The Road Not Taken was written by award-winning American poet Richard Frost. He began writing poetry when he was twenty years old in England (Hart, 2017). Most of the best publishers refused to work with Frost as he struggled to get his work printed. Years later, after meeting with other poets such as Ezra and Thomas, he got a breakthrough. They reviewed his work, and Henry Harlot became his new publisher, walking Robert into the hall of fame. Frost earned numerous awards in his lifetime because of his great work.
The title The Road Not Taken itself is an extended metaphor for life. According to Hart (2017), a metaphor is a phrase used to link or compare one thing to another. The poet uses this metaphor to make a direct comparison to the decisions one makes in life. Frost describes a traveler who is at a crossroads and wonders which path to take. The individual decides to follow one road, which they later regret, and wonders what could have happened if they had taken the other road (Frost, n.d.). The same case applies in the real world; at some point, one decides to opt for a specific choice over another without knowing what follows.
This poem has a meditative tone, as the author utilizes it in his writing. For instance, the words “the traveler is thinking which of the two routes to choose” in the first line (Frost, n.d.). In the final lyric, Frost says that the individual picked the less-traveled route, which in return made all the difference. Frost (n.d.) employs the lines, ‘And sorry I could not travel both’ and ‘took the other just as fair’ (para 1, 2). The words ‘just as fair’ is a simile, as the poet compares the untaken road to the easier way to live. This poem’s great theme is indecision, where the traveler arrives at a crossroads and is unsure of the right option.
I chose this poem because it exposes the reality that most individuals make decisions that make them sometimes wonder whether the other alternative could have been better. It is an accurate reflection of what occurs in one’s life. Frost has used literary methods in his poem allowing me to master all them as well. Finally, the flow of ideas in this composition is incredible, making it easy to understand the message within.
References
Frost, R. (n.d.). The Road Not Taken. Poetry Foundation. Web.
Hart, H. (2017). The life of Robert Frost: A Critical Biography. Wiley-Blackwell.