path that represents choice. Both
paths appear to be tempting to the speaker in the second line...show more content...
I especially had a difficult time figuring out the complex sentences. The first sentence in the poem
is a bit long, it is about twelve lines and I did not know one sentence could be that long and still be
considered a sentence. It took me a while to dissect and really get the understanding of the poem
itself. Stanzas 1 and 2 were the most difficult structures to mark. The hardest part of speech to
identify was the adverbs when doing this activity/ assignment. Adverbs and adjective identification
can sometimes be difficult, but in this particular poem, it was the main verb and adverbs. In the first
line of stanza one, "diverged" was a word I was not sure if I it was a main verb or an
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

More Related Content

More from Paper Writing Service Superiorpapers

More from Paper Writing Service Superiorpapers (20)

Feminism Essay
Feminism EssayFeminism Essay
Feminism Essay
 
The Black Balloon Essay
The Black Balloon EssayThe Black Balloon Essay
The Black Balloon Essay
 
Long Essay On Environmental Pollution
Long Essay On Environmental PollutionLong Essay On Environmental Pollution
Long Essay On Environmental Pollution
 
Classifying Essay
Classifying EssayClassifying Essay
Classifying Essay
 
Report Example Essay
Report Example EssayReport Example Essay
Report Example Essay
 
Everyday Use By Alice Walker Essay
Everyday Use By Alice Walker EssayEveryday Use By Alice Walker Essay
Everyday Use By Alice Walker Essay
 
Opinion Essays
Opinion EssaysOpinion Essays
Opinion Essays
 
Essay On Humility
Essay On HumilityEssay On Humility
Essay On Humility
 
National Integration Essay
National Integration EssayNational Integration Essay
National Integration Essay
 
Capitalism Essay
Capitalism EssayCapitalism Essay
Capitalism Essay
 
Perfect Essay Outline
Perfect Essay OutlinePerfect Essay Outline
Perfect Essay Outline
 
Bio Diversity Essay
Bio Diversity EssayBio Diversity Essay
Bio Diversity Essay
 
Essay On Odysseus
Essay On OdysseusEssay On Odysseus
Essay On Odysseus
 
Essays On Acceptance
Essays On AcceptanceEssays On Acceptance
Essays On Acceptance
 
Essays On Helping Others
Essays On Helping OthersEssays On Helping Others
Essays On Helping Others
 
Of Mice And Men Essay On Dreams
Of Mice And Men Essay On DreamsOf Mice And Men Essay On Dreams
Of Mice And Men Essay On Dreams
 
Essay About My Favourite Teacher
Essay About My Favourite TeacherEssay About My Favourite Teacher
Essay About My Favourite Teacher
 
Concept Essay Topics
Concept Essay TopicsConcept Essay Topics
Concept Essay Topics
 
Essay On Jamestown
Essay On JamestownEssay On Jamestown
Essay On Jamestown
 
Nhs Essay Examples
Nhs Essay ExamplesNhs Essay Examples
Nhs Essay Examples
 

Recently uploaded

Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in DelhiRussian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
kauryashika82
 
1029 - Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
1029 -  Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf1029 -  Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
1029 - Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
QucHHunhnh
 
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
MateoGardella
 
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdfAn Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
SanaAli374401
 
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdfMaking and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
Chris Hunter
 
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global ImpactBeyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
PECB
 
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch LetterGardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
MateoGardella
 
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi 6.pdf
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi  6.pdf1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi  6.pdf
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi 6.pdf
QucHHunhnh
 
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdfActivity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
ciinovamais
 

Recently uploaded (20)

Mattingly "AI & Prompt Design: Structured Data, Assistants, & RAG"
Mattingly "AI & Prompt Design: Structured Data, Assistants, & RAG"Mattingly "AI & Prompt Design: Structured Data, Assistants, & RAG"
Mattingly "AI & Prompt Design: Structured Data, Assistants, & RAG"
 
Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in DelhiRussian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
Russian Escort Service in Delhi 11k Hotel Foreigner Russian Call Girls in Delhi
 
1029 - Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
1029 -  Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf1029 -  Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
1029 - Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa 10 . pdf
 
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
Gardella_Mateo_IntellectualProperty.pdf.
 
