Assignment

Robert Frost- A Road not Taken

Everyone travels in one point in their life, forcing them to make choices and decisions that affect their lives. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey in his poem, "The Road Not Taken", leaves its readers with many different interpretations. It is one's past and present with which he looks upon his future that determines the shade of the light that he will see the poem in. However, Frost in his poem "The Road Not Taken" demonstrates his belief through the use of tone and the speaker, the traveler, that it is the road that one chooses that makes that individual the person who he/she is. Additionally, each decision that an individual makes affects his or her life in one way or another.

It is always difficult to make a decision about which road to take or follow for it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunities that one will miss. Right at the beginning of the poem the traveler says, "And sorry I could not travel both..." (1: 2 Frost, 446), which clearly sets the sense and tone of regret even before the choice is made. This also lies in the knowledge that in one lifetime, it is impossible to travel down every path. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler "looked down one as far as I [he] could" (1: 4 Frost, 446). 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 allows him to decide where he is going.

As the traveler progresses and tries to decide what path to take, the regretful tone of poem changes to a more positive and clear outlook. The speaker states that he "Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim" (2: 5-6 Frost, 447). What made it have the better claim is that "it was grassy and wanted wear" (2: 7 Frost, 447) It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other path therefore he calls it "the road less traveled by". The fact that the traveler took this path over the more popular one indicates the type of personality he has. The traveler seems to be the one who does not like to necessarily follow the crowd but do more of what has never been done, what is new and different. One can clearly see that Frost, through the use of tone is able to express his point that what road one chooses plays a vital role in the characterization of that ...