#A road not taken poem analysis free

#A road not taken poem analysis free

This is a metaphor to our inability to predict the future, and the fact that regardless what road is chosen it will not be free of obstacles.

Both roads lead to the unknown, “To where it bent in the undergrowth” (line 5), as do many choices in life. The speaker’s procrastination and the difficulty in predicting the outcome of the decision he needs to make is shown when he, “…stood And looked down one as far as I could” (line3-4). He realizes that he needs to make a choice and pick one path over the other. When Frost says, “And be one traveler…” (line 3) it is obvious that speaker can not travel down both paths. It also forms a sense of regret at not knowing what could lie ahead on the un-chosen path and the speaker’s limitation to one lifetime. The second line, “…sorry I could not have traveled both” (line 2) expresses the curiosity to explore several possibilities in life. This suggests that the setting is in the forest during Fall, which is the season of change. Frost begins with the metaphorical meaning as early as the first line with his reference to “…yellow wood” (line 1). The roads in the poem are merged where the speaker is standing but lead in two different directions signifying two different paths in life. The speaker is standing at a junction in the road pondering two choices. First Frost sets the scene with his opening words, “Two roads diverged…” (line 1). The first stanza conveys a mood of change and introduces the idea of a life altering decision, which is the basis for the poem. Frost uses a metaphor comparing the road to life, and the fork to making decisions. Each line contains four stressed syllables. Then, in the last line the rhyme is broken with the word “difference” making the ending stand out from the rest of the poem. The poem consists of four stanzas, each containing five lines. The poem concludes with the speaker satisfied by his choice in taking the road less traveled by. He tells himself that he will take the other road another day, although he knows it is unlikely that he will have the opportunity to do so. The persona, who is believed to be Frost himself, chooses to take the road less traveled by. The poem is about the speaker arriving at a fork in the road, where both paths are carpeted with leaves.

Ultimately, your students will realize that this poem is about the lies we tell others and ourselves in order to add meaning and depth to our decisions in life.The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost addresses the idea of decision-making and choosing what direction life will take you. But, he admits, when he tells this story in the future, he will say that he took the road less traveled and that has made all the difference. The speaker says that he was going for a walk in the woods, there were two paths, and they were basically the same. However, when those iconic lines are read in context of the rest of the poem, they actually have quite a different meaning. In fact, the title of the poem has become a short-hand way of describing life choices that don’t follow the norm. It is likely that your students know the title of the poem and the last three lines-which have been quoted in everything from graduation speeches to needlepointed pillows. This poem is one that everyone thinks they know, but they don’t really. The close reading questions on Robert Frost’s iconic poem “The Road Not Taken” will get your students thinking about big ideas and questions that matter, as well as noticing how the smallest details of a poem contribute to meaning.