Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken - Essay Example

Explication Essay on Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” “The Road Not Taken” is a complex but meaningful poem written in 1916 by the American poet, Robert Frost. The poem is made of four stanzas of five lines and uses ABAAB rhyme scheme. The poem is a metaphor of life in which Frost presents the dilemma about the difficult choices or decisions one may have to make throughout life. Frost employs various literary devices to express the complexity of that choice and the impact it may have on the person’s life. Through rhyme, diction, imagery, symbols and figurative language Frost demonstrates that life is about choices but also foregrounds the importance of evaluating each option carefully before having to make the final decision. Faced with the difficult option to choose between the two roads in front of him, the speaker realizes that he is compelled to make a choice since he cannot travel both; however, he is uncertain about the outcome of the choice he may have to make. Frost’s poem shows that even though people are faced with difficult choices every day in their lives and that they have the freedom to willingly opt for any possibility, they are nevertheless uncertain about the outcome of any decision. This uncertainty makes the reader go for the less traveled by road even though common sense would want any traveler to take the most traveled by path. The first and introductory stanza presents the dilemma of the speaker who comes across two roads and then realizes he has a tough decision to make. The presence of these two different paths puts him in a delicate situation in which he has to make a choice because physically he cannot take both. The speaker observes: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood / And sorry I could not travel both” (1. 1-2). The contrast in the roads intensifies the speaker’s indecision and reveals the complexity of the choice. Even though the speaker is facing two roads, Frost brings a deeper reflection about life and the decisions people may have to make in their daily lives. Despite the fact that the speaker feels sorry about the situation, he soon realizes he cannot travel both and, therefore, has to make a choice. Making decisions is part of people’s lives, and Frost emphasizes the opportunity people have to make that choice. However, he also focuses on the difficulty of that choice when the speaker states: “And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth” (1. 3-5). This long observation indicates a careful examination of the practicability of such a road and the chances the speaker may have to travel safely and arrive at his destination. However, Frost invokes a more thorough reflection that needs to precede any decision making. Even though people have the opportunity and the ability to make choices, Frost invites them to evaluate their chances before making hasty decisions. The second stanza not only introduces the second road but also compares and contrasts both roads. After having carefully examined the first road, the speaker also evaluates the second one in order to weigh his chances. The speaker reveals: “Then took the other, as just as fair, / And having perhaps the better claim, / Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (2. 6-8). This thorough observation of both roads gives the speaker the opportunity to have an insight about the structure of each road but also leads him to notice that the second road is grassy. Through this description, Frost encourages people to always evaluate their chances and ponder over them in order to determine the strength and weakness of each option before choosing or disregarding any. Because choices may have long lasting effects on people’s lives, Frost foregrounds the importance of the decision-making process. However, even though the second road is grassy, both roads seem to have been used about the same. The speaker indicates: “Though as for that the passing there / Had worn them really about the same” (2. 9-10). Despite the fact that this revelation seems to contradict the statements made in the last stanza about a less traveled by road, this near similarity about the paths reveals the difficulty of the choice. Frost warns people about the confusion that may precede any choice because the options are not always clear and may cause interrogations and uncertainties. The third stanza highlights the similitude between the two roads and the speaker’s decision to choose the second one. During that morning, the speaker sees both roads as similar since nobody has preceded him on that day, as the spread out leaves reveal. The speaker notes: “And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black” (3. 11-12). The roads present no difference to the speaker who finds them the same in that morning. The unsoiled leaves covering both paths indicate that the speaker is the first traveler to undertake those roads that morning. Frost draws people’s attention to the difficulty of the decision-making process that sometimes does not present any hint to facilitate the choice. When both options are similar, it becomes overwhelming to identify weaknesses and strength because these features may be hidden and not be visible to the person. Without a proper understanding of each option, any choice may just be a gamble with potential risks. However, despite the difficulty the speaker comes out with a decision: “Oh, I kept the first for another day” (3. 13). The speaker chooses to travel the grassy road and hopes to undertake the other one next time. Frost emphasizes the necessity to make a choice whatever the complexity of the situation; he also points out the opportunity people have to make choices but also the responsibility involved with decision-making. The speaker adds: “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back” (3. 14-15). Despite his choice, the speaker is not certain about the outcome of his decision and even doubts about this eventual return. Through this doubt, Frost alludes to the uncertainty behind decision making. Even though people have to make decisions and are even encouraged to evaluate their chances, they are not assured about the success of the adventure. However, this uncertainty should not discourage people from making decisions which convey an important part of their personality trait. The last stanza is the conclusion of the poem and expresses an eventual relief the speaker may experience long after he made his choice. Despite the difficulty of the choice, the speaker seems to have made the right choice as this sigh of relief indicates. The speaker envisioned reflecting on his choice of the less traveled by road years after what seemed to be a gamble: 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. (4. 