"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost-Poetry Explication
Summary:
A man (or woman) reflects back and contemplates decisions while knowingly recalls how they stood and pondered long ago on which road they should take.
A decision is made and a road that has been chosen, or perhaps a particular road is beckoning him/her on.
Confirmation is given that he/she wants to keep the other road open as an option to perhaps travel it at another time, if time permitting.
Sigh of relief and confirmation that this individual is content in his/her decision to take the road less traveled; an inner knowing that the right decision was made.
Form:
Three stanza, five lines each
Rhyme Scheme: Two end rhymes in each stanza (ABAAB)
Speaker:
Not specified if male or female, but instead, a persona who is reflecting back on his or her own life travels. "Travels", used as a figurative term, depicts this person's life experiences; where they started, where they are at now with their contentment, and the in-between of it all (how they got there because of particular decisions made).
Title "The Road Not Taken":
Figurative of a path or choices we have; almost a warning to remind the reader that perhaps we should follow our dreams rather than doing what is expected us-or the usual.
Stanza 1:
The first stanza of the poem describes how the traveler comes to a fork in a road through a "yellow wood" and wishes he could "travel both" routes, but at the same time he realizes that the thought of traveling both roads is impractical and therefore makes a choice.
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood"--The key word here is "two". Throughout one's life, we are continuously faced with decisions where we have two choices (or more) and are faced with...
The Road
I think you have a good understanding of the poem, however, it seems that you could have found more literary devices. Perhaps the assignment only required you to find a couple, but what about symbolism and motif used in the poem?
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