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptxUnit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
 
Basic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptx
Basic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptxBasic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptx
Basic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptx
 
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdfAn Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
An Overview of Mutual Funds Bcom Project.pdf
 
Web & Social Media Analytics Previous Year Question Paper.pdf
Web & Social Media Analytics Previous Year Question Paper.pdfWeb & Social Media Analytics Previous Year Question Paper.pdf
Web & Social Media Analytics Previous Year Question Paper.pdf
 
Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median and Mode
Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median and ModeMeasures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median and Mode
Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median and Mode
 
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptxUnit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
 
PROCESS RECORDING FORMAT.docx
PROCESS      RECORDING        FORMAT.docxPROCESS      RECORDING        FORMAT.docx
PROCESS RECORDING FORMAT.docx
 
Paris 2024 Olympic Geographies - an activity
Paris 2024 Olympic Geographies - an activityParis 2024 Olympic Geographies - an activity
Paris 2024 Olympic Geographies - an activity
 
Mixin Classes in Odoo 17 How to Extend Models Using Mixin Classes
Mixin Classes in Odoo 17  How to Extend Models Using Mixin ClassesMixin Classes in Odoo 17  How to Extend Models Using Mixin Classes
Mixin Classes in Odoo 17 How to Extend Models Using Mixin Classes
 
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdfMaking and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
Making and Justifying Mathematical Decisions.pdf
 
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global ImpactBeyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
Beyond the EU: DORA and NIS 2 Directive's Global Impact
 
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch LetterGardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
Gardella_PRCampaignConclusion Pitch Letter
 
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi 6.pdf
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi  6.pdf1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi  6.pdf
1029-Danh muc Sach Giao Khoa khoi 6.pdf
 
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdfActivity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
Activity 01 - Artificial Culture (1).pdf
 
Z Score,T Score, Percential Rank and Box Plot Graph
Z Score,T Score, Percential Rank and Box Plot GraphZ Score,T Score, Percential Rank and Box Plot Graph
Z Score,T Score, Percential Rank and Box Plot Graph
 
fourth grading exam for kindergarten in writing
fourth grading exam for kindergarten in writingfourth grading exam for kindergarten in writing
fourth grading exam for kindergarten in writing
 