16-20) This projection in the future seems to be unrealistic; however, the speaker appears to be pleased with the choice he made. The courage and determination to take the road less traveled by explains his sigh of relief as the last line seems to indicate that the experience has been successful. It would have been wiser for any traveler to take the road more traveled by in the hope that others have already undertaken the trip and made it safely. However, his decision to take the less traveled by road shows he was ready to face the challenges. Through this experience, Frost emphasizes the uncertainty about any decision people may have to make; the most important aspect is to go ahead and choose and not worry about the outcome. Even though it is up to the speaker to choose, he does not have any control over the outcome and cannot predict whether or not the experience will be successful. The main theme of the poem is about life choices and how people make these decisions. Even though the poem deals literally with roads, Frost refers to the decisions people have to make in their lives. Through the similar roads he makes it clear that the choice is not easy and takes more courage and sometimes even requires unusual measures. These decisions may be as simple as choosing a road to drive through or buying a car, or as complex as choosing a life partner or a career. Frost focuses on people’s ability to make decisions which grants them much credit and reveals their strong personality. This ability to make decisions distinguishes people who dare to face challenges from those who refuse to take that responsibility. However, Frost does not emphasize whether or not the choice is good because the outcome may depend on other factors out of the person’s control. Even though he encourages people to evaluate their chances before making a final commitment, he understands that the success is not guaranteed. The speaker’s decision to take the less traveled by path conflicts with the norm and demonstrates his willingness to face challenges. However, as the title of the play reveals, he is paying attention to the other road even though he knows that he cannot travel both. Despite the fact that the speaker anticipates a potential success, Frost foregrounds people’s ability to make choices and assume them regardless of the existing pressure. The poem is structured around the rhyme scheme ABAAB; however, its rhythm and meter are more complicated and do not follow a regular pattern. This irregularity reflects the speaker’s unusual choice when he decides to depart from the expected norm and follow his own path. The poem uses short lines but long stanzas, and this contrast also relates to the speaker’s decision making process as he evaluates the difference between the two roads. Moreover, the poem employs figurative language and the most important of which is the metaphor. The whole poem is a metaphor about life choices and the word “road” by itself is also a metaphor representing the decisions people may make about their lives. Even though the word is literally used to represent the road the speaker may physically travel by, metaphorically it refers to the choices people make in life. The image of the road is overwhelmingly present throughout the whole poem to express the complexity of making decisions. Besides, the forest or nature in general is also used as a symbol to convey the message. Frost employs the forest and its various components to translate this image of the traveler compelled to make a choice in order to set up a deeper reflection about choices. The paths, the leaves, the bushes and the yellow wood all contribute to the mood Frost needed to express the speaker’s dilemma. However, even though the setting is very important and efficiently helps to convey the meaning of the poem, Frost goes beyond a real forest and deals with people’s choices in general. Another important aspect of the poem is the diction because the choice of words conveys the sound in the play. When the speaker talks about “yellow wood” in the first line, he is referring to the autumn when leaves turn yellow. This color symbolizes decay and contrasts with spring that means rebirth. That yellow color may have explained why the speaker chooses the other path instead of taking this road. The word “undergrowth” in line 5 refers to the bushes under which the road was bent. These bushes may also have contributed to the speaker’s decision not to take this road. The speaker also uses “perhaps” in line 7 to express his doubt even after he chooses to take this road. This uncertainty reveals that he is not sure to have made the best decision. Moreover, the phrase “wanted wear” in line 8 indicates that the road has not been used and shows that the speaker is taking risks to choose a path not traveled by. The word “morning” in line 11 gives us an indication of the time and reveals that the action takes place in the morning. This early trip also shows that the speaker has a sense of purpose which explains why he decides to choose the road not traveled by. When the speaker states: “Yet knowing how way leads on to way” (3. 14) he expresses the uncertainty about the outcome of the trip. He definitely does not know if the experience will be successful or not, and he even insinuates that the trip may lead to some problems or the speaker getting lost. Besides, the word “sigh” in line 16 brings some hope and save the speaker from a very difficult and uncertain situation. Even though the stanza represents a projection in the future and anticipates an action that has not happened, the sigh of relief indicates that the speaker’s experience may have been successful. Furthermore, the last line “And that has made all the difference” confirms the hope or even the success of the trip. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is a poem about life choices and points out the opportunities people have to make decisions. Through the format, the meaning and the literary devices, the poem succeeds in conveying the complexity of making choices. Each element contributes in its own way in the accomplishment of the expected effects. The speaker’s indecision and uncertainty are supplemented by a courageous decision to take the road less traveled by and even expect a happy outcome. Even though his decision comes as a surprise to the reader who expects him to take the more traveled by road, the speaker deserves credit for daring to face challenges. Frost’s purpose for this poem goes beyond simple roads and reaches the choices people make in life. He targets people’s ability to make decisions and praises the opportunity they have of doing so. Even if the title seems to indicate that the road not taken plays a key role in the poem, the speaker is aware that he cannot travel both and has to make a choice. Frost draws attention to this vital necessity to make choices that is tremendously important in people’s lives. Work Cited Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” An Introduction to Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. Boston: Longman, 2011. 752-53. Print. Read More