Imagery in “The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost

Introduction

Each day we must make decisions on what we are going to do that day or even the next day. However, we come to the two roads that diverge, and the roads that diverge are significantly life-changing. The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost states that in life, we come upon many decisions, and there are points where we have to let fate take the lead.

The Symbolism and Imagery of Two Roads

Robert Frost state that the roads are considered to be a symbol of his life decisions.

The fact that Frost chose to use this symbol to portray the message gives us a clear idea of what he is going through. The poem uses two paths as a symbol of a life decision. In this poem, we come to realize that life is a combination of decisions and fate. The two paths symbolize the life of the traveler and all his life decisions. This poem expresses life because, in life, there are important decisions that, in some instances, can make a really big change; sometimes, it’s hard to find your way out of something, and there are many possible ways you can do it.

“Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim” are verses where we can clearly see that this is a decision into which he is putting a lot of thought. Throughout the poem, we learn that there are two paths to take, but the traveler, who we suppose is Robert Frost, is uncertain of which one to take. We learn that this is really a life decision and not just a choice between two paths.

There is a line that is “I shall be telling this with a sigh” Robert Frost shows a sign of regret, meaning he made the wrong decision. Not all decisions have to be clearly thought out or overthought. In our lives, sometimes we make some wrong decisions too. Depending on time, we can’t really look up. That’s why we make mistakes. In this scenario, we have to be more careful about our decision. The road we choose is full of challenges and needs to be explored. In the beginning, we thought we would choose a better path than the previous path, but the road never seemed to end. What we decide today is going to affect our future. Sometimes the decisions we make can be wrong, but that is way better than standing and not choosing anything.

Conclusion

Life is full of choices, some predetermined, some decided on the spot. The road is really a metaphor explaining the decisions that we make. Sometimes there are monumental choices that will affect the rest of someone’s life, whether they know it or not. The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is about one of those special moments where one choice will change the course of one person’s life. We believe that depending on the road a person chooses, their life will turn out better off or worse. In this poem in which, we learn that sometimes we have to let fate take the lead. Life is a combination of decisions and fate. According to the author, the two paths symbolize the life of the traveler and all his life decisions. Every decision can really affect your life.

References

1. Frost, R. (1916). The Road Not Taken. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved from: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken

2. Bedell, M. (2009). "Robert Frost’s Poems: 'The Road Not Taken' and 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening'." The Explicator, 67(4), 311-313. DOI: 10.3200/EXPL.67.4.311-313

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