Literary Analysis Essay on The Road Not Taken

Introduction

In the poem "The road not taken" by Frost tells an account of a time when one has a choice to make, and in this case, only one choice should be made at the end. The poet tells the primary account of the dilemma and the feeling of choosing one choice over another in life and its deep implications (Tyagi 67). The poet tells an account of choices in life that cannot be undone and the use of imagery in the poem is to arouse the sensory experience of the readers by providing mental snapshots of the poet's experience when choosing in the past. Imagery is a compressed form of communication that occurs in the mind of the reader and can increase the overall depth of the theme in question (Tyagi 68). In this case, Frost uses the imagery in different cases as a means of elaborating the emotional appeal experienced during that moment and helps the reader create a connection with the poet's account of events. This essay will elaborate the role of imagery in "The Road Not Taken" by Frost and the purpose of the imagery the poet uses in his account of the feeling of a choice that was made in the past over the other.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Two Roads Diverging

The divergence of the road elicits visual imagery of a diverging road where the road splits into two which indicates the kind of dilemma that the poet was faced with when deciding to follow one path (Pramono 19). The imagery shows that making two decisions with unsure outcomes is a dilemma, and there is always a chance of making the wrong decision. At the intersection, the decision of taking one road will lead to a destination that is different from the other road. Frost insists on the importance of in-depth thinking and evaluation of choices before making split decisions where only a single decision is possible, and there is no possibility of going back to the drawing board to make the decision a second time (Pramono 21). In the line, "And sorry I could not travel both," the poet shows the dilemma that one faces when a decision has to be made with unexpected outcomes in both cases. The road that the poet will take will determine the rest of his life and the imagery of diverging roads used by the poet is used to portray that any choices that one makes in life has unique consequences and making the wrong decision is easy, and one can only regret and not go back. The primary lesson in this visual imagery is the importance of making wise choices and evaluating the potential outcomes.

The Bend in the Undergrowth

Frost uses the imagery in the last line of the first stanza by indicating that on looking down on the two alternatives, he can only see up to where there is an undergrowth. The undergrowth in the poem is used to symbolize a forest or dense plants which inhibits one ability to see further (Pramono 22). In this case, the imagery is used to show that in the cases where there are alternatives, it is difficult arriving at the right conclusion on the best path to follow or the decision to make. Human being has a limitation of sight and evaluating the two alternatives can be a dilemma due to the lack of foresight due to competing priorities and expectations which can be deduced from the dense growth of plants (forest imagery) used by Frost to show his experience in the past when he had to make a choice between two competing decisions (Pramono 22). The author by using the imagery of a road going through a forest and having a bend at the end shows the importance of faith when making decisions and the importance of evaluating the alternatives in-depth to avoid making the wrong decision due to the inability to go back and make another decision. The forest as imagery depicts the advantages and the disadvantages of a decision, and such evaluations are important in making the final decision on the path to follow. The undergrowth shows that the future cannot be predicted or revealed in advance, and one has to go through the forest of uncertainty to realize the outcome of the decision taken.

Grassy Path

The grassy path is visual imagery that the poet uses to depict the nature of the decision that he made. Usually, grassy paths mean that they have not been trodden on by people or animals, and they are unused. Similarly, Frost's past decision towards a path that was grassy meant that not many people before him under the circumstances that faced him had made the decision that he made (Tyagi 68). This imagery plays a significant role in the theme of faith in the poem in which irrespective of the number of people that have previously chosen a particular path in life it is important to make a personal choice and have faith to arrive at the destination. The grassy path is used by the author to mean that a decision or choice does not have to be common but instead it is good to evaluate choices and take that which is beneficial to an individual irrespective of the number of people who have previously taken that path (Pramono 24). This imagery can also be taken to mean that one's path can be lonely and still lead to the future. The grassy path shows that the road forward will not have many people, but still, Frost had to take it which is an encouragement to the young people to make decisions that are in their best interests instead of following the crowd.

Road Less Travelled

The "road less traveled" in the poem's in the fourth stanza is used by Frost to show the decision that was made at last was the least made by people. The imagery of a road less traveled can be bushy and has overgrown vegetation, which shows that the decision that was made was both uncertain and uncommon (Pramono 25). This is an encouragement to people when making decisions to focus on the destination and not the means of arriving at the desired outcome. Frost uses the imagery to finalize the poem which means that the road that was taken was the road not traveled by many, but at the same time, it could be the grassy path or the path with an undergrowth (Tyagi 68). This dilemma is used to mean that one's choices should be determined by their own goals and vision and not what other people have accomplished and expectations.

Conclusion

Imagery in the poem "The Road Not Taken" plays a significant role in developing the major theme of decision making and alternatives in life. The author mainly uses visual imagery to further develop the situation and alternatives characteristics. The imageries drive both the theme and the meaning of the poem, which encourages young people to be unique when making decisions. The choice of the alternative largely depends on one's convictions and goals irrespective of the nature of the alternative.

Works Cited

Pramono, RB Edi. "Self-reliance: The essence of making a difference in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken." International Journal of English and Literature 4.2 (2013): 19-27.

Tyagi, Ankit. "An analysis of Robert Frost's poem:" the road not taken." Ph.D. Scholar, SRM University, Sonepat." Veda's Journal of English Language and Literature-JOELL 2 (2015): 66-68.