Essay On The Road Not Taken

  • 1. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essay examples The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" tells of someone faced with one of life's major decisions whereas only one direction can be chosen. Whichever road is taken will be final and will determine the direction that their life takes. Frost writes this poem with a calm and collective narration, spoken by the traveler, who is talking with himself trying to decide which road is the better choice. In line one Frost introduces the diverging roads, which are his main metaphors. Diverging being the key word in this line because it suggests that the traveler must make a choice. Line two the traveler expresses his grief of not being able to travel both. Yet, the choice is not easy, since "long I stood" (3)...show more content... The exclamation point after line 13 conveys excitement, but that excitement is severed by his admission in the following lines. "way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back"(14). In the final stanza, lines 16–20 the tone of the poem changes completely. This is the only stanza that begins with a new sentence, indicating that it is a stronger break from the previous ideas. The speaker puts himself in a future situation discussing his life. What he states here seems to contradict what he has said earlier. From his future prospective he says that the paths where different and that he did not choose the one most traveled by. Perhaps he will in the future actually believe this and he only wishes that he could choose in the present "the one less traveled by."(20) "The Road Not Taken" was written with standard, simple diction. The most complex word used is "trodden"(12). The majority of the lines contain nine syllables. This structure is maintained throughout the entire poem. The stanzas are arranged like that of a thought. One continues to undermine the other, much like decision making. Our first thoughts are always second–guessed by our second and so forth until we make our final decision, which cancels out all that was thought before. This is what Frost manages to do in the arrangement of his stanzas. Imagery is the primary concept of this work. The two roads are each described in such a way that the reader can easy Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. Reflection Paper On The Road Not Taken The text I enjoyed was The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost because it made me think of the future decisions I'll have to make and hope to be satisfied with them just like Robert Frost was with his. Although, making the decision itself isn't that easy. Yet, seeing Frost be so sure about his decision made me be at ease. Personally, the text reminded me of my past decisions that when I see back on them today, I feel regret and foolish on ever acting upon them. I want to see back on my decisions and be satisfied knowing that I chose the best option without feeling any kind of remorse later in life. It also reminded me of the future decisions I'll have to make especially now that I'm in my last year of high school. Currently, I feel stuck between multiple paths and I don't know which one is the best to travel by. Im scared to look back and feel unhappy with my decision and know I can't go back and change it. I want to believe that making a decision is an easy and clear one but it really isn't. Robert Frost makes it seem that there are only "Two roads diverged in a wood." Honestly. It's not that simple because one decision can bring you to more decisions and others will lead you to a dead end. Can one decision make a difference in our life? In my opinion, it's a set and buildup of decisions that make a difference in the long run. If life gave us a fifty percent chance on picking either one or the other, then it would be easier knowing which way to go since other people have chosen Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. Essay On The Road Not Taken The Road Not Taken is a narrative poem which includes four stanza of five lines written by Robert Frost, an American poet, in 1916. Frost got an inspiration from his close friend whose name is " Edward Thomas " while he was in England. The article is mentioned about the author's real experiences when he was walking in the forest with Thomas and found that there were two routes he had to select one. At the end of the day, the writer decided to choose a route that not too many people pass and it had altered his life. This reflects to us that taking a risk is dangerous, but sometimes it's worth to take it. Additionally, Thank You, Ma'am is an Americanshort story written by Langston Hughes, an American novelist, in 1958 . The story is referred...show more content... One significant reason that can occur from choosing one path less traveled by is that wild animals can attack me and I may get heavily injured or even die because there is a few people can assist me if they saw the wild animals attack. Another vital reason that can occur from choosing one path less traveled by is that a criminal or even a gangster may assault me for stolen my money or priceful items. I concern about my safeness because if this thing happens it is not worth for life. As a result, taking the path that more people traveled by is more safety than taking the one path that less people traveled by. All things considered, this essay demonstrates the distinctive story between The Road not Taken and Thank You, Ma'am. In addition, it also narrates the combination of these two story in terms of comparing each other from the feature characters of Mrs.Jones , Roger , and Robert Frost. At the end of this essay, I provide my opinion about choosing path decision from The Road not Taken. I think that this essay helps me to improve my idea , cultivate my English writing skills as well as know more deeply about these two Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. The Road Not Taken My own Analysis of the poem "The Road Not Taken" The poem "The Road Not Taken" is a piece of literature written by the American poet Robert Frost. Its genre is poetry. It is considered poetry because of its structure. It has a distinct numbered group of lines in verse normally called stanza. The structure used in Robert Frost poem varies with different types of poetry and can be seen in the structural elements that it includes the line, couplet, and stanza. It is a straight forward series of five line stanzas and each stanza presents a single idea. Its form is a traditional poetry which is iambic pentameter, where each stanza has the same amount of lines. In the poem, it has five lines in every canto with twenty lines in all. This form of...show more