Symbolism of the Journey
Michelle Van Dyke
ENG 125 Introductions to Literature
Professor Alicia Giffin
April 25, 2012

In reading there is always a story to be found within the words written, whether it is in the form of a poem or a short story. “Reading creates imaginary experiences. It connects you to new experiences that become meaningful when you allow them to influence your thoughts and feelings’ (Clugston, 2010, Ch. 1). The writers are able to capture our imagination with the use of characterization, setting, theme and tone throughout their literary works. It is by imagination that we are able to mentally visualize what the author would like us to drawing us into the piece and then allowing us to grasp it by use of symbolism or a descriptive word.
How many times have you had a path to choose in life? Have you ever taken a journey? We have all found ourselves on a journey of some kind or another alone, but what is more important is how we choose to end it! In my essay I will compare and contrast the literary works “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (1916) and “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty (1941). At the conclusion of this essay I believe you will see we all have journeys in life although similar not always the same.
In the poem “The Road Not Taken” (Frost, 1916) or the short story “A Worn Path” (Welty, 1941) the theme is analogous. While one speaks of a “Path” the other a “Road” the theme that each of these writings share is presented differently throughout each piece. “The Road Not Taken” (Frost, 1916) sets the poem with a man on a forest road on an autumn morning. This disclosed to me the reader that this was about a journey of some kind. Frost also uses the word “I” throughout the poem, letting me know he is telling this from a First-Person point of view, most likely Frost using a persona or “mask”. “A Worn Path” (Welty, 1941) opens on a cold