Figurative Language Demonstrated by the Idea of Choice in “The Road Not Taken” Choice can be defined as making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. Robert Frost composed “The Road Not Taken” for a friend, Edward Thomas, intending for the poem to be a joke. Although Frost had opposite intentions, many critics in the modern day interpret the poem as a complex writing about making meaningful decisions and choices. “The Road Not Taken” was created in 1916 and originally titled “Two Roads,” then later reconstructed. The figurative language used in Frost’s poem demonstrates the importance of making choices in everyday life. Devices such as symbolism, imagery, and theme are portrayed in his popular poem. Symbolism is used to make …show more content…
Mostly, imagery is developed on literary devices, such as metaphors, like in Frost’s Poem. In “The Road Not Taken,” Frost applies imagery to his poem to describe his experience. He describes the paths, nature, and fork in the road to establish what he really meant. For instance, the roads Frost describes in his poem are grassy and not worn. The path he chose was less traveled and more interesting to him. “Frost remarked on his habit that no matter which path he chose each time, he would always sigh and wonder about what might have been down the other path (Kirk 86).” Without the literary element of imagery, one would not be able to understand the paths Frost describes in depth and understand their meaning. Additionally, the nature expressed in “The Road Not Taken” is important because it surrounds Frost in his poem. The yellow leaves represent a developing time period in his life and the grassy roads illustrate two significant choices that have to be made. The nature of Frost’s writing reveals the understanding of Frost’s experience with making decisions. Identically, the fork in the road, described in his writing is characterized to explain the significance of decisions. Once Frost does choose his path, the imagery is used to describe his thoughts on the paths. “Frost could also be suggesting, as some critics have noted, that the poem makes it clear that the paths are not different, yet the speaker says choosing one over the other has “made all the difference (Little, 136).” In conclusion all the roads, nature, and fork in the paths are all intensely described so one can visualize Frost’s experience and understand why he wrote “The Road Not