3-the road not taken

과목: American Romanticism and Poetry 과목: American Romanticism and Poetry 발표날짜: 2011.4.25 발표자: 강금비 (박사 2학기) A Brief Analysis of The Road Not Taken ----By Robert Frost The Road Not Taken is one of Frost’s most well-known poems so that almost each American knows it. It is set in a rural natural environment where always inspire the speaker to think of life. It is based on a metaphor in which the journey through life is compared to a journey on a road. And the speaker of the poem has to choose one path instead of another. Even though the two paths look equally attractive, the speaker knows that his choice at this moment may have a significant influence on his future. He does make a decision, hoping that he may be able to visit this place again, yet realizing that such an opportunity is impossible. He imagines himself in the future telling the story of his life, and claiming that his decision to take the road less traveled by, the road few other people have taken, has made all the difference. Stanza 1--- Describes Situations Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; The ‘two roads’ represent a choice in life – this is a metaphor as the paths should not be seen literally. ‘diverged’ – means split or divided ‘I could not travel both’ and ‘one traveler’: he regrets not being able to make both choices - as ‘one traveller’ we cannot do this. ‘And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth’: represents the thought process needed to make the choice. The poem rhymes: abaab – this is a lyrical, traditional poem The poem begins as if when the poet was walking in a wood in late autumn at a fork in the road. He was choosing which road he should follow. Actually, it is concerned with the important decisions which one must make in life; one must give up one desirable thing in order to possess the other. Stanza 2--- Decides to Take Less-travelled Road Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, ‘as just as fair’: sees both choices as having equal merit – pros and cons. ‘it was grassy and wanted wear’: the narrator chooses the path that was grassier, hence less people had walked it in the past. Keep remembering this is all a metaphor for the choices one has to make in life. ‘really about the same’: after thinking about it he declares them worn ‘about the same’ – he contradicts himself showing us the difficulty of the decision and his hesitation After the judgment and hesitation, the traveler makes up his mind to take the road which looks grassy and wants wear. This is often beloved to be the symbol of the poet’s choice of a solitary life --- taking poetry writing as his life profession. Stanza 3--- Continues Description of Road And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh,I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. ‘both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black. / Oh, I kept the first for another day!’: looking back, he realises that no one had chosen either path that day – both were covered with ‘leaves no step had trodden black’. ‘how way leads on to way’: exclamation of regret – emphasises the importance of the choice ‘I doubted if I should ever come back’: by making a choice, your life changes and you are never able to make things exactly as they were in the past. A bit like the butterfly effect. Even at the time of making the choice, he ‘doubted if [he] should ever come back’ – this gives a real sense of stepping into the unknown. The two roads are equally pretty, so as soon as he made the choice of the one, the poet felt painful for abandoning the other. He is quite aware that his intention of “next choice” will be nothing than an empty promise. Stanza 4--- Recalls the Road Taken and Not Taken I shall be telling this with a sgih Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood,and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. ‘I shall be telling this with a sigh’: he looks to the future – he cannot be certain that his choice was the right one. ‘Two roads diverged in a wood’: repetition of opening – poem is circular. This is Frost telling the same story again in the future. ‘And that has made all the difference’: ‘the difference’ - you can interpret this as you wish but it is important that you do think about its meaning. Frost himself says this final line does not mean he made the right choice, rather that he had to make the choice and it changed everything. The poet was imagining many years later when he will be recalling the choice he made today, he would respond with nothing else but a sigh, for it would be too hard for anyone, after many more experiences in life, to make any comment on the choice made early in life. All in all, for the speaker, the road of life was accident and mystical, and his very choice was crucial in determining the consequences of his life. The ordinary people follow other’s choice, while the exceptional ones choose their unique roads of life. Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey. There is never a straight path but a sole direction in which to head. It is one's past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that d etermines the shade of the light. In any case however, this poem clearly explained Frost's belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is. It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. It is impossible to travel down every path. The road that will be chosen leads to the unknown, as does any choice in life. As much he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it surpasses his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other path. There is simply a narrator who makes a decision in his life that had changed the direction of his life from what it may have otherwise been. It allows all readers from all different experiences to relate to the poem. Reference [1] Kennedy, An introduction to poetry 1995 [2] Moeller, The road not taken 2001