Eng 125 Week 1 Assignment
The poem “The road not taken” by Robert Frost outlines a scenario every human being on the planet has encountered. The images and emotions evoked are masterfully woven into the style that Frost used. Using the formalist approach this poem is easily stripped down to the intent of sharing a common decision making process with the readers. Robert Frost is able to skillfully use writing techniques to share a common experience of which road to take in life and create a poem that evokes those memories every time. In “The road not taken” the use of vivid imagery was employed to create a realistic environment within the imagination. An image is defined as “A distinct representation of something that can be experienced and understood through the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste), or the representation of an idea. Writers use precise language in developing images, or imagery, in literature.” (Clugston, 2010). Some of the images that Robert Frost uses in his poem “The road not taken” can be seen in the lines “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” and “in leaves no steps had trodden black” (cited in Clugston, 2010). These lines easily paint a picture in the imagination of a setting that the reader can visualize and interact with. Robert Frost also uses the persona element. This is defined a character assumed by an author in a written work ("Merriam-Webster dictionary,”). When it is used in analyzing literature, persona refers to the narrator in a story or the speaker in a poem, who may or may not reflect the perspective of the author (Clugston, 2010). This is used by Frost to allow the reader to experience the poem as one that each person goes through. The poem captured my interest through the use of images and persona. The ability of Robert Frost to use these elements and weave a poem that relates to the proverbial “fork in the road” drew me into the text. I was able to relive my critical life path decisions by reading the poem. I was also able