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Poetry Analysis: The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost’s poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’ is arguably his most well-known literary work. One of the main reasons why the poem is so famous is the fact that almost everyone can relate to the main ideas in the poem. The narrator is faced with a choice between two paths, and he describes his feelings and emotions with regard to the dilemma. He eventually chooses the less-trodden path, hoping to come back to the other later. However, as he continues down his chosen path, he learns that it may not have been as less-trodden as he initially thought, and realizes that it is quite unlikely he will return to explore the other path. Some prominent themes in ‘The Road Not Taken’ include uncertainty, choices and nonconformity; conveyed through imagery, symbolism and metaphors.
Uncertainty and choices are main themes in the first stanza of the poem. The narrator has come to a fork in the road where he ponders for a while to choose which path he should take. The first two lines of the poem, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/ and sorry I could not travel both,” (Frost, 1-2) explain the choice the narrator faces. These lines are a metaphor for the choices that all individuals must make in their lives. Every day, people have to make a choice between two or more options. The first stanza represents the dilemmas that people face. Choosing one path means the person cannot travel the other, and there is some regret as to what could have been. This regret and wonder is what makes the choice so much more difficult. One wonders whether they made the right choice or if they might regret this choice further down the path.
The narrator of the poem also conveys the ideas of uncertainty and choice using imagery. In the first stanza, he writes that he stands at the fork of two roads in a yellow wood. These lines help the reader conjure up the image of a lone figure, standing alone in a warm autumn day, peering down both of the paths to decide which he should choose. The narrator decides to go with the less trodden path, “Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (Frost, 8). From the description, the reader can see in their mind a well-worn path with black leaves and another overgrown with grass and a thick bed of untouched leaves.
Nonconformity is another major theme in the poem, the reason why the narrator decided to take the path not travelled. The less travelled path is a symbol of the narrator’s desire to step away from the norm, the path frequently taken by those who have gone before him. The traveler sees the lack of wear on the path as a positive trait. The path symbolizes the choice of the unconventional over the conventional. Most people often hesitate to choose the unconventional because it is unpredictable, but this unpredictability is precisely what draws the narrator to the less traveled path. At the end of the poem, the narrator explains that “I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference” (Frost, 19-20). These lines imply that the narrator found his choice to be worthwhile. The unexplored path that piqued his interest made the choice worth it in the end.
In summary, ‘The Road Not Taken’ is widely known because it represents situations that everyone experiences in life. The difficulty of making choices, uncertainty about where choices will lead and the desire for the unconventional are all part of life. The poem brings these themes to life through the use of metaphors, symbolism and imagery. The poem is a reminder that everyone faces the same struggles, and that we can only hope that the choices made prove worthwhile.
Works Cited
Frost, Robert. “The road not taken.” (1916): 1232-1233.
