Poetry Analysis Essay for “Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost

Course # and Title: ENGL 102: Literature and Composition

Semester of Enrollment: Spring 2012

Name: Timothy Bayless

ID #: L22915807

Writing Style Used: MLA

Timothy Bayless

L22915807

ENGL-102 C04

Poetry Analysis Essay Outline

I. Introduction A. Facts: Robert Frost thought a poem should start with delight but end in wisdom and has also won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times. B. Title and Author: “The Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost C. Thesis: The poem displays the difficult decisions people make in order to progress in life and how one choice can alter the future for better or worse.

II. Body

A. Meaning and Message i. Surface Meaning: A person comes to a “y” in the road and has to decide which way to go. ii. Deeper Meaning: Internal debates are overwhelming when deciding what the right decision to make is. iii. Theme: The choices made in life can alter the future for better or worse.

B. Tone i. The person speaking in the poem seems to have a certain level of maturity and it shows in the debate about which road to take. ii. The tone of the speaker is solemn in nature. iii. The reason the tone seems solemn is because the speaker is left with the uncertainty of what lies down each road and speaks in past tense throughout.

C. Figures of Speech i. The speaker is using a metaphor while speaking about “The Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost ii. The comparison of the wear of the two roads is about even so it makes the decision even harder. The yellow wood typically refers to autumn, or an age of