break down of the poem "The road not taken." by Robert Frost

1. The road not taken

2. Introduction:
 Here are some facts about me:
 I am a third year student. I am
studying with the University of
Johannesburg.
 I am originally from Kimberley
and I finished my schooling at
Northern Cape high.
 My majors are English Home
language and
Neurodevelopment

3. At the end of the lesson you should be
able to:
 Identify parts of speech
 Analyse in the poem
 Pick up on double meaning (literally/
figuratively)

4. What do we usually pay attention to when
we analyze poetry…
Name 5 things

5. Todays lesson
 We will be covering:
“The road not taken. “ – by Robert frost
Background of the poem:
This poem is not about literal road. The poet talks about
the decisions that we make and the ones we don’t are
classified as the road not taken
The poet describes his feelings about the choice that
he had left behind and how the one he chose had
shaped his life.

6. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Robert Frost- American poet.

7. Let’s break it down
 Stanza 1
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
 Two roads”- indicating the two choices
that the poet has to make.
 “and looked down one as far as I could.”-
we can imagine the speaker standing on
his toes looking down the path, trying to
get a clear view of what his future might
be.
 “It bent in the undergrowth.”- the bend in
the road represents how unpredictable the
road might be

8. Stanza 2
 Take note:
 Antithesis: Meaning direct opposite, take note
how the poet mentions that both of these
roads are fair meaning that they are the same
yet in line 7 he says that he has “ chosen the
better claim
 The traveller takes the better claim. He takes
the road that is more “grassy” and not “worn
out” by travellers
 The last two lines: refers to the spot where the
travellers stop, they move their feet trying to
make a decision that is why it is worn out.
“Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same”

9. Stanza 3
 The opening lines of this stanza also refers to
the two roads spoken about in stanza one.
 “Oh, I kept the first for another day”- the
speakers intention is to come back and travel
the other road he had not taken but the irony
is that he will not be able to go back to the
past to change his decision.
 (line 13) The exclamation mark in this line
puts emphasis on the speakers regret.
 “Yet”- the speaker knows that he wont be able
to alter his decision.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step has trodden back.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

10. Stanza 4
 The sigh- indicates regret
 A colon “ : “ indicates that an explanation will
follow.
 The speaker exercises freedom of choice by
using the repetition of “I “ meaning that he
made the choice.
 The speaker found himself on a road that is
not popular therefore it is less travelled.
I will be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

11. Outro:
 Any comments regarding the poem.
 Once again a reminder this is not a literal road the poem talks about…( learners summarise)
Thank you for listening