Monday 21 November 2011

“The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost: General overview

Language and Style

-    Frost’s language is natural, effortless and simple; able to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
-    It is so easy to remember.

for example:
    “And sorry I could not travel both”
    “And I – I took the one less traveled by”

-    Frost’s poems are lucid in the readers could picture them in their minds’ eye.

for example:      morning, diverged road, nature, grassy, yellow wood

-    Rhyme scheme:- a-b-a-a-b

for example: ..wood, ..both, ..stood, ..could, ..undergrowth
    quite consistent throughout
    gives a feeling of leisure, a stroll.

-    Run on lines – shows how long it takes the poet to decide on which road to take –> INDECISIVENESS

Tone and Mood

•    Contemplative
For example –      “and be one traveler, long I stood..” , “…as just fair..”

•    Reflective
For example –       “..Somewhere ages and ages hence..”

•    Pensive
For example –      “..and sorry I could not travel both..” , “I doubted if…”

•    Serious
For example –       “…and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Point of View

-      The persona is “I”. Therefore the poem is from the writer’s point of view.
-      However, “I” is universal – “one traveler”, so it could be from the point of view of the reader.

For example :

“I could not travel both..”
“..looked down as far as I could..”
“..Oh, I kept for another day!”
“I doubted if I should…”
“I shall be telling this…”
“..and I – I took the one less…”

Literal Meaning

A traveller was out walking in the woods one morning in autumn and he came to a diverged road. He wanted to explore both but he was unable to do so. He was undecided about which road he should take and said “long I stood”.

Finally, he decided to take one and “keep the first for another day”. Yet he knew that it was quite impossible – “I doubted if I should ever come back”.

“Somewhere ages and ages hence”, he felt a little sad (“sigh”), even regret maybe, for not being able to travel both roads. However, he knew that his choice has “made the difference”.


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