content... It shows here how our decision would affect us in the later years. If I am twenty two now and whatever road I take will probably impact my life as I reach thirty. "The Road Not Taken" reminds us of the consequences of the principle of selection in all aspects of life, namely that all choices in knowledge or in action exclude many others and lead to an ironic recognitions of our achievements. There are three tenses of verbs used in the poem; the present, past, and future. The poem leads us to travel from present, going to the past after the present situation and directing us to the future. It started from a person who travels to take one road out of the two roads, going on to the experience of 'what' when the road to take was chosen and directs us to 'what' of next afterwards. In the final stanza, the use of the word 'shall' signals the change of tense to future, we hear a different story, one that will be told "with a sigh" or one that will set out a deep audible breath of weariness or sorrow and "ages and ages hence" which means sometime or somewhere a long time later . At that imagined time and unspecified place, the voice will have nobly simplified and exalted the whole impetuous matter into a deliberate one of taking the "less travelled" Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. In the Robert Frost poem ''The Road Not Taken'' there is a pervasive and in many ways intrinsic sense of journey throughout. In such, the poem explores an aspect associated with human decision, or indecision, relative to the oxymoron, that choices with the least the difference should bear the most indifference, but realistically, carry the most difficulty. This is conveyed through the use of several pivotal techniques. Where the first such instance is the use of an extended metaphor, where the poem as a whole becomes a literary embodiment of something more, the journey of life. The second technique used is the writing style of first person. Where in using this, the reader can depict a clear train of thought from the walker and understand...show more content... Wherein this is the extent of the metaphor, where in this poem it is a changeable anomaly subject to the readers interpretation of taking the road less travelled and whether it be a positive (sigh of satisfaction) or negative (sigh of regret). This is all one can hope when using a metaphor relating to the readers life, that they substitute their own feelings and create their own meaning, their own attitude towards to such decisions and subsequently, such journeys. Furthermore, we have the use of first person, where the almost universal effect is to have an in–depth look into the character and their immediate response to a problem or dilemma. This poem no different, where in the first stanza we are ushered in with the use of anaphora in lines 2, 3 and 4 with the repetition of the word ''and''. This specific use of anaphora is used to create the mindset and intelligible deduction of the traveller to the events and dilemma prescribed to him. Insofar as his immediate reaction be being presented with a choice. It shows his reaction of regret in that he is ''sorry he could not travel both'' and explains what he wish he could do ''be two travellers'' but also how he initiates his decision making process ''looked down one as far as I could''. Also, the use of first person is used to connect with the reader, enforcing the affore–used notion that the reader substitutes their own personal truth into a positive Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. Reflection Paper On The Road Not Taken Response Paper "The Road Not Taken" "The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost, is probably the most recognized poem in American culture. Anyone who has graduated from middle school at least recognizes the words found in the poem's final stanza about the road less traveled and the difference it has made (Frost 20), to which the poem's perceived themes of individual empowerment, and "follow your heart" decision–making, is attributed. This considered, it's no surprise that I was considerably shocked to discover, upon inspection of the entire poem, that "The Road Not Taken" is not at all what I thought, but is in fact self–contradictory, and thereby a criticism of the nature of human beings. The first thing that I noticed as I read through the poem was that it didn't make sense because the conclusion that the narrator comes to, that he has taken the road less traveled, doesn't match up with the experience that he describes having in the woods. The narrator arrives at a fork in the road and begins to look down one as far as he can, describing it in detail. He then states that the other path was "... as just as fair," suggesting that it looks about the same (Frost 6). The narrator explains that he took the other path, considering that it sat, "... having perhaps [my emphasis added] the better claim, / Because it was grassy and wanted wear;" but quickly dismisses the thought in the following lines, "Though as for that the passing there / had worn them really about the same," (Frost Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. Poetry Essay Shamyra Thompson Liberty University Poetry Essay Outline "A Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost Thesis: In the poem "A Road Not Taken", Robert Frost shares how sometimes in life one has to make decisions rather they're good or bad. However there are consequences following one's decisions and choices. One can use their second chance by looking forward and choosing to take the right paths in life. I.Mood & Theme a.The poem's author, Robert Frost, focuses on the theme and the mood by representing the choices and decisions that have to be made. b.In the ending of the poem, regret is displayed after realizing the wrong choices were made. II.Poetic Devices & Figurative Language a.Reading this poem,...show more content... Although Robert Frost shares how sometimes in life one has to make decisions rather they're good or bad, however there are consequences following one's decisions and choices. One can use their second chance by looking forward and choosing to take the right paths in life. Mood & Theme In this poem written by author Robert Frost, the poem focuses on the theme and the mood by representing the choices and decisions that have to be made. The whole poem is based on someone who spends time throughout his traveling journey making choices and knowing that making the wrong choices can't be taken back once the choices
