Irony in Robert Frosts The Road Less Taken - Essay Example

The irony gets depicted in the last stanza when the persona looks back at the choices he made from a time in the future. This puts more meaning to it than there were initially. There was no difference between the roads as they were equal (Frost 12). Even though he heaved a sigh of relief, it is ironic that he still could not stand making the decision to take the road less traveled. This is derisive because he was not being honest with himself about a choice he had made back in time. It is ironic that the persona tells the story with a sigh when he should be proud of the difference brought by taking the road less traveled.

The irony in the last stanza indicates that it is not about taking the less traveled road, but about making a choice on the road and living by it. The persona in the poem ironically tells the story of taking a less traveled road with a sigh (Frost 12). This is contrary to the fact that he should tell the story with a sense of pride because it made a monumental impact on his life. This shows that he has not come to terms with making the decision on the road less traveled. Another instance of irony in the last stanza is when the persona emphasizes that in the future he would tell the story of two roads that diverged in the woods. This shows that the decision-making burden was all on him and he made a choice of taking the less traveled road. The irony is that the persona appears not to live with the decision to take the less-traveled road.

The interpretation of the last stanza in the poem highlights someone looking back on how ecstatic he is for taking the less traveled road. The first line of the stanza, however, illustrates a person who is not happy with the decision he made earlier in life. This shows that he could not live with the decision he had made on the roads that appeared somewhat the same (Frost 12). The irony gets further revealed through these reflections of one making decisions about life that is unconventional but may be ideal for one’s situation. By taking the less traveled road, one could learn new things unlike the existence on the obvious road. In this case, the persona took the less traveled road, but ironically this did not make him happy. The persona took the road to individuality, and it made a difference in his life. Thus, he tells the story with a sigh, of a decision that counted for the difference.