“ The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost
The poem, "The Road not Taken" by Robert Frost follows the path of choices and the consequences options have to human life and molds a theme that posits that life is made of decisions we make and we either spend the rest of our lives proud of our choices or regretting about the decisions we made. Essentially the poet posits that choices define our destinies. The persona spends some time when he comes to a fork in the road and when he has to make a choice about it. Ultimately he has to make one choice that he may spend the rest of his life proud of or wondering what would have happened if he had made the alternative decision. Eventually, he is proud of the decision he made because it made all the difference in his life. However, it is not said whether the decision he made was for better or for worse.
The poem contains a natural setting in which the persona is standing in the woods in front of two roads that diverge, and he has to decide the way to take. It begins with the words "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," painting the dilemma that the persona faces (Frost, 2019). Additionally, the persona gives the impression of color when he says the roads diverged in a yellow wood. Moreover, the author includes such details as a traveler on the road and grassy road. In the third verse, he says “In leaves, no step had trodden black," and this line paints a picture of the color of the footpath and offers the impression that many people pass through it (Frost, 2019).
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The poet employs the use of symbolism to a great extent, and this helps in shaping the meaning of the poem. For instance, the poet says, "Sorry, I could not travel both roads and be one traveler, long I stood (Frost, 2019)." The symbolic meaning of this poem is that the persona only had one choice to make, and he made the right choice. The symbol of decision making is reminiscent of the fact that people are faced with many circumstances in life that forces them to make decisions. In the last line of the poem, the persona says, "and that has made all the difference," and this means he is happy with the decision he made (Frost, 2019). Although the poem does not reveal to the reader the type of choice the persona made, it shows that he was happy with whatever decision he made.
Overall, the poem follows a mood of hope and anticipation in the future. The persona is at a pivotal time of his life, and he is engaged in making a decision that is likely to change his life. The title is significant in shaping the theme of the poem because it tells the story of decision making and the crucial role choices make, and that is the same thing the verse speaks about. The poem employs a rich use of symbolism to explain the circumstances of the persona. For instance, the persona paints the road less taken a "grassy and wanted wear" meaning it was undesirable to his eyes. Besides the rich use of rhyme and intonation, the poem uses rhythm, assonance, and consonance in all its progression.
Reference
Frost, R. (2019). The Road not Taken . Retrieved from Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken
