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Professor Mohan

LIT 112L

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Elements of Poetry in Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a classic poem that incorporates multiple

examples of the elements of poetry, including language, setting, imagery, and symbolism. Frost

uses careful and specific language to communicate with the audience. His clever and thoughtful

use of imagery and symbolism makes for a very interesting and compelling poem. This essay

will focus on identifying and describing the elements of poetry, using specific examples from the

text, to explain the overall message or theme of the poem, how difficult it can be to make choices

in life.

The imagined situation in this poem is that the speaker is in a dilemma between choosing

one of the two roads to take. This poem goes beyond its literal meaning of choosing between two

roads. The roads could be two choices that a person must make during their lifetime. Frost

writes, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood / And sorry I could not travel both” (Frost lines 1-

2). Here Frost explains that the traveler must only choose one road. Later in stanza two, Frost

writes, “Had worn them really about the same” (Frost line 10). He explains that both roads are

equal, thus making the decision more difficult because of no clear evidence to choose one over

the other. Frost doesn’t distinctly explain why this person is in this predicament, but as the

audience, we can infer that this is a decision in life that the traveler must make. One might

conclude that the traveler took neither road. Based on the title “The Road Not Taken”, I think

that the traveler might have taken the middle road. Frost seems to emphasize the road not taken,
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rather than the road taken. In this situation Frost explains, “And that has made all the difference”

(Frost line 20). Here Frost makes it clear that the decision was the right one. Frost never explains

which road the traveler took, thus leaving it up to the reader to decide.

The setting in this poem can be described as a clear autumn day. Frost writes, “Two roads

diverged in a yellow wood” (Frost line 1). The yellow wood could be the yellow leaves on trees

in the woods. The time of year is significant because this may be when the speaker had to make

his or her life decision. This might also be a memorable time of the year for Frost. Frost writes,

“Two roads diverged in a wood” (Frost line 18). Frost keeps referring to the woods where this

poem is taking place. The woods are a particular special place for Frost. He chooses to use the

woods instead of a city or town for a reason. This might be to signify that the traveler is all alone,

secluded, and surrounded by nature. The setting where the traveler is making the decision seems

quiet and peaceful. Frost doesn’t describe any distractions or bad weather that could influence

the decision. As a result, the traveler isn’t being pressured, thus making the decision in optimal

conditions. The time of day seems to be when the sun is still out. Frost writes, “Because it was

grassy and wanted wear” (Frost line 8). Here Frost lets the reader know that the traveler is still

able to clearly see each road ahead of him.

Frost certainly creates a visual experience for his readers through imagery. Personally, I

envision a fork in the road deep in the woods. I can visualize the yellow leaf trees surrounding

the two roads. Frost describes the main character as alone in the woods. Frost writes, “And be

one traveler, long I stood” (Frost line 3). Here Frost is creating an image that can be described as

a traveling person in a very quiet and peaceful area in the woods. I can imagine this traveler

standing in front of the two roads with an inquisitive look on his face. Frost uses the metaphor of
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comparing the two diverged roads and a life decision. The use of figurative language constructs a

visual image, while also describing abstract ideas.

The most obvious symbol in this poem is the two roads. They are described as two equal

roads in the wood. I think the roads could symbolize a personal decision that Frost had to make

in his life. Frost writes, “And both that morning equally lay” (Frost line 11). The roads represent

two choices that were of equal value, but neither had a decisive reason why he should choose one

over the other. Frost writes, “And sorry I could not travel both” (Frost line 2). This is significant

because Frost makes it clear that although Frost chooses one option, he wishes that he could have

gone down both paths in life.

The elements of poetry provide insightful guidelines to use while constructing a literary

analysis. Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” clearly utilizes setting to describe the

circumstances and conditions that take place in the poem. Frost also uses imagery and

symbolism to convey abstract concepts and ideals. Overall, Frost uses descriptive language and a

unique writing style to make his work enjoyable and entertaining to read in his overall message

about the difficulty of making choices in life.