Preview

The Road Not Taken - by Robert Frost

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
947 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Road Not Taken - by Robert Frost
A Traveler Chooses Their Path
Robert Frost, the author of "The Road Not Taken," writes about how a person must choose his or her own path in life. Everyone is a traveler, who must choose how to live his or her life. This poem demonstrates Robert Frost's belief that the road a person chooses to follow in their life will define what kind of person they will become, and how fulfilling their life will be. He describes the choice as difficult, and with consequences. He reminds the reader that their choice may not be popular. Furthermore, the reader is reminded that you cannot change the decision made after you have acted on it. Frost advises the reader that there is not an always a right or wrong choice, however the choices made will affect future choices. The reader is also informed that they may have regret about the road they choose to follow.
The title of this poem, "The Road Not Taken," implies a strong feeling of regret. I do not believe that was Robert Frost's intentions. I believe that this poem make a strong statement supporting the right choice. Frost does recognize that making the correct choice could be difficult. The road the traveler chooses may not be the easiest, however it is the may be most rewarding. In the first stanza, Frost describes how difficult it is to make a decision about which road to choose. He states, "And sorry I could not travel both…" This represents the struggle to make the right decision. The reader senses the traveler's regret. The decision seems impossible, because a person cannot help but wonder about the opportunities that would be missed if they choose the wrong path. In addition, it illustrates the speaker knowledge that in one's lifetime, it is impossible to travel down every path. In line four, the traveler attempts to make the correct decision about which path to follow. Frost writes, "And looked down one as far as I could…" The reader senses the traveler's hesitation to make a decision about which path to follow. This

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    "The Road Not Taken" captured my attention because I was able to relate to the literary work in a personal way. The poem contains a metaphor in which an individual has to make a decision between two important choices. This touched me because it reminded me of the time when I came to this country and I faced a situation where I had to choose between two important things. Let me explain, one of the reasons that I came to the United States was to help my family financially. Since I did not speak English, I was only able to get a job that paid minimum wage. I was very frustrated because I needed more money than what I was getting paid each week. The situation got worse when one of my relatives got very sick. Everything came down to two choices. I could continue my venture in this country or I could go back to my home country, Peru. In "The Road Not Taken," Frost underscores these powerful moments in our lives. It speaks of situations when life encourages, changes, or improves us. There were…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Road Not Taken Tone

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Poetry has graced the world of literature for centuries. Writers have entertained their thoughts on paper with their use of language, symbols, and imagery. For as long as there have been poets writing poetry, there has been people trying to interpret their meaning. Often, these interpretations are based on what the reader wants to see versus the authors intended purpose. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is a popular poem that is often misinterpreted as a message to nonconformity. However, the poem’s use of symbolism and subtle irony reflects a regretful tone to cultivate its true message about the complexities of decision making and missed opportunities.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both." (1-2). Robert Frost begins this poem by simply saying, there's two ordinary roads in a wood forest. These two roads that are mention can be interpreted as a stage in life in which one needs to make a decision. In his second short line, he makes awareness that there will be regret one way or another. Regret sprinkles upon the traveler as it is evident that there is no possible way to take all roads that come upon their way. "And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could/ To where it bent in the undergrowth." (3-5).…

