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Analysis of Robert Frost's Taken

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Poetry Essay

ENGL 102: Literature and Composition

Spring 2012

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English 102

22 April 2012

Analysis of Robert Frost's “The Road Not Taken”

Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road not Taken” is a lyrical poem that describes the author’s thoughts when he comes to a fork in the road and the difficult decision of which path to take. It is a closed form poem with a rhyming scheme of “ABAAB” with 4 stanzas of 5 lines each. The fork in the road symbolizes decisions individuals make in life. With his used of mood, symbolism, setting, and imagery, Robert Frost describes the dilemma of decision making and how those decisions play a part in one’s future choices. The poem can be used to describe how an individual decides to follow Jesus Christ, the faith that it requires to do so, and the result of giving your life to Him.
The poem begins with “Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood”, symbolizing the different choices individuals have in life. The author explains to the reader that the decision is weighed out carefully and not hastily. Even as the author talks of trying to look down the road as far as possible, there is no sure way of seeing what is at the end. This symbolization can also be used to describe the way people try to make difficult decisions. Even though they may try to intelligently predict the outcome, these tough choices rarely have the answer easily found and requires the individual to have faith in the decision they choose. This faith can also be found when deciding to follow Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
In the second stanza, Frost uses imagery to describe the two roads. He explains that one road at first looks to be less traveled for “it was grassy and wanted wear” but soon realizes that each road is similar with maybe subtle changes, “Had worn them really about the same.” These subtle differences can also affect the decision individuals make in life as well. When an individual is presented the question to follow Christ, it may come down to something as simple as a look or smile. A person can be asked to repent multiple times from individuals and may eventually say yes due to a seemingly inconceivable reason. Matthew 7:21, ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Frost creates a dilemma in the 3rd stanza when he establishes that the author will never travel down the other road. “I doubted if I should ever come back.” The author realizes that this decision will more than likely bring on more decisions or other forks in the road. “Yet knowing how way leads on to way.” This can easily be found when an individual is making poor life choices. When an individual decides to take drugs or commit a crime it will more often than not lead to further questionable decisions or forks in the road and never allowing the individual to go back to where it started. This also can be seen when an individual repents and is truly born again. If true conversion has taken place than they will be tested, but the decision has been made and there is no turning back. James 1:2-4 states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
In the final stanza, I believe the poem’s mood has shifted to a peaceful state. It seems many years have passed and the author is contemplating his fork in the road decision. “I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence.” I believe this sigh is a sigh of satisfaction. The author is reminiscing and is content with his decision and is proud that he “took the road less traveled by” This can be said for the believer as well. Choosing to follow Christ is definitely not a popular choice, Matthew 22:14 says, "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Robert Frost’s poem depicts the choices people make, the results of those choices, and the satisfaction of the choices when they are correctly made. Sometimes those choices are difficult to make, difficult to see, and even more difficult when it’s against the majority. These types of decisions require a great amount of faith, much like the faith that is needed to follow Jesus Christ. Following Christ is not a popular choice, you aren’t able to see the “end of the road” but when its time, a believer will be able to sigh like the author in the poem, knowing very well that many "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Works Cited
Frost, Robert. “The Road not Taken” Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy Giola. New York: Longman, 2010. 610. Print.

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