How Does Robert Frost Use Metaphors In The Road Not Taken

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In Robert Frost’s 1916 poem, The Road Not Taken, he uses metaphors, imagery and strong punctuation and line breaks to explore a theme focused on making proper decisions and discovering new experiences. His skillful use of figurative language has made this poem incredibly famous worldwide. The writing truly captures the dilemma people go through when choosing which path to take in each aspect of their lives. In the first stanza, Frost starts off by using a metaphor in the first line: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” The two roads here are a metaphor for the difficult choices people are faced with every day. When it comes down to more delicate matters, we are faced with a choice to do one thing or the other. We try to envision what would happen in the future if we chose a specific path. We think of the possibilities and the consequences that come with making that decision. The speaker in the poem does this as well in the lines: “And looked down as far as I could/ To where it bent in the undergrowth.” The speaker also mentions in the second line: “And sorry I could not travel both.” There is a hint of regret here. This is because there …show more content…

This makes making a decision even harder. This is true in life as well. Sometimes, we are faced with two choices that are too alike or offer the same benefits. For example, picking between two treatment plans for an illness. Each one has around the same benefits and the same consequences. How do you know that you are making the right choice? How do you know which one to pick if you cannot tell which one will actually cure you of your illness? You can never be sure of what exactly the future holds. You will end up having to take a big risk and it may or may not work in your