After choosing one of the roads, the narrator tells himself that he will come back to this fork one . The poet is the first to encounter this dilemma. One choice is considered default and natural; the other unnatural and deviant. He thinks about the future so he cannot make a decision based on the present scenario. 2. The individual comforts with a thought about returning, be if his path is unsuitable for him, yet in hindsight, hes aware of the futility of such thought. The line 'Because it was grassy and wanted wear' refers to the path the narrator eventually chooses. The traveler must go one way, or the other. There are many defining decisions in our life that shape our future and sometimes when we select an option in these moments, they change the course of our life and theres no turning back. The central message is that, in life, we are often presented with choices. It is Robert Frosts first poem in his book Mountain Interval (1916). As he writes. It is about fate, life choices and free will. Robert Frost and "The Road Not Taken". Wrong turn or not, the roads we take can end up making significant changes in our lives. An error occurred trying to load this video. If We Must Die by Claude McKay | Poem, Analysis & Theme, Juxtaposition as a Literary Term: Definition & Example Poems, Hunchback of Notre Dame by Hugo | Novel Summary & Characters of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Sequence of Teaching Writing to Students, Great Expectations: Genre & Bildungsroman, Birches by Robert Frost | Summary, Theme & Analysis, British Associationism: History, Theories & Examples, The Wreck of the Deutschland: Summary & Analysis. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The speaker of this sonnet understands that his decision of way will transform him. In "The Road Not Taken," Frost primarily makes use of metaphor. Considering himself as a regional poet, New England has been used as a recurring location in Robert Frosts poems. Frost sets up a fictional stage for an individual upon which he sets the direction of his life with irreparable consequences. the second time I was in college, and I thought he had no regret, because he says, "And that has made all the difference." What Is the Symbolism of "The Road Not Taken?" The road, itself, symbolizes the journey of life, and the image of a road forking off into two paths symbolizes a choice. The individual concludes on a melancholic note of how different circumstances and outcomes would have been, had it been the other path. In this piece, readers have to be aware of the use of symbols. So, the tone is meditative. Besides, some pale leaves are lying on the road. Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. ''The Road Not Taken'' by Robert Frost: Symbolism Symbolism is the use of one object to represent or suggest another. There are no such exceptions. And sorry I could not travel both The line 'I shall be telling this with a sigh' implies that once the decisions of our lives are long past, we will frequently reminisce on them and how they have impacted us over the years. When they went walking together, Thomas was chronically indecisive about which road they ought to take andin retrospectoften lamented that they should, in fact, have taken the other one. ", Those looking for an even more in-depth treatment of the poem might be interested in David Orr's book, "The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Get the entire guide to The Road Not Taken as a printable PDF. The sound with which the first line ends occurs again in the third and fourth lines. It certainly made 'all the difference', but Frost does not make it clear just what this difference is. Besides, readers can find another symbol in a yellow wood. Given how close the contest for control of the House is in this year's midterms, the high rates of bias under Republican-drawn maps in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas are especially eye-popping. Since his current path will bring upon separate paths in itself, disallowing any consequent reversal. However, I personally have found that you can't spend too much time dwelling on that, because life moves forward, not backwards. One does wonder at times, on life's journey, what taking a different road might have led to. And be one traveler. Anyway, he could always return one day and try the 'original' road again. The poet mentions the first road in the title for emphasizing the dominant thought of the speakers mind. Frost himself warned You have to be careful of that one; its a tricky poem very tricky., The Many Levels Reading Comprehension: The Experts Weigh In, Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Symbolism and Analysis. Good stuff. Previous Next . I love reading this poem with young people as they are at the age where many of life's choices are being made every day. CBSE Class 9 English Beehive The Road Not Taken Poem Summary. Have a specific question about this poem? One choice is considered default and natural; the other unnatural and deviant. Perhaps forever. In conventional carpe diem poems, readers can find that the speaker is urging one to seize the moment and live in the present. The use of imagery, in this piece, makes it an interesting read. An analysis of the most important parts of the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, written in an easy-to-understand format. It is also a symbol for the season, Autumn. This piece also taps on several other themes such as choice, uncertainty, indecision, fate, and over-thinking. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. We respond to all comments too, giving you the answers you need. Since humans are free to select as per their will, their fate is unknown to them. Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there I honestly have no idea if the speaker really took the road less travelled, but I will say that many people think in the same way that the author is, meaning that I do not doubt that other people had come across the same situation and decided to copy exactly what this author is . The individual anticipates insincerity in his future, looking in retrospect later on. Lastly, A Worn Path depicted the power of love and passion in overcoming any kind of journey, despite all the odds. But a less frequently traveled path is overgrown from lack of use, representing a desire for individuality and adventure and a revolt against the more conventional, much-traveled road. 6-10) and third (ll. Whilst this is a reflective, thoughtful poem, it's as if the speaker is caught in two minds. The poem highlights the sensation of regret that accompanies all the roads that a person doesnt take. The metaphor of the road is used persistently in the poem, and is therefore an extended metaphor. In this poem, the speaker has to make a choice and he is uncertain about the best one. First of all, it tells readers that the speaker is not confident enough to make a decision. As for color, Frost describes the forest as a "yellow wood." Oh, I kept the first for another day! Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Frost's Early Poems and what it means. Frost wrote a portion of the poem while in Gloucestershire, England. According to the speaker, the roads more or less look the same. Work through the lesson so that you can accomplish these objectives: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Ans:- The poem 'The Road Not Taken' depicts the confusion which prevails in modern life. But, analyzing the text thoroughly will reveal that the speaker regrets the choice he makes even before its actual implementation. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. This road may represent a choice in life one might face. Similarly, in "The Road Not Taken", the woods represent indecision while an adrift traveler wanders lost in the woods (Rukhaya). The words Way leads on to way symbolizes the poets bewilderment, how he is caught in a maze with regards to decisionmaking. The road, itself, symbolizes the journey of life, and the image of a road forking off into two paths symbolizes a choice. In this last stanza, lines sixteen and seventeen, the individual predicts that one day far into the future, he knows will tell the story of this decision that he is now making. "The Road Not Taken" Analysis 1. Yet, as if to confuse the reader, Frost writes in the final stanza: With that, we are left to wonder how Frost knew the road he took was the one less traveled by. I doubted if I should ever come back. The two roads in fact represent two alternative ways of life. He sent the copy to Thomas and it compelled him to get rid of his indecisiveness concerning other things of his life. By presenting the two choices he may be implying that one is wrong and the other right, or that one is superior to the other. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. It tells about a man who comes to a fork, in the road he is traveling upon. Thomas would sigh over what they might have seen and done, and Frost thought this quaintly romantic. Other Symbols in "The Road Not Taken" Comparing Choices. THE ROAD NOT TAKENROBERT FROST. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other. It is ambiguous, as you say, but if you write or read poetry, it is positive. You take the high road, I'll take the low road. Robert Frost reads "The Road Not Taken" HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. It appeared in his first collection, Mountain Interval, in 1916; indeed, 'The Road Not Taken' opens the volume. In the poem, the individual arrives at a critical juncture in his life, arriving at crossroads at last near a yellow wood. As per him, the paths are equally well-traversed and yield anonymous outcomes. This lesson analyzes the symbolism in the poem and how Frost uses it to reflect on our decisions and wonder about the road not taken. He had to choose between the two paths. 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