THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

ROBER FROST

1.     Who does the speaker represent and why did he stand there long?

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” has been one of the most analyzed poems in American poetry. In the first stanza, the speaker describes his position. He has been out walking the woods and comes to two roads, and he stands looking as far down each one as he can see. He would like to try out both, but doubts he could to take, so therefore he continues to look down the roads for a long time trying to make his decision about which road to take. So finally he chooses the road which is not used by many people.

2.     Why does the poet choose the less traveled path?

The poet makes us think about the choices we make in our life. We should think carefully before we take a decision. There is a spirit of regret and nostalgia and longing in the poem. At the point of divergence the poet stood and started observing both the roads. He took the first one and saw it carefully. He inspected the road as far as his eyes permitted him to. After inspecting the first road he moved on to the second road. He saw that the second road was more grassy and lacked usage. Also the second road appealed to him more than the first road did. But however he felt that both the roads were same. As, on both the roads, the leaves which had fallen were unstopped, he decided to travel through the second road.

3.     What difference does it make for the poet?

The poet knew that his choice might not lead him to his desired destination and that he might not get a chance to come back. The speaker took a brave decision to choose the road which was not preferred by travelers. In the future the speaker would be able to tell proudly that at the point of his journey he took the road which was less travelled by travelers which has made all the difference in his life. This poem teaches us to make right decisions in our life. It also states that opportunities once lost are lost forever. We have to face the consequences of choices made by us. This poem also, in a way, symbolizes life.

4.              Why does Frost prefer non-conventional thinking?

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. A wide-spread interpretation claims that the speaker in the poem is promoting individualism and non-conformity. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. His poems appear to be simple but they have a deeper meaning. In the poem Road Not Taken, the poet represents the choices by using the image of two roads. Two paths represent choices; at the split in the road, the author looks far down both paths to see what each will bring. The first of the two paths is the more commonly travelled one, while the other is the 'less travelled' path. Frost presents the conflict - the decision between the common easy path and the uncommon but more difficult one. Choosing easy path in life will ensure success, but won't necessarily be fulfilling. Choosing the 'less traveled' road means a more difficult path in life, but more satisfying results that are not like anyone else's