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Essay Comparing The Road Not Taken And The French Prisoner

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Essay Comparing The Road Not Taken And The French Prisoner
In every text, both realities and possibilities are inherent in the journeys individuals undertake, but the extent that one dominates or interacts with the other differs widely. The poems “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and “The French Prisoner” by Janos Pilinszky, both explore journeys that include realities and possibilities. “The Road Not Taken” uses “road” as an extended metaphor. The journey undertaken by the persona is not merely physical, however, the journey is metaphysical in nature. This poem explores journey as a possibility and explores two key ideas, journeys are individual experiences, and, journeys are propelled by decisions. The poem “The French Prisoner” challenges the assumption that journeys are exhilarating and rewarding. …show more content…
The journey challenges the assumption that journeys are exhilarating and rewarding. The persona is caught up in a journey that he can’t get rid of “… If only I could forget that Frenchman…”is an instance of the persona wanting to disregard this. The poem reminds responders that journeys are not always about fulfillment. While many journey texts suggest that obstacles a eventually overcome, ‘The French Prisoner’ shows a different kind of journey. The first person speaker uses a tone of frustration, the opening line is an example of this point, ‘If only I could forget that Frenchman’. An image is highlighted instantly in the reader’s head that this poem will be unforgiving and cruel. Janos Pilinszky purposely doesn’t explore a metaphysical journey in this poem due to the fact that it is all realities. The persona memory of watching the prisoner ‘among garden shadows’ is one that remains with him, beginning an inner journey that is neither rewarding nor satisfying. ‘The French Prisoner’ challenges the assumption that journeys include both realities and possibilities by only offering a text that only explores
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