Symbolism And Irony In "The Road Not Taken" By Rob

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Symbolism and Irony in “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. The main theme of the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is the importance of decisions that one makes, and how they can affect the future. In the poem Robert Frost effectively uses symbolism and irony to tell the reader that the road the speaker chooses can be either a wrong or a right decision, but either way it will make all the difference in the end. Since a lot of the lines in the poem stand for certain objects that are related to life and its choices, symbolism is one of the most powerful elements used by Robert Frost in “The Road Not Taken”. The poem starts with a speaker standing in a yellow wood considering a fork lying ahead of him. The described setting gives out the whole idea of the poem. Lives are like roads with diverging paths that represent different choices that must be made. Frank Lentricchia claims that: “There must be two roads and they must, of course, be different if the choice of one over the other is to make a rational difference.” The speaker of the poem is not sure which path to take. He looks down one path as far as he can see. It’s almost like he is trying to take a peek into the future and see the outcome of the decision if he takes the first path. Next, he examines the second path just as careful and compares the two. They both are “worn about the same” (Line 10). The only difference between the two is that one is unclear and is “bent in the undergrowth” (Line 5) and the other one is grassy. Undergrowth is in the way and prevents the speaker from seeing what is further down the road. It can also mean roughness and difficulties on the way. The grassiness, on the other side, makes the road more attractive and easy to access. It can also symbolize comfort and a worry free journey. Choices are always difficult. Most people, making these choices, are

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