Sometimes the decisions we make now affect the way our lives end up. In a quote by Ralph Emerson, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.” This means that no matter what decisions a person makes, if they have any regrets, they shouldn’t because they have already gained something from it. Robert Frost writes about decisions as well. His poem “The Road Not Taken” exemplifies what he believes a person should think when making a decision. The language and tone that he uses make the reader think beyond what is written and sends him/her a message about the decisions s/he makes; Frost also helps the reader understand what he is trying to point out, through these uses.
“And sorry I could not travel both,” (Line 2) “Oh, I kept the first for another day!”(Line 13) “I shall be telling this with a sigh,” (Line 16); what do we think when we read these lines? They seem very straight forward, but the author is trying to get a message across. When read carefully, these lines almost have a ‘feel’ to them; as if they are talking to the reader themselves. This feeling is created by the tone at which the poem is read. Tone, when used in poetry, can convey strong meanings and set moods for poems. At first site, these lines are simply words strung together with other words, but as we read with feeling, “And sorry I could not travel both,” we almost feel regret; it is as if the narrator is unsure of the decision he has made. Frost is trying to tell the reader that sometimes s/he will also feel this. He is trying to tell us that we should not have regrets. “I shall be telling this with a sigh/…/Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-/I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference,”(Lines 16-20) Frost is saying we should not regret all the decisions we make, instead think of what these decisions have done.
The Essay on Makes The Reader Poet Poem Lives
... the second line, and the words, "defied gravity, deified stone" which makes the reader think of ... of the significance and importance of this decision by this emphatic declaration. The last poem ... of modern and well chosen vocabulary is read with ease and often invites intimacy, ... reader feel optimistic and uplifted through the use of carefully chosen words, a similar technique employed by Robert Frost, ...
Upon interpretation of this poem, we can gather information and piece it together. Almost every line has two meanings; the one that is relevant to the narrator, and the one that is relevant to us, the reader. Frost uses this figurative language to get his point across; he mentions how the narrator, “Looked down one as far as I could” (Line 4).
By saying this it means just that to that narrator, but what does it mean to us? Does it mean that we try to see how far our decision will go? Or does it mean no matter how far we look into the future, we will never know until we experience? The narrator makes a decision that he believes was suitable for him. He knows that he has chosen a path that many others refuse. In doing so he understands who he is; he understands his differences and does not dwell on them. “If a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.” In words by Anthony Burgess, the narrator chooses the path that he knows is right o him, and “…that has made all the difference.”(Line 20)
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.” Emerson understands the same thing that Frost is trying to tell the reader in this poem. By his example of a man at an intersection, he is teaching the reader a lesson; after reading this poem, the reader understands that s/he should not dwell on past decisions. Instead, in the future we should look back and be glad with the ones we’ve made. His use of language and tone help the reader gain these things from this poem, and maybe give them something to think about. By challenging the reader to think about the poem, rather than just reading it, Frost is also allowing the reader to become aware of his/her decisions. In the agreement of Frost’s poem, “Do not go where the path may lead, instead go where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Emerson
The Essay on Comparing 3 Robert Frost Poems
Comparing Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Birches, and The Road Not taken Robert Frost was an American poet that first became known after publishing a book in England. He soon came to be one of the best-known and loved American poets ever. He often wrote of the outdoors and the three poems that I will compare are of that outdoorsy type. There are several likenesses and differences in ...