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Robert Frost's poem “The Road Not Taken” describes a traveler faced with a choice of which one of two roads to travel. He knows not where either road might lead. In order to continue on his journey, he can pick only one road. He scrutinizes both roads for the possibilities of where they may take him in his travels. Frost's traveler realizes that regret is inevitable. Regardless of his choice, he knows that he will miss the experiences he might have encountered on the road not taken.…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main theme in “The Road Not Taken”by Robert Frost is about making choices.The poem starts off when the speaker finds himself walking by the woods and comes across a cross road.The speaker then has to decide which way to continue by. One road seems to be as if it has been traveled many times, causing the road to be easier to travel by. That is because many people have already walk that path and worn it out. Yet, the other road seems to be more problematic to be traveled by, and as if it hasn't been traveled by many.The speaker chooses the road less traveled by and continues his path. That choice made all the difference although it may have been a hard, or wrong choices we have to learn to praise it. The poem also talks about how we have to praise the choices we make, or risk taker. Because If the speaker would have selected the easy path, he/she would not have experienced any challenges, which might have made their…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This essay discusses the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. This poem describes a man who is walking in the woods. As he is walking, he finds that the path he is on splits into two roads. He is forced to decide which road to take in order to continue his journey. Throughout the rest of the poem, he describes the experience of his journey. Frost uses many poetic devices throughout this poem. He uses metaphor to describe the road as a part of life. He also uses rhyme scheme to show the important phrases and words to help the reader understand and comprehend the message behind the poem. Finally, Frost makes use of alliteration and similes to draw the reader closer to the text and compare his experience to other occurrences…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” remains one of my personal favorites in spite of many years of literary study. The advice of this poem has helped me to understand that when I choose atypical paths it creates a ripple effect that produces differences so profound I can hardly imagine my life without that nonstandard choice. However, I had to realize on my own that every choice has the capacity to become such a divergence. With this realization comes a certain weight to daily choices, and anything beyond that calls for careful thought and planning. The world is full of uncertainties, but assiduous preparation can produce wise choices that lead to the fulfillment of long term goals.…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Frost starts the poem with: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Clugston, 2010). The two roads diverged symbolizes there are two different choices or paths; while in a yellow wood symbolizes the aging of the person. With that being said, taking the one less traveled by means that the speaker (persona) chose the best path for him or her at…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Road Not Taken

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The method of taking more than one available option and choosing a desired course of action describes the process of decision making. (Lunenburg, 2010). Therefore, Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” is about the gift of free will to everyone, and how that free will is exercised when faced with decisions in life. Or is it?…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Tone Of The Road Not Taken

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In life, we have to make many hard decisions and there are times when we just have to trust ourselves to make the right ones. The hardest part is learning to live with the choices we’ve made and not regret them. Robert Frost is greatly known for portraying life lessons and realistic descriptions through his poetry. In his well-known poem “The Road Not Taken” he writes about an experience that all humans go through at some point in their lives. The poet helps us to better understand this message by his use of tone and literary devices throughout the poem.…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The first stanza conveys a mood of change and introduces the idea of a life altering decision, which is the basis for the poem. First Frost sets the scene with his opening words, "Two roads diverged…" (line 1). The speaker is standing at a junction in the road pondering two choices. The roads in the poem are merged where the speaker is standing but lead in two different directions signifying two different paths in life. Frost begins with the metaphorical meaning as early as the first line with his reference to "…yellow wood" (line 1). This suggests that the setting is in the forest during Fall, which is the season of change. The second line, "…sorry I could not have traveled both" (line 2) expresses the curiosity to explore several possibilities in life. It also forms a sense of regret at not knowing what could lie ahead on the un-chosen path and the speaker's limitation to one lifetime. When Frost says, "And be one traveler…" (line 3) it is obvious that speaker can not travel down both paths. He realizes that he needs to make a choice and pick…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Road Not Taken

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages

    First of all, one of the key elements used in this poem by Frost is imagery. As an illustration, the author states that the narrator “…looked down one as far as [he] could / To where it bent in the undergrowth;” (4-5). By using the words…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is about the author having the freedom to make choices. If you want to move in pursuit of a dream, you have to make choices to get there. The poem is in past tense and has a tone of nostalgia. The persona came across a fork in the trail he was on. He looked down one trail to see where it would lead, and with the other he did the same. He looked down both equally inviting trails to see what opportunities each one held. He decided to take the one that seemed to be less traveled on, “For I’m sorry I could not travel both.” When the persona makes his choice, he muses on the idea of going back and traveling the other. However, he realizes he cannot go back and has to keep going with the choice he has made. Every choice leads to another choice and another and so on. You can’t go back. You have to devote your whole-self into the decision you have made. If you are happy with yourself today, all of the choices you have made must have been the right ones. If you made a choice and stuck with it, “For that has made all the difference,” says the persona. However, some people do not have the power…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The road not taken

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In my opinion, “The Road Not Taken” means that it is hard to make choices. In this poem I’ve seen sadness. Making choices is frustrating. People have the opportunity to make unique choices. These points prove my interpretation of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.”…

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The Road Not Taken" is a poem written by Robert Frost. In the poem, Frost uses numerous metaphors to tell the reader a story of the speakers' hard decision to make a choice between two life-changing roads.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays