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What is the road not taken by Robert Frost about?
Why is the road not taken called the Road Less Traveled?
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Why is the road not taken a misunderstood poem?
Learn about the background, themes, and poetic devices of Frost's famous poem, written as a joke for his friend who decided to join World War I. Explore the meaning of the poem's last line and its interpretation as a call to take the road less traveled by.
- “The Road Not Taken” Summary.
- “The Road Not Taken” Themes. Choices and Uncertainty. See where this theme is active in the poem. Individualism and Nonconformity.
- Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Road Not Taken” Lines 1-3. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler,
- “The Road Not Taken” Symbols. Diverging Roads. See where this symbol appears in the poem. The Road Less Traveled.
- Summary
- Meaning
- Detailed Analysis
- Structure
- Literary Devices
- Tone and Mood
- Symbolism
- Themes
- Historical Context
- Similar Poetry
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‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost(Bio | Poems)describes how the speaker struggles to choose between two roads diverging in the yellowish woods on an autumn morning. In the poem, the individual arrives at a critical juncture in his life, arriving at crossroads at last near “a yellow wood.” As per him, the paths are equally well-traversed and yiel...
Robert Frost’s poetic masterpiece is arguably the most infamously misunderstood poem as of yet. Marrying elements of form and content, arresting artistic phraseology and metaphors, the poem is mostly read without being understood. The archetypalconundrum is the primary attraction of the poem, readers instantly relate to their personal experiences. ...
Stanza One
‘A Road Not Taken’ opens with strong imagery, because of the diction used to depict two physical roads separating from each other in “a yellow wood.” It is observably a forest that is showcasing the colors of autumn. Line two is hasty to display the theme of regret, by revealing that the individual is “sorry” before he even decides which road to take. We basically find ourselves observing a very important moment, where he has to make a decision that is evidently difficult for him. Lines three...
Stanza Two
In this second stanza, lines six through eight: the individual in ‘The Road Not Taken’finally makes a decision and chooses a road that he thinks and believes is better, because it looked like not many people had walked on it before. However, in lines nine and ten, he is quick to add that the other road looked equally used in comparisonto the one he chose, so it really was not as less traveled as he was telling himself.
Stanza Three
In the third stanza, Robert Frost(Bio | Poems)mentions in lines eleven and twelve that at the moment that this individual was making his decision, both paths were nearly identical. No one had stepped through to disturb the leaves on both roads. Line thirteen is an important point in ‘The Road Not Taken’as this is when the individual finalizes his decision of leaving the other road, for perhaps another time. Lines fourteen and fifteen give us a glimpse of his doubts. He honestly confesses to h...
Robert Frost(Bio | Poems) has used an interesting style in ‘The Road Not Taken’. He works within the form, but at times, the form works within his style. Using variation and his brand of words, Robert Frost’s poemsfollowed a unique composition. At times, he created forms to suit his poetry. He has a general tendency to work within and without bound...
Frost uses several literary devices in ‘The Road Not Taken’. To begin with, he uses anaphora in the second, third, and fourth lines of the first stanza. Another important device of this piece is enjambment. It can be seen in the third and fourth lines. Using this device, he maintains the flow in between the lines as well as connects them internally...
To understand the tone and moodof this poem, readers have to look for the words that have emotions associated with them. One such word appears at the very beginning of the second line. The speaker says, “sorry” for not being able to travel on both roads. How does this particular word influence the poem’s tone and mood? First of all, it tells reader...
The infamous poem is rich with simplistic literal symbolism. Frost sets up a fictional stage for an individual upon which he sets the direction of his life with irreparable consequences. It’s a metaphor for people juggling with lifelong decisions. Seemingly an obvious poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’ has been subjective, catering to multiple interpretati...
The thematic idea of ‘The Road Not Taken’ intrinsically lies in “carpe diem”, judging by its nuance. In conventional carpe diem poems, readers can find that the speaker is urging one to seize the moment and live in the present. Likewise, in this poem, the poet presents a person who is not sure about what to do. He thinks about the future so he cann...
Robert Frost‘s ‘The Road Not Taken’depicts the poet or individual looking in retrospect and contemplating upon past decisions. As per a biographical account by Lawrence Thompson, “Robert Frost: The Years of Triumph”, the poem was based on his Welsh pal named Edward Thomas. According to him, his friend was always regretful of his decision, irrespect...
Here is a list of a few poems that similarly showcase the themes present in Robert Frost’s poem, ‘The Road Not Taken.’ 1. ‘Song of the Open Road‘ by Walt Whitman(Bio | Poems) – It’s one of the best-known poems of Walt Whitman. This poem describes a trip the speaker takes to learn about himself and enjoy the journey to an unknown destination. 2. ‘Th...
Learn how Frost's poem explores the themes of choice, regret, and fate through the speaker's dilemma at a crossroads. Discover the poem's context, structure, devices, tone, symbolism, and intertextuality.
A poem about choice, indecision, and the consequences of our actions. Learn how Frost wrote it as a joke for his friend Edward Thomas, and how it explores the themes of fate, free will, and regret.
"The Road Not Taken" is a narrative poem by Robert Frost, first published in the August 1915 issue of the Atlantic Monthly, and later published as the first poem in the 1916 poetry collection, Mountain Interval. Its central theme is the divergence of paths, both literally and figuratively, although its interpretation is noted for being complex ...
Learn how Robert Frost's poem explores the burden of free will and the fictive power of memory. Find out why the speaker's choice of a path is not a celebration of courage, but a source of regret and irony.
A classic poem about choosing between two paths in life and the consequences of that choice. The speaker reflects on the road not taken with regret and wistfulness, implying that it might have made all the difference.
