Road Not Taken Essay, Research Paper

?The Road Not Taken?

Throughout much of Robert Frost?s poetry, he as a writer uses much of nature?s aspects to allow his readers to get a better perception of life itself. He refers to nature as well to help explain the various levels of life. Much of Frost?s poetry relates to the major concerns of life such as the fragility of life, the consequences of accepting or rejecting the conditions of one?s life, the passion of inconsolable grief, and the difficulty of sustaining intimacy. His subjects, as well, consist of the fear of loneliness and isolation, the inevitability of change, the tensions between the individual and society, as well as the place of tradition and custom (Frost 975). From the sounds of birds, the feel of ice cold snow, to the sounds of branches blowing and crackling in the wind Frost uses setting, characters, and situations to make up the subject matter to produce his poetry. In Robert Frost?s poem, ?The Road Not Taken? Frost uses simplicity and one of nature?s aspects, two grassy diverging worn roads, to symbolize life?s decisions and which path one may take throughout their journey of existence.

?The Road Not Taken? simply tells the story of life itself. We are all given a choice of life. Which direction we will take or go is a difficulty that many of us as individuals will face. Which one looks better, which one seems better, and which one is the right path to go upon are questions for all but can never be given a direct answer, because we are all granted two words: A CHOICE! Many may make the right decision in life that they may feel completely confident and satisfied with in the end, while others may have taken the path less fortunate. In ?The Road Not Taken? Frost uses symbolism in the sense that there are two diverging roads to symbolize life?s journey. Which one will you take? In the lines:

And sorry I could not travel 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 is allowing his readers to realize how hard it was for the traveler to make his decision on which road to take, and how he was carefully studying the two roads to help him make that final important decision. Although the roads shared similar qualities both sharing a grassy appearance and little to no wear at all, in the line ?Oh, I kept the first for another day? I now realize that the traveler chose the second of the two diverging roads. Because ?it was grassy and wanted wear? this road seemed to be the right one to take.

The lines, ?Yet not knowing how way leads on to way? and ?I doubted if I should ever come back? simply means that although the traveler knew not which direction the chosen path would have taken him, upon his travel he never doubted his final choice no matter what the consequences may have been. In the following stanza:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This stanza provides us with the traveler?s outlook on the choice he made. He is completely satisfied that he chose this path, although it was the one less traveled by.

Frost sums this story of life up by stating, ?And that has made all of the difference.?

In my interpretation of this ending line Frost is allowing us to realize that the decisions you make in life should be considered with much thought. Act upon your instinct not what may be more persuading. The traveler now looks back and is still content with the decision he has made. The road he has chosen only made a positive impact on his life, and there is no doubt to have taken the other. The ?sigh? within the last stanza signifies the final relief that the character truly believes he has made the right choice.

In much of Frost?s works nature is his subject matter used to symbolize our lives in general. He uses patterns of rhythm, idioms, and tone to set the theme for his poetry. In the poem ?The Road Not Taken? Frost uses a rhyme scheme of abaab which allows us, as his readers, to read and flow through the poem more smoothly. He uses forms of assonance as well, by using words like yellow/wood, diverged/traveled, and stood/wood.

In my opinion this poem is simply more than just about a choice made in life. It about choosing the right choice. Although something may look or seem like the right thing to do it may not be. Before making a choice make sure you can live with it consequences as well as be proud and satisfied in the end with the choice you have made. Everyone faces situations in life that may have a major impact upon one?s life. From choosing a college, to getting married are all decisions. Everyone wants to make the right choice! We all face the many downfalls that life seems to kindly offer, as well as,

the many positive aspects life can offer. Face it we all want the best. This poem is quiet inspirational in the sense that one traveler came across two paths. Which one should he choose which one will he take? By choosing that path less followed it has made his life that much better. And after years have passed the speaker with in the poem is still satisfied. The truth is we all will make wrong decisions. I?m sure all of us have. But, Frost in this poem somehow reminds us to look at one major right decision we have made. With life?s choices, good or bad, comes lessons we will learn that may better ourselves as individuals. We are all offered the many opportunities of life, whether good or bad. For the character in ?The Road Not Taken? he has chosen the right path. The question of life now should be which one will you choose?