  • 8. and decisions have been made. In the poem Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both."(Frost, 1916) This is his way of setting the mood for the readers to get a better understanding of where he was coming from as he explains how there are different paths in life one can take, but one can only take one at a time in hopes of making the right decision. Frost developed metaphors such as "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" (Frost, 1916) throughout the poem. Poetic Devices & Figurative Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. Literary Analysis ВЃ "The Road Not Taken" Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" describes a traveler faced with a choice of which one of two roads to travel. He knows not where either road might lead. In order to continue on his journey, he can pick only one road. He scrutinizes both roads for the possibilities of where they may take him in his travels. Frost's traveler realizes that regret is inevitable. Regardless of his choice, he knows that he will miss the experiences he might have encountered on the road not taken. Images in the poem reflect the difficulties of the choice the traveler faces. The difficulty is shown in the passage "long I stood" (3)...show more content... He predicts that he will always remember this moment of choice and will be telling it "with a sigh" (16) when he is old. His choice will have made "all the difference" (20) and affected his whole journey. Frost creates a tone of inevitability that no matter what the choice, there will always be regret. Frost presents the traveler's choice of paths as a metaphor for the difficult decisions a person must make in life. The divergent paths are the choices to be made at various points along the way. Regardless of how he tries, the traveler cannot see beyond where the path is "bent in the undergrowth" (5). Likewise, nobody can predict what effect one choice will have on his life. The traveler sees the two paths as very similar or "just as fair" (6). As much as the traveler would like to return to the diverging roads, he realizes that he will not get another chance to travel the other path. With maturity comes a resignation that a choice has affected a person's life and there is no going back. He also tries to make the best of his decision by saying that it has "made all the difference." (20). In "The Road Not Taken", images of the bright woods and wide open opportunity to choose are contrasted with the indecision and regret of only being able to travel one path. Word choice and a slight sorrowful tone reinforce the theme of regret. Frost presents divergent roads as a metaphor for the choices a person must make in life. The traveler's rueful resignation that Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. Persuasive Essay On The Road Not Taken Each day we must make decisions on what we are going to do that day, or even the next day, however we come to the two roads that diverge, and the roads that diverge are significantly life changing. A poem that comes into mind is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. This poem affects me personally because I am to that point in my college career where I must decide on where I am going to further my education, do I want to major in something else, or even move out of state. The message that Frost is trying to get across is that you have options, and you come to that point in life where you must decide. Frost identifies in his first sentence of his poem that reads, "two roads diverged in a yellow wood." (Frost) Which means that we come to this "intersection" in life, therefore the human mind tries to look down as far as it allows us. Thus, we need to decide, furthermore act, and when we make a choice, we kind of regret of not taking the other option. Frost's first stanza says it all; "sorry I could not travel on both and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth." (Frost) Trying to figure out what you will be doing for the next step is life changing. Today is that big day, when you make your final decision, on what road you are going to take. When you do decide what you are going to do, you will ask yourself, did I make the right move. Frost has a fabulous way of describing real life situations in his poem, he writes; "perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear." (Frost) When Frost says, "it was grassy and wanted wear." This means when you decide on the path, you will recognize the path is "green", and you are going to follow through with the option that you decided on. When you first encounter a bad experience, you immediately start thinking about of what you could've done. Robert Frost states in the third stanza "yet knowing how way leads on the way; I doubted if I should ever come back." When you doubt something, you are uncertain about something, and when you are uncertain about it you just don't 'flip a coin', and base your move on 'heads or tails', thus you will not make an irrational decision, you will Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 11. Essay about The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about the speaker deciding which road to take. Both that were equally overlaid with un–trodden leaves. He chose one and told himself that he will take the other road on another day, but the speaker knows that the opportunity to do so are very unlikely to come up. He hoped that he will be able to recreate the scene someday in the future where he took the road less traveled by. The mood of the poem; "The Road Not Taken" is a feeling of anticipation because the traveler have to choose which road to take. The tone of this poem is satisfy with a bit of curiosity because even though the speaker wishes he could have taken both roads, the speaker is please with the one he chose. But he still wonder what...show more content... The decision itself is really not important as the aftermath of making that decision. The speaker is not satisfied about his decision, but rather regretful because he wanted to know what's on the other road and vice versa. Simply this is a human nature to regret the decision we choose in life after we made them. There are many figurative language in this poem. The one that has been the most recognize in this poem is the metaphorically use of the word road. Road is a metaphor for the decision we have to make in life. There are no right or wrong but it's not an easy decision to make. There are also personification in this poem; "Because it was grassy and wanted wear", because a road can't want something. That is a characteristic that a road can't have. Another personification is in, "And both that morning equally lay", the morning can't lay down because that's an human characteristic. