Frost’s sonnet “The Road Not Taken” describes a person who chooses between two paths and reflects about his choice. The character walks into the woods and comes to a complete stop where two roads go to in two different directions. So many decisions are going through his head because he wants to choose the right path so he spends his time glaring at one roads thinking if that is the correct path. The “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (1) becomes a symbol of life and change. This is why the speaker takes his time thinking which path to choose because not only is he concerned about which road to take but also which path in life is the correct one.
The poem begins with the narrator regretting that he had not been able to take both paths instead of being forced to take just one to one. This person looked as far as he could to see what was ahead on both of the roads he could have taken, but he could only see as far as where the path turned and disappeared in the underbrush. In the second stanza the person says they took the other road because it was grassy and wanted wear but, it was not much more worn than the other road. The third stanza says both of the roads were covered in leaves and had not been walked on frequently. This was to the extent that the leaves covering them had not been made black from the feet of other travelers.
Robert Frost uses a walk in the woods as a metaphor for making a decision in life, a situation that people face daily. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (1), each road starts from the same place, but may lead to two entirely different destinations and the traveler has no idea where those destinations may be. Not sure which path to choose, and afraid of making the wrong choice, he compares the two roads, much like humans do when debating a choice, weighing out the pros and cons. Many times, people tend to choose the easy way out. The path that is traveled more often has a predictable outcome that keeps one inside their comfort zone, even though it may not be the most beneficial choice.
Title: The Road Not Taken My thought: ''The Road Not Taken'' by Robert Frost is a well-known poem about the journey of life. The literal meaning of this poem by Robert Frost is pretty obvious. A traveler comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go to continue his journey Own Words: 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;1 Summary, Stanza 1 :On the road of life, the speaker arrives at a point where he must decide which of two equally appealing (or equally intimidating) choices is the better one. He examines one choice as best he can, but the future prevents him from seeing where it leads. ________________________________________ Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim,2 Because it was grassy and wanted wear;3 Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, Summary, Stanza 2 The speaker selects the road that appears at first glance to be less worn and therefore less traveled.
As the author puts it in line 1-2, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry I could not travel both” (Frost). Frost implies in this poem that the decisions we make are sometimes involve taking risks, that we should take responsibility for our decision, and that we should be aware that every decision we make can greatly impact our lives. Robert Frost uses imagery as he described a walk in the woods as a metaphor for making a decision in life, something that people are faced with every day. When the traveler in the poem is faced with two roads to choose from, he is not sure which one to pick. Not wanting to choose the wrong one, he examines each road to the best of his ability.
Due to my complicated and intricate thought process, I as the reader was looking for reasons outside of the ordinary to explicate the “hidden meaning” of Mr. Frost’s short poem “The Pasture”. I was unable to accept the simplicity of the stanzas, and so I read and reread the poem multiple times. I was awkwardly searching for what wasn’t. Upon recognition of the simplicity, I was then able to see and feel the love, warmth, and compassion that Mr. Frost achieves so well.
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” represent choices that are made in everyday life, choices to take your own path or to follow in society’s foot steps. In the poems the speaker is in a predicament where he has to choose between two paths in life. In “The Road Not Taken” the speaker chooses a different “road” than society would normally choose, showing the speaker’s uniqueness. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” the speaker is confronted by choosing nature or society. He finds himself wanting to be rid of society and all the things that it represents.
Which path is the right one? While the man looks down both paths, he notices one is grassier than the other, but both had leaves on them, so no one had been by that day. Since he was the first to come upon the two roads, he did not have anyone to follow, so the choice was completely up to him. The alliteration of the line “Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (as cited in Clugston 2010) brings the focus on that path, so the reader is already thinking he will chose the grassier road. According to Thoreau’s Color Symbols, grass and green mean birth and growth (as cited in Coyler, 1971) once growth and birth are recognized, a sure sign of spring, I am lead to believe that main character wants to have a new beginning in life; and that is why he did indeed chose the grassier path.
Kent’s situation does consist of several ethical dilemmas as his accomplishments since joining Dura- Stick have been mediocre at best and he fears that his time at Dura-Stick might be limited unless he starts closing big accounts such as the project proposed from Spray-On. Bruce is also faced with the knowledge that there is a certain level of expectations placed upon him and his organisation as Spray-On has certain criteria’s that must be met for the ‘new project’. However, Kent accepted the project even thought Dura-Stick would be unable to meet the criteria that Spray-On desires. This ethical dilemma has arisen because Kent is conflicted by his morals and his sense
A Road Not Taken Chris Smith ENG 125 Carolyn Karas 20 December 2013 A Road Not Taken What are choices? Choices are the avenues used to aiding the process of decision making because every situation has multiple outcomes. Neglecting to make conscious and educated decisions, we will fail to gain strength and limit our individual growth. Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken” provides us as readers with a perfect depiction of what struggles life may have in store for each of us. His poem captivates his readers or listeners and sends them on a fictional road that describes how each situations outcome may be altered by the choices being made and how a conclusion will be different every time.