Verified Document

Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken Term Paper

¶ … Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" The Road Not Taken

Although readers have a tendency to miss this element from the poem, the title is probably the largest giveaway, particularly with the Poem, "Road Not Taken." A lot of individuals have got the idea that The Road Not Taken is actually a good poem about simply being different as well as choosing the road that no individual will take; that it is related to nonconformity, about simply being distinctive.

Nevertheless, if one of those uninformed individuals took a critical look at the actual title, they would probably discover that they have been drastically wrong. This specific composition is known as The Road Not Taken, which means the person within this poem did not acquire a road. The final line of the poem, "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference" turns the reader towards the nonconformity summary. Nevertheless, prior lines within the composition help to make this line much more distinct and the reader can understand the doubt the common connotation has.

Obviously my initial assumption regarding the poem had been just like other readers' conclusions; that the poem had been merely about becoming distinctive. Nevertheless, after a thorough analysis, I have arrived to a significantly distinct realization. Together with the lines 4 as well as 5 within the 2nd stanza, "Though as for that the passing there had worn them really about the same." (Frost, 1988) Right here we can appreciate that there's no 'road less taken' and also that, the road are very identical and that there truly isn't any distinction between them. So in that case, what's the point of the poem?

The concept of nonconformity is actually absent simply because there isn't any concept of nonconformity present. Consequently, the particular concept is indecision and one can arrive at this conclusion given that the title helps to clarify, no road is taken. Consequently, two extremely comparable roads (or options) are before the narrator, but he needs to come up with a decision so as to advance ahead. He could stand there so long as he wants, but eventually, he needs to come up with a decision.

Nevertheless, what's preventing the narrator from selecting? What's preventing him from simply choosing a randomly selected road and proceeding along with it? The answer to both questions is the actual anxiety of regret. The anxiety, that he'll consider one road and that it will not end up so wonderful, and he will question, what if things were different…far better, if he had selected another road? Particularly when the 2 roads looked so identical, there isn't any apparent decision, making the anxiety higher and also the decision tougher.

So here he appears, acquiring no road whatsoever. We can easily determine that the writer is extremely regretful of not rendering an option, as a result of the 3rd stanza's 1st as well as 2nd lines, "I will be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence…" Sigh, provides us the feeling of repent, the hoping sensation that the writer had made a decision, mainly because making a decision even when it is an inappropriate decision is much better than doing absolutely nothing at all.

The years and ages therefore, whilst a hyperbole, also provides the perception that later on, he understands he will nonetheless be lamenting what he's doing right now. He will regret decisions or absence of them which he made. With this, the narrator remorse's a decision which was by no means designed, and together with the desire that he'd gotten over the anxiety of repent and made a decision, moving on with his life (Frost, 1988).

Terms which are essential to be aware of within this poem are diverged, undergrowth, yellow as well as trodden. Diverged indicates to separate into two alternative...

If there had just been 2 direct roads, they'd have probably gone off in the exact same path, and that there would not truly be any decision, because both of these roads set off in a different direction, there finishing places could be distinct consequently giving the impression that there could be a choice amid two roads that seem exactly the same.
Undergrowth is basically bushes along with vegetation that grows up underneath the trees. This is also essential, since it belongs with this particular line within the initial stanza, "to where it bent in the undergrowth." which helps the reader pay attention to the belief that the narrator can't see what's on the opposite side of these roads, therefore he can't be certain exactly where he'll wind up either way. This links the poem to actual life decisions and choices, simply because unless of course you've got a crystal ball letting you know exactly where each and every choice is going to take you, you can by no means be certain of exactly where you will wind up.

Trodden is simply the past tense form of the word tread. Whilst tread basically indicates to step onto something and smashing it; the significance of the phrase Trodden may be the reality that it is in past tense. Among other words within this poem inside the first 3 stanza's, for instance, in stanza 1, (stood, diverged, looked); in stanza 2 (had worn, was, took, wanted); as well as stanza 3 (doubted, trodden) have all been in past tense.

Nevertheless, within the 4th stanza the tense alters to future tense, (telling, shall) to provide us with the conjecture that the writer is, actually, in exactly the same place he was to start with. He's made no decision, and understands he'll repent not making a decision afterwards, nevertheless, he understands he cannot, given that he's paralyzed from the anxiety of the wrong decision of the 2 identical issues.