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" is an imagery because it forces the reader to come up with an image in their head that incorporates yellow and wood, and the only image that the reader comes up with that makes sense is an autumnal forest. The descriptive language in this poem is amazing because it makes the reader feel like they are in the speaker's shoe in autumnal forest deciding which road to take. "The Road Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. Essay on On 'The Road Not Taken' On "The Road Not Taken" Most people believe that "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost was written to inspire people to be different, and to not follow the majority. However, the poem was actually written to gently tease one of Frost's good friends, and fellow poet, Edward Thomas. Frost and Thomas would take walks in the woods together, and Thomas would take Frost down one path and later regret not choosing a different path. This would lead one to believe that Frost is actually ridiculing the action of regretting decisions. Considering this pert nit background information, the poem's meaning can be quite contrary to popular belief. It guides the reader from the idea that Frost wants you to differentiate yourself, to a concept of...show more content... Although a decision was made to take a certain path, it is ironic that Frost described both paths as being practically the same. Perhaps Frost used the word "taken" instead of "chosen" since there was virtually no choice to be made. The way the poem has been remembered, is that one should follow one's own heart, and not what other people do. After only a brief review, it is conceivable how someone would assume the popular belief associated with the poem. However under a closer review there are many contradictions hidden within the poem. First the key concept towards the poem's popular belief is that of choosing something different. At the very end of the poem Frost writes, "I took the one less traveled by/ and that has made all the difference" (19, 20), giving the reader the impression that a rebellious decision has been made. Frost contradicts himself earlier by describing the two roads as being about the same. Towards the beginning of the poem, at the end of the second stanza Frost writes, "Though as for the passing there/ Had worn them really about the same" (9, 10), and also at the beginning of the third stanza "And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black" (11, 12), this leads the reader to believe that there isn't a big difference between the two roads, and that there is no reason to believe that one is less traveled than the other. Frost is actually saying that neither of the two roads had been Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. The Road Not Taken Although most haven't read it in its entirety, Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," is one of the most popular American poems of the twentieth century. The story is often misremembered as the tale of an adventurer who chooses the path where fewer have been. Frost begins his poem with juxtaposing two roads diverging in a wood. He cannot see very far ahead on either path. The narrator is a quintessential nonconformist when he, theoretically, "choose[s] the one less traveled by." (19) Frost presents a classic conflict: the decision between the common, easy path and the exceptional, challenging path. The road less traveled is more challenging to travel because the reader assumes there is a reason he road more traveled is more traveled for...show more content... The speaker says that both roads are equally beautiful, and also equally worn. He says he will leave the first path for another day, then admits to himself: "Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back." (14–15) The speaker never fully rules out taking the road less traveled, and never officially denies that he will come back. Yet, he admits to himself that one choice leads to another and most likely he will never journey back to the fork and be faced with the same decision. The speaker anticipates the regret he will feel when "telling this with a sigh" (16) based on his decision no matter which path he takes. But in the last stanza the speaker argues he should not feel any regret because it does not matter either way. The narrator says how he will someday look back and claim "with a sigh" that choosing the "one less traveled ... made all the difference." He knows that he will comfort himself by saying that the choices he has made have lead to the place he is in his life, when, in reality, his position is a combination of his choices and chance. He knows that his choice was really arbitrary, and his destiny will likely not be impacted his outcome either way. In this last stanza, the speaker acknowledges the stereotype of the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. The Road Not Taken Choices of Life All people are travelers, all choosing their paths on a map of their life. "The great thing about man for Frost is that he has the power of standing still where he is." There is never a straight road there are always curves and turns in which one must encounter and act upon. Readers can interpret the poem "The Road Not Taken" in many ways. It is a persons past, present and the way one see things, which determines their choices and paths they follow. This poem shows how Frost believes that it is the road that you choose that makes you the person you are. Decisions are always hard to make. It is impossible not to wonder what would have happened before you made your decision and what could have happened after you made your...show more content... When the traveler is about to make his decision he "looks down one as far as I could". The road leads to the unknown, as do choices in life. When he looks at the paths he does not know where they lead, nor does he have any knowledge of what he will encounter. He must choose which path he will take and which one he will leave behind, the same way you decide what to choose in any choice of life. "Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim," There is a reason that the path he chooses had the better claim "it was grassy and wanted wear;" It was not a path for everyone because the other path was more worn and most people had traveled that one. He calls the path he chose "the road less traveled by". The traveler's choice reflects his personality. It shows that he is an individual and does not follow the crowd. He wants to do what is different. "And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black." The leaves had covered the ground and since the time they had fallen no one has passed on the road. Frost does this because each time a person comes to the point where they have to make a choice, it is new to them, somewhere they have never been, and they feel like