The Road Not Taken

“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a narrative of a moment in the life of a man when he has a choice to make. “The Road Not Taken” is filled with symbolism. The literal setting of the poem is that of a man at a separation of paths in a yellow wood. He is not sure which path to take and realizes that he will probably never be able to come back and take the other one. Much of the difficulty in this choice lies in the fact that both paths are equally attractive to him. He eventually chooses to take the path that has not been traveled as often.

The symbolism in the poem involves the use of two roads as symbols of the choices that are made in life and the options that one has to choose from. Metaphorically, a person’s life can be compared to a journey. The person may know where they want to go but there is usually more than one way to get there. Therefore, there are choices to make in life as to which path one will take.

Choices are often difficult because of the doubt as to what lies ahead. Sometimes the choices are made even more difficult because one choice seems to be as attractive as the other. In “The Road Not Taken,” the choice is made more difficult still by the fact that both roads lead to the same place. They both dive

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Even if we are given the opportunity to travel the other path, our experiences on the first path will color our perception of the other. The author wishes to make the correct choice because he knows he will probably never have the opportunity to go back and travel the other path. With the well-worn path he will have an easier time but he takes the more challenging road rather than the common, easy path. The possibilities for tune from the dramatic tones of meaning struck across the rigidity of a limited meter are endless. Assonance is seen in the words “ages hence” (verse 4), looked down one” (verse 1), and “And having perhaps” (verse 2). ”

Frost uses very little alliteration in “The Road Less Traveled.

The perceptions that a person has are seen in verse two when the author says “Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same. He chooses to be a leader rather than a follower. The undergrowth in the one path represents the future and the fact that one cannot know what lies ahead. ” In this he was speaking of iambic (strict) and the anapest and dactyl triplet variations (loose). rge in the yellow wood but simply take different routes to get there.

It is to be hoped that at the end of life we all, along with the author, see the road that we have traveled as making all the difference and not as being the wrong road. Frost wishes to travel both of the paths and “be one traveler” so that he can see which choice is really the better one. Frost uses the ABAAB rhyming pattern throughout “The Road Less Traveled.

Approximate Word count = 1062
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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