Saturday At The Canal Poem Analysis

Poetry is a universal form of art. People belonging to different cultures have their own forms of expressing poetry. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” and Gary Soto’s “Saturday at the Canal,” demonstrate two of the many styles of poetry. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” symbolizes an individual’s decisions. The factors leading up to that decision, as well as the consequences that follow, are always unknown, as elaborated in the poem. Gary Soto’s “Saturday at the Canal” expands on a person’s deep desires. Deep desires can only be accomplished through freedom, and Soto understands that true freedom is virtually impossible - it is not realistic. These two poems use different literary elements that make them unique to themselves. Those literary

In Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken,” the symbolism would be the decision he had made on which road to take. This helps to develop the theme that there is always an unknown element of a person’s decision. Frost illustrates this unfamiliar element where it is stated: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—/ I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference” (18-20). This theme is emphasized through the symbolism of his decision. The speaker chose to go through the route he assumed was the least used, thinking that there would be a different outcome - the unfamiliar factor. It is something universal for an individual to do something without knowing the consequences. Simply out of habit or because it is impossible to know immediate actions that follow. Similarly, Gary Soto’s “Saturday at the Canal” uses a form of symbolism to portray his theme of freedom and desire. The San Francisco postcard mentioned in the poem directly symbolizes the speaker’s main desire; the desire to go to San Francisco. It is proven that this postcard is a direct symbol for desire where it states: “And feeling awful because San Francisco was a / postcard / On a bedroom wall. We wanted to go there” (13-15). The theme of freedom and desire is expressed through the symbol in the poem, the postcard. The speaker is aware that he/she desire going to San Francisco, but do not understand that in order to do so, one needs complete freedom. All over the world, people wish to be free, whether it be politically, racially, or sometimes even from themselves. Symbolism exceptionally influences the theme of these two poems and the way it is