Introduction: Robert Frost; the poet
The late Robert Frost was born in 1874. He is a highly regarded American poet who wrote numerous poems before his death. He managed to win four Pulitzer prizes for poetry in his lifetime; a testimony to the outstanding nature of his work. Faced with personal tragedies as a result of the death of his father, mother and later sister, Robert had a fairly difficult life. He spent his life in both the United Kingdom and the United States; a factor that came with choices. Like most if not all of us, Frost had to make choices throughout his life and it is not by chance that he wrote the poem; the Road Not Taken. He died in 1963 at the ripe age of 88 years at his Florida home (Muir 41). Much of his life was spent in urban areas but his poetry shows unique understanding of rural life (Nelson 84).
The Theme of the Poem
A Brief Dissection of the Poem: The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is about an individual who comes across two roads that lead into the woods and then diverge. This is the individual we can identify as the poetic persona or the person who is doing the speaking in the poem. In literal terms, one can assume that these are actual routes. But the paths are a symbol for the twin options that we face in life and we have to choose one since we cannot have both at the same time. The paths under consideration by Frost are not the same. One has been used before and it is relatively more worn than the other. But the difference in the wear is not that big as we are told in line four and five of the second stanza; “Though as for that the passing there, Had worn them really about the same”.
The persona or the person confronted with the choice goes ahead to pick the less used one; “I took the one less traveled by….line 4, stanza 4”. He wants to use the one that is yet to be exploited. He tells us in the 2nd stanza, 3rd line that “it was grassy and wanted wear”. In the last stanza, it is clear that he knows what the choice means. It will have a big impact in his life; “….And that has made all the difference”, stanza 4 line 5.The sigh mentioned at the end of the poem can run both ways. It can be a sign of regret for having made the wrong choice or a sigh of relief for having achieved the better from the path taken or the choice made. This sigh has been a source of scholarly friction for some time with some suggesting that it shows regret (Larry 479).
The Theme of the Poem: Choices in Life
The Road Not Taken can be interpreted in a number of ways. But the most explicit theme that is effectively communicated by Frost’s symbol of the Road is that in life we are bound to make choices from time to time. The “roads” as it appears in the 1st and last stanza can also be classified as a metaphor. The veiled or hidden meaning of these roads is life’s choices. Just like in real life, human beings are not able to make two choices at a time. If one choice is made, all the others are left out. The persona or the speaker in the poem also make it clear in the 1st stanza that he or she does not have the ability to travel both roads, “……And sorry I could not travel both” 1st stanza, line 2. The meaning of this is that it is not possible for the persona to have both choices.
So what choice does the persona take?
In the 1st stanza, the persona tells how he or she takes time to examine the two roads, “And looked down one as I would”, line 4. He also looks down the other one and realizes that it is a bit “grassy”, stanza 2 line 3, and according to him, this is a reason for declaring that it has a better claim. This discloses a character trait of the persona or the speaker in this poem. The persona is non-conforming. He or she does not like doing what everyone else has done. This is the reason as to why he or she goes for the road that is grassy. It is grassy because very few people have walked through it compared to the first choice.Metaphorically; the message is that the persona is out to make a choice in life that is not a favorite in society. Very few people have made that same choice; but this is not an issue to him or her. He or she knows that the choice is significant and it will make a difference in life, “And that has made all the difference”, stanza 4 line 5. It is important to note that the persona expects to be telling the world about the choice and the difference it will have made at that time. This is shown in the first two lines of the last stanza. “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence”
Stylistic Devices Used in the Poem
Like most of Frost’s poems, The Road Not Taken is rich in style. Below are some of the stylistic devices that have been used by Frost in this poem.
First Person narrator
In this poem, the persona speaks to us about what is going on. The choices he confronts and what he looks forward to doing sometime in the future as a result of the choice made. The evidence for this first person narration is all over in the poem. In line 2 stanza 1 “I could”, line 3, stanza 3, “I marked”, line 5 stanza 3, “I doubted” and line 1 stanza 4, “I shall”. The first person narration creates a moment of intimacy in communication as we can picture the persona explaining to us in detail what he or she is doing, did or intends to do.
Imagery
Frost presents a detailed description of the roads. One was a bit worn while the other was “grassy and wanted wear” 2nd stanza 3rd line. We are left with a clear imagery of two paths that begin off from the same point and take different directions with different characteristics.
Metaphor: This is the usage of real life objects or items with the aim of communicating a hidden meaning. “The road Not Taken” is metaphorically used to refer to the choice that was left out. We are always confronted with options in life and we have to make choices. As we go for some, we leave out others. The left out ones are represented by “the roads that are not taken”.
Symbolism: This is the usage of an object to refer to some other aspect of life.
In another dimension, the “roads” are symbols for the choices that we face in life from time to time.
Rhyme (Perfect rhyme)
This is perhaps the most pronounced style in this poem. The Road Not Taken exhibits perfect rhyme. The format of the rhyme is regular. It is as follows: a b a a b.
1st stanza:
- wood……. a,
- both……….b,
- Stood………a,
- Could… a,
- Undergrowth…….b.
2nd stanza:
- fair,…………….a,
- claim,…………….b,
- wear,…………….a,
- there,…………….a,
- same,…………….b.
Rhyme scheme is a b a a b.
This rhyme scheme is reflected in the whole poem. It makes the poem have a musical touch, makes it more readable as well as understandable (Harpham & Abrams 316-317).
Repetition
The line “Two roads diverged in yellow wood” has been repeated. It appears in the first stanza as well as the last stanza. It stresses the significance of choices in life. In the 1st stanza, it is the first line while in the last stanza, it is the 3rd line.
Conclusion
The road not taken by Robert Frost is a well crafted poem. Its main theme is that in life we are always confronted with choices and we have to make them. The poem has a number of stylistic devices that make effective in the communication of the main message. The styles used include imagery, repetition, metaphor, symbolism and first person narration.
Works cited
Harpham, Geoffrey & Abrams Mike. A Glossary of Literary Terms.Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.Print.
Larry, L. Finger. Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”: A 1925 Letter Come to Light.American Literature, Vol. 50, No. 3. 478-479.Durham: Duke University Press, 1978. Print.
Muir, Helen. Frost in Florida.Mitcham: Valiant Press, 1995. Print.
Nelson, Cary.Anthology of Modern American Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.