Road Not Taken Tone

Cameron Blair
ENGL 1020-RH3
Shane Hall
3 April 2017
Frost’s Life Choice Many readers have trouble understanding poetry in modern times. However, if readers analyze poetry for literary devices they can use these devices to grasp a deeper understanding of the poem they are reading. Robert Frost’s, “The Road Not Taken” is a perfect example of this. The poem is about a man who is in the woods and he arrives at a fork in the road. However, this fork in the road is a very important choice and he takes his time to make his choice. In this piece of poetry Frost implements many examples of literary devices. However, he uses three that really help readers understand this poem. In “The Road Not Taken” Frost uses metaphor, tone, and imagery to an extent
In poetry tone can be a great device to look for because it can help the reader understand the situation that the writer is going through. In “The Road Not Taken” there are two differing tones from beginning to end. These two tones signify a transition in the poem that can help the reader understand the meaning. For example, when frost writes, “And sorry I could not travel both” (Frost 2). There is a tone of uncertainty about the choice that he must make. What he is saying here is that he wants to travel both roads, but he can only take one. However, at this point in the poem he just arrived at the fork in the road. Later in the poem Frost goes on to write, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” (Frost 19-20). At this point in the poem he has already made his decision and he sounds a great deal more confident. This is because he is saying that he made the choice that not many make and that is what makes him who he is. What this line means is that he is happy with the path that he chose to take. In this poem, there is one major tone switch that signifies that transition in the
The sensory details in this poem can help readers deeply analyze what he is saying and can also display why he makes the decision that he does. For example, when frost writes, “To where it bent in the undergrowth” (Frost 5). The reader can observe that he is looking as far down these roads as he can so he can make the right decision. This line in the poem signifies that he is making this decision very carefully because he knows the importance of his choice. When the reader observes this, they can understand that this poem is actually not about two road, but rather about a very important life choice. Another important example of imagery is when Frost writes, “Then took the other, as just as fair/And having perhaps the better claim/Because it was grassy and wanted wear” (Frost 6-8). This line shows that he even used imagery to make his final decision. What it essentially says it that he made the choice he made because less people made that choice in the past. He is saying that the choice he made is better because less people choose the path he chose. There are many more examples of imagery in this poem, but these two are the most evident forms of