Yellow is yet another term that ought to be checked out. Not simply because it is a simple vocabulary term, but due to the fact this term carries a symbolic representation alongside it for the poetry. Whenever a solid wood is yellowish, and together with leaves around the land surface (line 2, stanza 3) it's obvious that the period is autumn. Autumn arrives just before the winter season, which can be symbolic of loss of life. Consequently, it is possible to presume that the writer is towards the end of his own life, and it is nonetheless frozen by the anxiety of passing up on one decision, and it is consequently having the double loss of selecting neither and losing out on both, creating a mass contradiction along with a little bit of paradox. Additionally, it then delivers the assertion in line 2 stanza 4, because a hyperbole has been brought up, "somewhere ages and ages hence." Here, the narrator does not have ages and ages still left in his own life, so it is simply the hoping that he possessed more time and energy to decide, but nevertheless, that is certainly not the situation (Reichman, 2012).

Yellow also raises an additional symbolic representation, since it is really a color frequently related with cowards. The reader is informed about the poets pressure and insufficient self-faith to decide on the proper road due to words that include "And sorry I could not travel both" (line 2 stanza 1), "Doubted if I should ever come back." (Line 5 stanza 3), in addition to the stutter of 'I' in line 2 and also 3 of stanza 5 "Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by." (Finger, 1978; Frost, 1988)

Roads are yet another work of metaphors. The writer isn't really practically referring to roads an individual uses, however more of the decisions one makes. You might have two alternatives, two that seem like exactly the same, however in actuality each will bring you to different…

Sources used in this document:
References

Finger, L.L. (1978). Frost's The Road Not Taken: A 1925 Letter Come to Light. American Literature 50 (3): 478 -- 479.

Frost, R. (1988). The Road Not Taken. The Norton Anthony of Modern Poetry Eds. Richard Ellman and Robert O'Clair. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Reichman, R. (2012). The Ethics of an Alternative: Counterfactuals and the Tone of Dissent, in Austin Sarat (ed.), Dissenting Voices in American Society: The Role of Judges, Lawyers, and Citizens, Cambridge University Press, 2012 pp.19-41, p.19.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Robert Frost -- Life Issues and Parallels
Words: 1004 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Robert Frost -- Life Issues and Parallels to My Life A Life Filled with Tragic Inspiration Robert Frost was a prolific American writer and poet whose work captured the difficulties some of the most challenging periods in modern American history as well as his personal trials and tribulations. Frost's work is known for the eloquence that he was able to express using the simple language of common colloquial speech (Holman & Snyder,

Robert Frost's the Road Not Taken
Words: 1185 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" tells the story of a traveler making the decision to travel the road less traveled, but looking back upon the road not taken and wondering what might have been. On first glance the reader might assume that Frost is touting the benefits of taking the road less traveled, or the path in life that is perhaps most unclear. Too many people assume that the

Robert Frost Treats Several Themes in His
Words: 1029 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Robert Frost treats several themes in his short lyrical poem, "The Road Not Taken." First, Frost focuses on the notion of choice and decision: the narrator is faced with a fork in the road and must choose which path to take. He momentarily wishes that he could travel both paths at once and still be "one traveler," (line 3). After hemming and hawing, the narrator chooses the path less trodden.

Robert Frost on Choices in
Words: 1211 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

"He gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake." The horse's action portrays the tendency of people to question those choices they don't understand. This scene can be interpreted as the disapproving voice of society voicing its demands on those of a more sensitive bent. In much the same vein as the previous stanza, Frost shows a depth of human understanding (and misunderstanding). Our

Robert Frost's Poem 'The Road
Words: 818 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The last stanza is the protagonist's projection of what he thinks the future will hold. He imagines himself relating this day with a sigh to another, and letting them know that when he came to the fork in the road he took the road less traveled, and that made all the difference. We must remember two things the author said, first it is the story of his friend, Edward Thomas, and

Robert Frost Wrote, "I Have Written to
Words: 897 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Robert Frost wrote, "I have written to keep the over curious out of the secret places in my mind both in my verse and in my letters." In a poem, he wrote, "I have been one acquainted with the night." Those unfamiliar with Robert Frost's life story might not realize the significance of those words. Frost was born in a nearly lawless city and grew up in a highly dysfunctional

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now