Essay on poem the road not taken

Essay on poem the road not taken

The Road Not Taken is a poem by Robert Frost published in 1915. It is one of Robert Frost and the World's most well-known poems. 

Summary:

The summary of the poem could be encapsulated into a few words as 

"The poet is at the root, which is getting diverged and he is in a dilemma as we try to choose which one to live."

So as the poem begins, we get to know that the poet is standing on a road that is getting divided into two. So he is in confusion or a dilemma that to which road he should take and which one he should leave. 

"He is quite sad and sorry about the fact that no matter which you choose, there will be one not chosen as he been one person who could not travel both roads."

So the poet is quite sad and sorry about the fact that he cannot choose both the route because he is a one-person and he has to choose one and leave the other.

"He compares and analysed both the route and comes to the conclusion to travel on one which seemed less travelled by others and promised himself to travel the other someday."

Now the poet decides that he will travel on the road, which was, according to him, less travelled by and promised himself to travel on the other roads some other day. 

"Yet knowing the fact that the one he has chosen might lead to anywhere so that it would be impossible to come at the same junction again."

So the point is quite aware of the fact that how one path leads to another one and he has no idea whether he will be able to come back to the same part again. But still, he promises himself that he will come back and travel to the other road.

The Rhymes is in the format of E, b, a, b, c, d, c, c, d, e, f e f, g, h, h.

This means that the first line of the stanza rhymes with the third and fourth line, while the second line rhymes with the first line. 

In the first stanza, wood is rhyming restored and good and both with undergrowth and so on and so forth. 

So the rhyme scheme of this poem, The Road Not Taken A, B, B, A, A, B

Now let us discuss the poetic devices of this poem. 

The first poetic device of this poem is a "Metaphor".

The whole poem is an extended metaphor and the road act as a metaphor for life.

Another poetic device that is used is "Anaphora". 

So the word and is repeated at the beginning of lines two, three and four. 

Another one is "Alliteration".

So alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound in close connexion. 

So "Wanted Wear" - 'W' and is repeating 

 "First For"- 'F' sound is repeating 

"Though, That" -  'The' sound is repeating. 

So the next poetic device used is "Personifications" -  The fork or the point where the road is getting divided into two in the Woods refers to the life decisions one has to make.

The next poetic device is "Repetition". - There is a line in the poem "Somewhere ages and ages hence" The word ages is repeated twice. 

Now let us discuss the theme of this poem 

The main theme of the road not taken is that it is often impossible to see where a life-changing decision will lead. 

Thus, one should make their decision swiftly and with confidence. It is normal to wonder what the outcome would have been if the other road was chosen.

So it is nearly impossible to guess that. What will be the outcome of the life-changing decision one day? 

So the only thing which could be done is to take the decision with confidence and it is very normal to think about what would have been the outcome or reason 

If the added road or other option was chosen and to think about this is futile, for it is impossible to say without taking the other road would have been better or worse.

All one can see is that it would have been different and thinking about this is also useless as to what will happen or what would have happened. 

It cannot be guessed what would have been the result of choosing the other road. They have been good or bad, the only thing which could be said is that it would have been different from the one which is chosen.

Also read: A thing of beauty is a joy forever poem

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