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A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom 1. Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) is one of the leading American poets of the twenties century, his works are known and highly appreciated all over the world. He was the first person to receive four Pulitzer Prizes. Robert Frosts poem The Road Not Taken (1916) is one of the most difficult and argued of his poems. The poem The Road Not Taken is based on life experience of the poet; it reflects his views on life decisions and draws strong reply from the reader, makes him compare his personal experience to poets experience and wisdom. This essay includes the paraphrase of the Robert Frosts poem The Road Not Taken, the analysis of the poem and my personal experience of making hard and serious decision, which influenced my life.
In the poem The Road Not Taken the poet creates the image of a traveler, who approaches a fork in the road, two diverging paths, and he is trying to decide, which road to choose. The traveler is eager to explore both roads, but he can walk only one road at a time, and he tries to weigh his decision. The traveler looks down one of the roads as far as his sight may go, trying to see the opportunities, which this road can bring, but the road makes a turn, and the traveler can not see further. After looking at the road narrowly, the traveler chooses another road and continues his walk. The traveler explains his decision by noting, that another road is less worn and almost begging to be walked upon. He plans to walk the first road later, after walking along the chosen one, though knowing that each road leads to another fork, and each decision leads to another decision, carrying him further from the road not chosen and making it impossible to return.
But apparently the chosen road brings the traveler to his goal and at the end of his travel he finds what he was looking for, while another road could bring 1 Frost, Robert. him to the absolute different end: I took the one less travelled by / and that has made all the difference. The poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost was published in 1916, after Frosts return from England. This poem is highly ambiguous. The poet wrote this poem as a joke on his friend Edward Thomas, whom he met while living in England. Edward Thomas used to show Frost the English countryside during their walks and later repent that if they had chosen another path, they would have seen better views.
The poet describes the roads with the means of antithesis, first saying that one road was having perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear, and in next Stanza he says the opposite, that the roads: both that morning equally lay. This device is very essential, that poet implies that all roads are the same in being absolutely unique. If Edward Thomas and Robert Frost during their walk were choosing different or not chosen roads, they would be seeing other beautiful things, but they would not see the ones that were on the chosen roads. But they chose what they chose And that has made all the difference. The language of the poem is very simple, which helps the reader to imagine himself in travelers shoes. The roads in the poem The Road Not Taken symbolize the choice in life of any person.
Everyone in his life approaches the moment when he should decide, what direction his life may take. Robert Frost in his poem analyzes such decision and its aftermath: looked down one as far as I could / to where it bent in the undergrowth. As long, as he can not see the path, the traveler forms his decision on the subjective parameter of the roads: judging if it is easy, glorious or unique: took the other, as just as fair / and having perhaps the better claim / because it was grassy and wanted wear. These two lines have influenced the most common interpretation of this poem as the appeal for individualism, the poets appreciation of trying new ways, which are not used by everyone else. However, the poet is not undertaking the part of the advisor. He says: both that morning equally lay / in leaves no step had trodden black, and he implies, that nobody of those, who had seen the end of the road would return and be able to advice or influence the one just starting his travel.
But Robert Frost gives his reader a hint in choice. The poet applies personification saying that the chosen road wanted wear, which means that the right road can herself call for the traveler, he just must be able to listen. The word sigh in the fourth Stanza rhymes with the word I, which highlights the emotional tone of the poem. It contrasts with the last two lines of the poem and adds more ambiguity of meaning to it: the traveler sighs, and at the same time states, that it was his choice, the less traveled road that has made all the difference.
This is the sigh of relief. But at the same time it is the sign of regret, because the traveler would never know what was on the road not taken. This attitude reflects the human nature, which is always unsatisfied and always doubting. The poetry of Robert Frost is based upon poets huge personal experience and his attempt to convey this experience to his readers.
One of the first and most important choices in life is the choice of professional career. From early childhood till the end of the high school and sometimes even till the end of the higher education this decision is being formed. Apart from those, whose genius is shining since early years, by the time when decision should be made all people have several choices among what they like, what they can do really good, what their parents offer or insist upon, or what is more profitable. As any other person I also have experienced the problem of the choice. This is a very uneasy moment, when you stay like Robert Frost's traveler on a fork in a road and trying to choose the right direction. And neither advice not calculations makes the paths any clearer.
I had to choose between humanities and sciences, because I preferred humanities, but all of my family members had degrees in sciences. And though the final decision is made, sometimes I am still turning around and musing, what could have happen to me if I had chosen another road. But I do not sight with regret, because the road I walk is my road on this road I found my own self. Bibliography Frost, R. (2000).
Making Literature Matter. Boston, Ma: Bedford/ St. Martin's. Frost, R. (1992).
Robert Frost Selected Poems. New York: Random House. Later, E. C. (1975). The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
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