Essay on On The Road Not Taken - 1139 Words

On The Road Not Taken Most people believe that The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost was written to inspire people to be different, and to not follow the majority. However, the poem was actually written to gently tease one of Frosts good friends, and fellow poet, Edward Thomas. Frost and Thomas would take walks in the woods together, and Thomas would take Frost down one path and later regret not choosing a different path. This would lead one to believe that Frost is actually ridiculing the action of regretting decisions. Considering this pert nit background information, the poems meaning can be quite contrary to popular belief. It guides the reader from the idea that Frost wants you to differentiate yourself, to a concept of†¦show more content†¦Although a decision was made to take a certain path, it is ironic that Frost described both paths as being practically the same. Perhaps Frost used the word taken instead of chosen since there was virtually no choice to be made. The way the poem has b een remembered, is that one should follow ones own heart, and not what other people do. After only a brief review, it is conceivable how someone would assume the popular belief associated with the poem. However under a closer review there are many contradictions hidden within the poem. First the key concept towards the poems popular belief is that of choosing something different. At the very end of the poem Frost writes, I took the one less traveled by/ and that has made all the difference (19, 20), giving the reader the impression that a rebellious decision has been made. Frost contradicts himself earlier by describing the two roads as being about the same. Towards the beginning of the poem, at the end of the second stanza Frost writes, Though as for the passing there/ Had worn them really about the same (9, 10), and also at the beginning of the third stanza And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black (11, 12), this leads the reader to believe that there isnt a big difference between the two roads, and that there is no reason to believe that one is less traveled than the other. Frost is actually saying that neither of the two roads had beenShow MoreRelatedRoad Not Taken752 Words   |  4 PagesPoetry Essay ENGL 102: Literature and Composition MLA Thesis Statement: Every adult faces the challenge of a life-altering decision. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost there are many metrical devices used to portray the poet’s major theme of decision making. Outline for â€Å"The Road Not Taken† I. Introduction A. Influence of decision making B. Problem faced by the character II. Body A. Theme of decision making B. Setting (1) Why is this symbolic? C. Title Read MoreThe Road Not Taken1084 Words   |  5 PagesClara Kirkpatrick Mr. Woods English 102 CHA 8 November 2010 The Road Not Taken The poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost describes the dilemma in decision making, generally in life each individual has countless decisions to make and those decisions lead to new challenges, dilemmas and opportunities. In Frost’s poem, the careful traveler observes the differences of each path, one is bent and covered in undergrowth (Frost 5) and the other is grassy and unworn (Frost 8). In the end he knowsRead MoreThe Road Not Taken1211 Words   |  5 PagesThe Road Not Taken By: Robert Frost Imagine that your making a decision and you are stuck to choose between two things that could change and impact your life greatly. What would you do? What pathway would you take? Robert Frost wrote ‘The Road Not Taken’ in 1916 at the age of 42 in New England, Massachusetts. ‘The Road Not Taken’ is one of his most popular works due to the ideology of choices that people would have to face in their life. In the early 20th century, Robert Frost based the majorityRead MoreThe Road Not Taken967 Words   |  4 PagesThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost 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; (5) 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, (10) And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden blackRead MoreThe Road Not Taken1448 Words   |  6 Pagespoem â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† Frost, in few words, brings to light the decisions that all functioning humans will be faced with. When Frost says, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,† (1) these roads clearly represent two different decisions to be made. Does it have to be two roads? It, in fact, does not. The roads could be a complicated web of an interstate system; however, only one road can be taken. There is no reverse, and there are no U-turns. There is simply a single path to be taken. How doesRead MoreEssay On The Road Taken And Not Taken937 Words   |  4 PagesThe Road Taken and Not Taken Response I had to choose between playing a full-time summer sport or going on family vacations in the summer. Sports enriched my life in many ways such as creating more memories with my friends, allowing my pitching to improve, and gaining valuable team experience. Family vacations also could have changed my life as it allows for more family time, memories, and adventures. In the end, I chose to play a summer sport because it increased my games per year, practices perRead More Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken - The Significance of The Road Not Taken811 Words   |  4 Pages The Significance of The Road Not Taken  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      My father introduced me to The Road Not Taken when I was a young teenager because he figured that I was beginning a period of my life where I would be forced to make many important decisions, and he saw this poem as a source of guidance through those decisions. This poem carries truth and edification in its words. It forms a beautiful analogy of life and all its complications. After my father finished reciting the poem, I neverRead More Road Not Taken Essay980 Words   |  4 Pages Critical essay for â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, 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. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads to way, I doubtedRead More The Road Not Taken Essay542 Words   |  3 Pagesfor Frost is that he has the power of standing still where he is.† There is never a straight road there are always curves and turns in which one must encounter and act upon. Readers can interpret the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† in many ways. It is a persons past, present and the way one see things, which determines their choices and paths they follow. This poem shows how Frost believes that it is the road that you choose that makes you the person you are. Decisions are always hard to make. It is impossibleRead MoreThe Road Not Taken Essay758 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken,† Robert Frost employs personification to illustrate the literal scene of the poem. The personas vision as a Pilgrim Traveler, on a road with outlooks pointing in two directions that symbolize a fork in the road. Both of roads leads to two different types of a life style, and to choose the right road will make the difference. In the first stanza the personification shows â€Å"Two roads diverged,† in to choose which road to travel. While in the second stanza the personified