Robert Frost wrote “The Road Not Taken” at the beginning of the 1900s to underline the difficulty of choices that people have to make. However, after a close reading, it is possible to define a number of meanings and intentions of the author. Frost discusses the theme of options that are usually available to people and shows the roots of human doubts and concerns. When a person has several options, it is never easy to stay confident, and some regrets and comparisons continue bothering people.
There are four stanzas, each of the five lines in the poem (quintains). The rhyme is masculine, as it is observed between the final stressed syllables in two lines (ABAAB). Both these rhythmic features differ from regular standards of British poems, proving the uniqueness of the poem and the complexity of the ideas that bother the speaker. To share such a composite message with the reader, Frost uses strong figurative language and symbols. Metaphors like “road,” “a yellow wood,” and “grassy and wanted wear” describe the unpredictability of life and the nature of hesitations. Images of leaves and the personification of words set the tone of something fleeting but amazing and powerful. Frost also perfectly applies the repetition of vowels and consonants to make the reader focus on particular parts of the poem and define the mood that has to be followed.
In general, “The Road Not Taken” becomes a classic example of how to combine different literary devices and raise a number of crucial topics in human life. Symbols make it possible to develop the reader’s imagination, and alliteration confirms the power of a poem and rhyme. Life is probably the most complex road people should take, and Frost describes why choices may help and distract, support, and lead astray.