Robert Frost Both of Robert Frost\'s Poems,

Robert Frost

Both of Robert Frost's poems, "The Road Not Taken," and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" use natural imagery to illustrate the narrator's train of thought. However, the theme and tone of the two poems differ. In "The Road Not Taken," the narrator is caught at a crossroads. The poem deals with the difficulties of the decision he faces, and the mild regret that he experiences once he chooses a certain path. On the other hand, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" demonstrates decisive thought. The author clearly chooses to take a rest and watch the glory of the snow filling up the woods. Although his horse beckons him to leave, the narrator remains in awe of his natural surroundings and happy that he has had the opportunity to enjoy experiencing nature. In "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," the author also indicates that he has "promises to keep," which compel him to continue on his journey. In "The Road Not Taken," the author does not indicate any impetus to take either road and he has no promises to keep; both roads have something to offer. As a result, the author wonders what he would have encountered on the "road not taken." In both cases, the narrator is driven by fate: in "The Road Not Taken," his fate is determined by the path he chose that day in the woods, while in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the narrator's promises determine how long he lingers.

In both poems, the author is deep in thought and ponders how his present decisions will affect the future. For example, in "The Road Not Taken," the narrator "looked down one as far as I could," (line 4). This implies looking into the future. Likewise, in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the narrator states, "I have promises to keep / And miles to go before I sleep," (lines 14-15). In both cases, the speaker thinks about how his present decisions will affect the future. Furthermore, in "The Road Not Taken," he states, "Somewhere ages and ages hence," indicating that he is also considering a time when such a decision will again arise. However, "The Road Not Taken" is told in past tense and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is told in present tense. This significantly changes the tone of the poem. In "The Road Not Taken," the author is looking back on his decision to take a certain path, which in the end has "made all the difference," (line 20). However, in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," he is only briefly stopping at this juncture in the woods. He is not looking back on the past, but rather only looks to the future. In "Stopping by Woods," the narrator is concerned with fulfilling his promises and continuing his journey, whereas in "The Road Not Taken," the narrator is unclear what motivates him to choose a certain path, only that that choice changes the rest of his life.

Both poems indicate that an important decision is to be made. In "The Road Not Taken," the narrator comes to a crossroads in the woods and wishes he could take both paths. Knowing that to be impossible, he considers his options. First, he "looked down one as far as I could," (line 4). This shows that he put some thought and consideration into his decision; it was not totally spontaneous. When he finally does choose the second road, he does so because he feels compelled to travel on the one less worn by the footsteps of others. Therefore, the narrator is interested in forging new paths. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the author's standpoint is different. He is not really at a crossroads, although he does pause for a moment. However, in this case, the narrator knows clearly what choice he will eventually make, because he wants not only to keep his promise but to continue on his journey safely. His decision to stop in the woods is based more on his love of nature than on the need to choose a certain path. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," moreover, his horse acts as a guide and companion, alerting him to the need to continue on his way before nightfall. Therefore, one poem illustrates promises that need to be kept, while the other indicates promises that have yet to be made.

The outcome of the decision is different in these cases; however, it is difficult to determine what the actual outcome of the narrator's decision is in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" because the poem is told in the present tense. However, the narrator does appreciate the woods for being "lovely, dark, and deep," and therefore would probably linger longer if he had more time (line 13). He is sensible, though, and makes his decision to leave without complaint. The author keeps his promises and has no reason to regret his action. On the other hand, the narrator of "The Road Not Taken" does feel lingering regret at the outcome of his decision to take one path over the other. He realizes that "way leads on to way," and that he will never retrace his steps (line 14). Because he will never know what lie along the other path, a sense of curiosity and mild regret fills him. The speaker realizes that his choice has changed his fate and that one simple decision can alter the rest of his life.