no one else has either. "I kept the first for another day!" The desire to travel both paths is not unusual, but "knowing how way leads on to way", the speaker of this poem realizes that the decision is not a temporary one and he "doubted if he Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. The Road Not Taken Essay 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 opens the door for many interpretations. In using a simple fork in a road, Frost writes much to symbolize life and choices in which one will make. Frost uses unique ability to see an ordinary, everyday activity to portray such a theme. By using such simple endeavors, Frost reaches his audience on a more personal level. However, it is only one's past, present and the attitude with which he or she looks upon the future that determines the shade of light in which the poem will be...show more content... It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and where the road will take him. Then as we close out the first stanza, we establish that yet 'one'; road has been 'looked down'; as far as possible. However, the use of the semicolon after 'undergrowth'; initiates a turn of the head to lead into the examination of the other road. (pg133) 'Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim.'; What seems to have made it such a better claim is that 'it was grassy and wanted wear.'; It was a road obviously not for everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other often traveled path. Therefore, Frost calls this 'the road less traveled by.'; The simple fact that the traveler chooses to take this path over the frequently chosen path,indicates the type of personality in the traveler. It shows that the individual is one to not particularly follow the crowd but sets him apart from the rest by doing something new and unique. It is often called 'the path of least resistance.'; In being somewhat of an easier way with less obstacles to overcome. 'And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black.'; The leaves had somewhat covered the ground and since the time they had fallen no one had yet to travel on this road. Perhaps Frost does this to show that each time a person comes to a point where they have to make a choice, it is new to them. It envisions that it is somewhere the traveler has never been. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. The Meaning Of The Road Not Taken Essay In this generation, people copy other people by their actions and the things that they buy. During school, most girls wear the same shoes, and they think it is cool to own expensive well–known shoes such as Nike and Addidas. Shoes are shoes at the end my point is why don't people just do their own thing and buy what they love, not what they assume to love. Well, the poem the road not taken by Robert frost is about two roads, let's say the right is travelled by most people and the left is travelled by less people. I am a person that likes to be different and unique and I am against people who like to copy other people. When social media was created a while ago, people would always stick with something was trending, especially now, just because a celebrity bought hoverboard; a self–balancing two wheeled board, that doesn't mean that everybody should get it. Social media caused all of this and made people waste money on the stupidest things that instead we could all make something better and more meaningful to help the world be a better world not worse. The road not taken relates to me in so many different ways and it explains things that I see around me. It has a deep meaning of what life is now....show more content... And I would try turning it into something even better than what is trending. Sometimes I buy plain shirts and put on my favorite picture on the internet, and if people asked me from where I bought it, I would say I made it by myself and I could inspire them to make their own shirts. Sometimes i wish if I was like a celebrity and do all of the things that celebrities do, they get what they want and everything is right in front of them, other times I want to be cool and wear all of the expensive and trendy stuff, but being yourself is the best feeling a person could ever Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. The Road Not Taken The most common interpretation of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is that the speaker is trying to decide which road to take. Does he want to take the road that everyone else takes because it is easier and all the clearing has been done for him, or does he want to take a chance and take the road less traveled and he has to clear his own path? The poet is trying to convey a much deeper meaning. The poem is an excellent example of the use of symbolism .The poet uses the two roads to symbolize choices made in life. The yellow road indicates that the poem is taking place in autumn, which denotes that the speaker is in the later years of his life. The use of these simple images emphasizes that no matter how simple or unimportant a choice may...show more content... Nature in this poem sets the scene and can hold a metaphorical meaning as well. "TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood," (line 1) sets the scene, the speaker tells the reader the woods are yellow, so we can conclude that the poem is taking place in autumn. This could be a metaphor for the time in the speaker's life that he is making this decision. The fall of his life when he is beginning to get old." To where it bent in the undergrowth;" (line 5), the reader finds out the woods must be pretty thick, because the road can disappear in the undergrowth, could represent an aspect of the speaker's future that he is unsure of." And having perhaps the better claim,/Because it was grassy and wanted wear"(lines 7–8) the speaker is bias in favor of nature, he thinks one path may be better than the other because fewer people have worn it down. These lines are a metaphor for a decision that is less commonly made." And both that morning equally lay/in leaves no step had trodden black, (lines 11–12) here the reader sees autumn images continue. It appears that it is morning time. There is a contradiction to an earlier claim that one path is less traveled. The lines tell the reader the leaves have just fallen masking that the path was more or less traveled. Metaphorically this points out there is ultimately no way to tell which choice is Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essays The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost In his poem "The Road Not Taken" Frost's theme is about how the choices one makes affect life. When we come to a fork in the road, a decision needs to be made. Both paths