THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Jokes can be conveyed in different ways, but for Robert Frost, a poem seemed the best way. “The road not taken” by Robert was a joke directed to his friend Edward Thomas. They were on a walk when Thomas became persistently dithering on which path they ought to have taken. The poem was written in 1915 but was the first to be published in 1961, in Mountain Interval collection.
The poem is an imagery of life choices, the decisions people make, the nostalgia that engulfs an individual on the possible outcomes of a different decision. It’s also a show of uncertainty and the bewildering situation in peoples’ minds when confronted with making decisions. As per the narrator, they are faced with a dilemma on which path to take. The narrator feels sorry for not traveling both paths at the same time. Finally, the narrator takes the road less trafficked, this shows the inevitability of decision making.
Decisions are more sublime than fickleness, as the poem shows how life unravels consciously. He thinks of coming back someday to travel the other road; however, he feels his later decision will present him with more adventurous ‘paths’ to embark. This brings him to regret, as he doubtfully wonders of ever coming back. But the experience brought about the path taken, rejuvenates his spirit as he says, that come ages, he shall recount his experience on the decision he made and how it made all the difference.
A metaphor refers to an implicit collation of two, unlike things. The roads are metaphorical, so is the fork in the road as it represents the choices people make to unravel the path of their lives. The narrator looks down the paths till he sees no further, this is metaphorical as it shows the same manner in which we can’t see fully the consequences of our choices. In line 6 the narrator decides to take the path he hadn’t been examining, it’s metaphoric in the way people are at times prompted to make spontaneous decisions. His expression of regret of never traveling the other path, it’s a metaphor for the life-impacting decisions that forever impact our lives with no chance of reversal.
Symbolism doesn’t fall short in this poem; this is a figurative style that pervades literatim things with symbolic meaning. The road symbolizes the journey of life, filled with life-changing choices. Every road taken leads to a unique and specific destination, and every destination depends entirely on one’s decision. The fact that the leaves are yellow, they represent the autumn period. This is symbolic in that the yellow leaves represent the late years of our lives. This helps us envision the narrators’ period in life, he has trodden the long road of life. The poem is set in a woody place where the speaker is left alone to decide, they are no road signs nor directions. This is life-symbolic in the way we make our decisions, their no signs nor direction in life to assist people in choosing their paths. The morning in stanza 3, line 1 is also symbolic. It symbolizes new dawn, a new chance to rectify our past and see the vast opportunities the future has in store. Frost sets the morning scene to symbolize the early times of his life and how the future is laid out before him.
Conclusively, the poem generally is figurative. It’s an implicit representation of our lives, the dilemma faced, the impactful decisions made we take, the nostalgia for the paths not trodden and the ultimate decision to love and live by our choices.