Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
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The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost describes a physical journey of insight and learning. It is the figurative journey of the human spirit, as we travel through life making choices and decisions. The Road Not Taken is a metonym for individuality and the expression of it. So as we read and respond to the text, we see the physical journey contained becoming metaphorical, a reflection on our own lives and values.
The poem’s rhyming scheme provides regularity and a sense of direction in conveying the persona’s physical journey. However the rhyming scheme differs from standard, indicating the unknown direction the persona will take, and reflecting the risk taking of non-conformity. We as responders are immediately placed in the same position as the persona, asked throughout the poem to consider which path we would take on the physical journey. The poem is set in an idyllic ‘wood’, a contrast to the real world the persona is a part of, the real world we as responders are asked to reflect on. We as responders are warned against procrastination as the steps in the decision making process are clearly defined “And sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could” We are reminded of the reflection aspect of the physical journey, through the reference to ‘traveler’. As a traveler, one is concerned with the experiences connected to the physical journey, rather than the tourist who is concerned with the highlights of life.
The low modality “just as fair” indicates the choice of direction is life, expressing that individuality or choosing a different path is just as easy or acceptable as conforming. However the writer than states that the less travelled path may have “perhaps the better claim”, because in traveling anywhere you are setting a path for others to follow, thus making you a leader and setting you apart from the rest. We see the concept reinforced, because both paths “had worn them really about the same” as people traveling are taking more risks and accepting the leadership challenge.
The speaker expresses his regret about the decision he faces, realizing that he may not have this opportunity again. He educates us about the futility of journeys,