Question

Write a short literary analysis essay about the following poem. Begin by stating the theme (main idea) that the poem expresses. Then discuss how the poet, Robert Frost, develops this theme through his use of language and especially the ambiguity of the last two lines. You might want to focus on how Frost uses visual imagery, word choice, or the unique perspective of the speaker and how one or more of these elements help get the main idea across to the readers. Discuss two or more literary techniques in your essay. Use specific quotations from the poem to back up your claims.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

—Robert Frost

Answer 1

Theme: The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about the choices we make in life and how they shape our future.

Robert Frost develops this theme by using visual imagery, word choice, and the unique perspective of the speaker. The speaker is faced with a choice between two paths in a yellow wood, and he is sorry he cannot take both. The language and imagery of the poem show that the choice is not just about which path to take, but about the larger question of how to live one's life.

Frost's use of ambiguous language in the last two lines of the poem further develops the theme of the poem. The speaker says that he took "the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." This line is often interpreted to mean that the speaker took the less popular or unconventional path and that this choice has had a significant impact on his life. However, the poem's ambiguity leaves open the possibility that the speaker is being ironic, and that he is saying that the two paths were not that different and that his choice may not have made much of a difference after all.

Frost also uses the unique perspective of the speaker to develop the theme of the poem. The speaker is looking back on a choice he made many years ago, and he is reflecting on how that choice has shaped his life. This perspective allows Frost to explore the larger themes of life, choice, and regret.

Finally, Frost's use of visual imagery, such as the "yellow wood" and the "undergrowth," helps to create a sense of the natural world that surrounds the speaker and the choices he faces. The word choice, such as "sorry," "doubted," and "sigh," further emphasizes the speaker's uncertainty and regret.

In conclusion, "The Road Not Taken" is a poem about the choices we make in life and how they shape our future. Frost develops this theme through his use of language, ambiguity, unique perspective, and visual imagery. The poem encourages us to reflect on our own choices and the paths we take in life.