Robert Frost - the Road Not Taken

1048 Words5 Pages
How does Frost tell the story in The Road Not Taken? ‘The Road Not Taken’ narrates the journey of the poet and the choices he is faced with. A diverging path halts his walk through the woods, and he is forced to choose a route – telling himself that he will keep the other for another day. He later reflects on his choice, and nostalgically ponders how his life would have been different, maybe even better, had he chosen the other path. Frost effectively reveals the precariousness of existence through the theme of transience, and the way in which our choices can completely transform our fate. There is also the theme of regret; the title itself adds emphasis on the road that wasn’t taken, and the human nature of indecision. The poem thrusts us on a journey of thought – one that is universally known and understood; that the path is always blind, and only when you have made the decision can you know the outcome. Through this, Frost proves the uncertainty of life. The story takes place in a ‘yellow wood’, with the persona stood at the fork between two diverging roads. The imagery of ‘yellow wood’ shows the setting to be autumnal; relating to the passing of time through the change in the leaves’ colour. This gives a sense that time will catch up with us – it is passing and fleeting, and our chances are often gone before we know it. The first road the persona focuses on is one that is ‘bent in the undergrowth’. Through the use of ‘bent’ we can see that the path is blind; the persona cannot see the end of it, and therefore cannot see the repercussions of taking the route. This is a metaphor for the future; just as we can only see so far down the path, we can only see the short term consequences of our decisions. All roads remain mysteries –which further links to the precariousness of our existence. The second road is ‘grassy and wanted wear’. The personification shows
Open Document