Tone

The poet’s attitude toward the poem’s speaker, reader, and subject
matter, as interpreted by the reader. Often described as a “mood” that
pervades the experience of reading the poem, it is created by the
poem’s vocabulary, metrical regularity or irregularity, syntax, use
of figurative language, and rhyme.

What Is Mood in Poetry?

In poetry, the mood describes how word choice, subject matter, and the author's tone
convey an overall feeling that characterizes the emotional landscape of a poem for
readers. Of course, how each reader feels will differ, but poets can provide a point of
view in their literary work to allow readers to enter a specific atmosphere. Poems are
often shorter than many other kinds of writing, so the mood of the poem can more easily
remain consistent throughout the whole piece, creating a distinct and memorable sense
of place, voice, meaning, feeling, and experience.

The tone of the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a
contemplative one. The speaker is nostalgic as he reflects upon the
moment when he stood considering which of two roads to take.
However, he makes explicit that he is not regretful. He knew when
he made his choice that he would not be able to come back and
change it, and he feels that it "has made all the difference."

Tone and Mood

To understand the tone and mood of this poem, readers have to look for the
words that have emotions associated with them. One such word appears at
the very beginning of the second line. The speaker says, “sorry” for not being
able to travel on both roads. How does this particular word influence the
poem’s tone and mood?
First of all, it tells readers that the speaker is not confident enough to make a
decision. Therefore he feels sorry for himself. It reflects his mental state as well
as the poem’s mood that is a little bit drifting towards the lethargic state of
mind. Besides, the tone is emotive but not direct as it lacks confidence.

Another phrase, “long I stood” prolongs the mood of indecisiveness and

confusion. The tone follows the mood and it changes into an introspective
one.

In the following stanza, the word “perhaps” in the second line depicts the tone
of dilemma. The confused mood of the speaker also confuses the readers.
Moving on to the following stanzas, the individual becomes comparably
confident yet his tone reflects a sense of grief as he thinks the other road
might be better than the one he is about to walk on.