Essay Analysis of The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost

Just as Conrad conveys the creation of one’s own path subconsciously in Marlow, the poem “Road not taken” by Robert Frost explores this idea, represented my literal paths and an alternate, unspoken third path. The metaphor of the physical journey shows the moral growth in the protagonist. The poem is written in first person, giving it a very personal and reflective tone, expressing a pivotal moment in the persona’s life. The use of andante, the flowing rhythm establishes a conversational tone. The rhyme scheme is simple and effective throughout the poem, however, it changes in the final stanza. By implementing a new scheme here, the final thought of reflection is emphasized. The "less traveled" road is symbolic of the gamble of choosing a more individual path in life, the protagonist’s own road. This can be compared to the quote by Antonio Machado, “Travelers, there is no path, paths are made by walking.” This quote exemplifies the fact that walking the path is more important than

Robert Frost, a renowned American poet, is regarded as one of the most influential and successful poets of the twentieth century. Frost’s popularity is derived most notably from the colloquial, descriptive language he uses in his poems and the impactful themes he portrays throughout them. The popularity of Frost’s poems also emerges from the interest that is sparked by his ability to “fool” the reader and hide the true meaning behind his words. One of the most acknowledged of Frost’s poems is “The Road Not Taken”, which exemplifies his colloquial language and establishment of a complex theme; without Frost’s use of diction and tone throughout the work, the poem would not have nearly the same impression on the reader.

In “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, we are given a piece of art that simply will leave you clueless unless, you understand the pain and frustration the man is going through; when choosing what route he feels will give him the most joy. In the poem a man is walking through the woods and he comes upon a fork. He who wants to take both roads chooses the route that he feels is traveled less on. Little does he know that both road have been equally traveled on. He who travels on the route that has fresher leaves lies to himself, by convincing himself that he will come back and take the other route. Though it was a very stressful and a hard decision for the man to make, many people are put into very similar situations like in John Updike’s A and P and as well as in James Joyce’s Eveline. Both Sammy and Eveline find it troubling to make a decision that will change their life completely.

Furthermore, poetry, and the personification of poetry, conversations with old friends and family, should not need a special occasion, rather it should “ride the bus” with patience for the stops before your own and the understanding of other’s needs before your own (line 13). You can also say the bus can represent the speed at which life passes you by and how easy it is to miss something if you are not paying attention, or even, that these missed moments have a poem to help you along your long journey home. With the use of

Robert Frosts “The Road Not Taken” is more symbolic of a choice one must make in their life in attempt to foresee the outcome before reaching the end, than it is about choosing the right path in the woods.

The analysis of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost has been up for debate since the poem release in 1916. It is known to be one of the most frequently misinterpreted poems of all time, and even Robert Frost himself has said the poem is “tricky” to comprehend (The). When analyzing this poem many readers tend to focus only on the last lines of the poem and get caught in a trap of selective-interpretation. Quite a few people after reading Robert Frost’s poem firmly conclude that this poem is about non-conformity and individualism, however, that is not the case. Robert Frost’s poem is meant to be analyzed line by line for a complete interpretation. Readers can conclude that the poem represents making choices in life, but that is not the

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

The metaphor transfers the journey from a physical one. The persona is confronted with the choice of two roads, both fairly similar ‘two roads diverged in a yellow wood’, and must decide which one he wants to travel. This is similar to Lewis’s situation where he has to decide between politics, and true love and fidelity and which is more important. The persona, with ultimately choosing the one that was ‘grassy and wanted wear’ and the ‘ one less travelled by’. He wanted to break away from the norm and experience something new. This road may be more rewarding despite the fact it presents more challenges. The inner journey is depicted through the use of language techniques such as, extended metaphor, first person pronoun, repetition and symbolism.

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?(3.14,15). 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.?(5.20)

Critics generally agree that its central theme is the speaker’s dilemma in choosing between the allure of nature and the responsibilities of everyday life in human society. However, the ambiguity of the poem has led to extensive critical debate. Some conclude that the speaker chooses, by the end of the poem, to resist the temptations of nature and return to the world of men. Others, however, argue that the speaker’s repetition of the last line “And miles to go before I sleep” (Frost) suggests an indecisiveness as to whether or not he will in fact, “keep” the “promises” by which he is obligated to return to society. (Vol.39.Gale Cengage)

Each stanza describes the dilemma the speaker is feeling from the anxiousness of having to decide which path to take. The first stanza describes his desire to not have to make a choice. The second stanza dwells on the differences in the paths. By the time of the third

It is difficult for the narrator to decide which road to take due to his inquisitive nature and his desire to explore and experience as much as he can in life. The narrator laments he was "sorry I could not travel both" (Frost, 1916, 2). However, the narrator makes a calculated decision when he chooses his road, taking into careful consideration what each road represents and the opportunities that will arise if he takes one road or another. The narrator

At the beginning of this work, the idea of conflict displays itself in the author. In line two of the poem,

This is a wonderful poem with many different themes and ideas. One of the biggest themes is not being afraid to take a chance. Some of the other themes include, not following the crowd, trying new things, and standing for something. This poem stated that the author "took the one (road) less traveled by, and that has made all the difference" so the author is telling the reader that we too should not be afraid to take another path.

“The Road Not Taken” is a poem that involves a common dilemma faced in every single life. Robert Frost wrote the poem trying to explain to his friend Edward Thomas that he took the best decision in his life taking the road least travel. His friend misunderstood Frost intentions and after read the poem, he took the other road in his life and it made all the difference. Instead of travel to America and be a great professor, Thomas felt the sensation of be an unsuccessful writer and a non-patriotic citizen which help him to take the decision of enlist during the war. After taking the other road in his life, he finishes with his life during the war. The poem creates a connection with the reader because the situation presented emphasizes the life of any person. Every person is forced to decide a path and the decision made it, will always make a difference. The result of a person's character or life is related in the decisions made it during his or her life. In “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost uses different types of conflicts, character versus self, character versus nature, character versus society, to show how the path taken in life makes all the difference.