are different and choosing the right one – if there is a right one – will depend on where we have been. Each choice that we make plays out differently in our lives. We can look back and wonder what would have happened if we choose differently. But that is outweighed in what we would have missed. Each choice affects who we are, where we are going, and moreover our lives. The persona had two roads to chose from and wonders what would have happened had he taken the other road. Frost's title reflects this. The first three...show more content... And that at this point in time one of the roads must be chosen. After the choice of roads is described and considered, Frost writes "Oh, I kept the first for another day! /Yet knowing how way leads on to way, /I doubted if I should ever come back." This is where the narrator makes his choice. Here, he knows he is bound by that choice. He wants to hold on to the other possibility, but knows this cannot be. His choice becomes the road taken. The choice he did not make, becomes "The Road Not Taken." He takes the other road that is "grassy and wanted wear." The road he chooses has a "better claim," because it is the road that is less traveled on. By taking this road, a clue to his personality is revealed. He is the type of person that wants to try something new and different. He makes the choice based on who he is and what choices he has made in the past. Knowing that this choice will again change his life and bring him new experiences. In the third stanza, the image of the leaves that cover the ground have not been stepped on and "no step had trodden black," indicates that no one has walked down the road since the leaves have fallen, therefore describing a road not traveled. That path does not fit who he is at this juncture in life. "I kept the first for another day," relates to his desire to travel down both paths. "knowing how way leads on to Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Road Not Taken Thesis The poem I have selected for my topic is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874. He was Born in San Francisco, his father, William Prescott Frost Jr., and his mother, Isabelle Moodie, moved there shortly after getting married in Pennsylvania. Robert's dad died from tuberculosis when he was eleven years of age. He then moved in with his mother and sister, Jeanie, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His only sister, Jeanie, was two years younger than him, at the age of nine when he moved in with them. Whenever he was in high school he started picking up the hobby of reading in writing. He graduated high school and attended Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire. He then enrolled to Harvard University Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 20. The Road Not Taken In life, we are often faced with tough challenges and decisions to make. In the poem, "The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost, He demonstrates how the way one handles major difficult decisions, affects the outcome of life. The poem consists of 4 stanzas which each have a slightly different purpose to the poem; however, the first and second stanzas both have the same effect. Firstly, in the first stanza, Frost describes standing at an open road that splits into two separate paths: "two roads diverged in a yellow wood". He goes on to say how he wishes we could try going down both paths to see where each ones leads. The two paths represent two different ways he could go about living his life. When he says: "And I looked down one as far as I could" he's referring to how he tried his best to find all the pros and cons of one of the two possible options. In the second stanza, Frost decides now to look on at the other path, or to consider the second option he has: "Then took the other, as just as fair". The words "perhaps having the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear could mean a choice that wasn't exactly normal, or made much sense but he wanted to pursue it anyways. These stanzas present the readers with the situation and bring out the idea of having a tough decision to make, which links to the first half of the theme. ...show more content... He realizes that either paths, or decisions, have an equal amount of pros and cons, therefore are about the same: "And both that morning equally lay". He then reveals that he wants to come back and take the other path someday: "Oh, I kept the first for another day!" But shortly thereafter realizes that it probably won't be possible to come back. Because usually one path leads to another and eventually, it ends up being too far in the past to go back to where everything Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 21. The Road Not Taken The poem my group and I chose to annotate was Robert Frosts "The Road Not Taken". We chose this poem because it is one of the most widely recognized poems of all time. The assignment was a bit complex in my opinion, especially when it came to part two the write up part. Part 1 was a good experience being that it was a group assignment. I had a fantastic team, and we each shared a part in annotating the poem. We each had a role in the annotation of the poem, we took two parts of speech each to identify in the poem and we rotated roles as well. The difficult part was trying to identify main verbs from adverbs, and adverbs from adjective. In our poem, we managed to find all the parts of speech listed that we have been working with over the last few weeks of class. The poem yet simple as it seems, it is a bit more complex than it appears to be. It poem uses symbolism and metaphors, the ability to say one thing and mean another. The poem has four stanzas, twenty lines, three sentences and it uses simple words but has a complex structure. The poem uses the metaphor of a path that can be compared to life, and a similar path that represents choice. Both paths appear to be tempting to the speaker in the second line...show more content... I especially had a difficult time figuring out the complex sentences. The first sentence in the poem is a bit long, it is about twelve lines and I did not know one sentence could be that long and still be considered a sentence. It took me a while to dissect and really get the understanding of the poem itself. Stanzas 1 and 2 were the most difficult structures to mark. The hardest part of speech to identify was the adverbs when doing this activity/ assignment. Adverbs and adjective identification can sometimes be difficult, but in this particular poem, it was the main verb and adverbs. In the first line of stanza one, "diverged" was a word I was not sure if I it was a main verb or an Get more content on HelpWriting.net