Diction Of The Road Not Taken

Decisions, decisions, decisions; they are present everywhere in daily life, where simple choices are easily made while harder ones require much more thought. When faced with a decision large enough that it could change one’s entire life, how is it possible to determine which course of action to take? A response to this concept is explored in the internationally acclaimed poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Following the speaker’s thought process as he faces two forks on a road, the poem ends with his contented reflection on the final choice of which path to take. By utilizing a variety of poetic devices like metaphor, tone, and connotation, Frost is able to cogently convey the theme of the poem: in the end, following one’s heart will always be the best choice, in a way that inspires readers to follow in the traveller’s own footsteps.
Interestingly, it is not delivered until the very end: “I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference” (19-20). From this, readers eventually realize the road the traveller chose to take, and how that has made all the “difference”. Upon inspection, the word “difference” is usually always linked with a good or positive outcome; thus, when the traveller decides to take “the one less traveled by”, it is obvious how this decision ends up: as the correct, life-changing choice for him. Instead of explicitly saying that he made the correct decision, the traveller uses the word “difference” for the purpose of requiring the readers to conjecture about the satisfaction and happiness he feels; readers then do this by relating it to themselves, their lives, and any cultural meanings the word holds. Because of the connotation of one word, readers are able to realize the traveller’s right choice; thus, determining the overall message of the