Jessica Ingram English 102
09/24/2011

‘’The Road Not Taken’’ is a poem by Robert Frost and it was taken from his own personal experience. He begins to talk about the times when he had to make tough decisions in his life. In the poem it may seem like he regrets his decision and would like to know what the other outcome could be. In my opinion this poem keeps you in suspense and on the edge of your seat. By being a first tine reader I found it very obvious that Frost regretted his decision of path he chose. But at times he seems grateful for his experiences. It depends on what the reader takes from it. The inspiration of this poem came from his friend Edward Thomas of England. Robert and his friend would often take walks through the countryside. He would always choose the path that he thought would have more interest and would show him a better time. But by the end of the walk he would often regret the decision that he made. After the walks he would often ‘sigh’ because he felt he could have chosen a better direction. His friend would always tease him about the regrets he would have over the decisions he would make. When Robert sighs in the poem you can take it to different ways. He could be implying that it was sigh of relief or sign of regret. He could be really happy or regretful about the path that he chose. I learned that he never really told anyone what the sigh meant. He said it was very tricky poem with many layers to it. The only time the ‘’sighs’’ would come is when he would walk through the countryside. If you think in a positive manner there is never a right or wrong way or choice in life. A mistake could also be seen as a lesson. You can learn from them. I believe to regret a decision you would have had to make the wrong choice. If the choice you made did not have the outcome you wanted then being positive is the only thing you can do. This poem is basically a reflection of the decisions that he has made. He begins to explain what is situation was, but by the end of the poem you begin to realize that you are in the present. He begins to express his feelings about the decisions that he has made. This poem will take you through the past, present, and the future. The sound effects in this poem helps you understand it better. The poem also uses assonance to get their point across. He also uses assonance so that we can get a more vivid image of his words and imagery. Sounds affects made this poem more interesting. This poem is also filled with metaphors. The poem is a metaphor of life and its decisions. Robert Frost compared to the paths that people take in life. The metaphors that were used helped this poem become more exciting and unique. Some of the metaphors he used was “ Because it was grassy and wanted wear…””Had torn them about the same”…” The road is not a person but he is giving it human traits. ‘’The Road Not taken’’ also has a great theme to it. It means that you have two paths in life that you can take in making a decision. In this poem he implies that he made his own decisions without any help from others. There reason why it made it harder because he was very double-minded and after doubted which roads to take. Because his curiosity got the best of him he chose the wrong path. ‘’Because it was grassy and wanted wear…” told me that not much people took this road. This poem has a very good meaning. Robert Frost never wasted much Time in writing this poem. In this poem he does not clearly tell you the time but it is evident that he is talking about the past. By reading this poem the reader will always stay in suspense. Bu using this technique it urges us as readers to figure out what he saying and what he is going to do next. I found out this poem will have you asking what the poem is trying to tell you. In conclusion ‘’The Road Not Taken’’ is very relatable no matter what decisions you have to make. It is possible to take this poem two ways and interpret it however you want to. I personally could relate especially when I came to crossroads in my life. Thesis/Outline
The significance of this poem is to show different sides of the spectrum when it comes to dealing with life and its expectations. It shows how even when choosing which way to go when it comes to which way you should go when you come to a busy highway can lead to some bad decisions. By using the metaphors and assonance he gives us personal experience that makes up this poem so unique and different. 1. Introduction 2. Inspiration 3. Sound affects 4. Metaphors 5. Assonance 6. Conclusion