In Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," deixis, or the use of words that point to specific times,

places, or people, is subtly woven throughout the stanzas. Let's break down each stanza and identify the
deixis expressions used:

1. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"

- The deixis here is in the spatial reference to the "yellow wood," indicating a specific location where
the roads diverge.

2. "And sorry I could not travel both"

- The deixis here is in the first-person pronoun "I," which situates the speaker as the protagonist facing
the choice of which road to take.

3. "And be one traveler, long I stood"

- The deixis is in the temporal reference to "long I stood," indicating the duration of the speaker's
contemplation.

4. "And looked down one as far as I could"

- The deixis is in the spatial reference to "one," indicating the specific road the speaker is observing.

5. "To where it bent in the undergrowth;"

- The deixis here is in the spatial reference to "where it bent," indicating a specific point along the road
being observed.

6. "Then took the other, as just as fair,"

- The deixis here is in the temporal reference to "then," indicating the moment of decision-making.

7. "And having perhaps the better claim,"

- The deixis is in the use of "perhaps," indicating uncertainty about the superiority of one road over the
other.

8. "Because it was grassy and wanted wear;"

 - The deixis here is in the spatial reference to "it," indicating the specific road chosen and its
characteristics.

9. "Though as for that the passing there"

- The deixis is in the temporal reference to "the passing there," referring to previous travelers on the
road.

10. "Had worn them really about the same,"

- The deixis is in the spatial reference to "them," indicating both roads and their similar condition.

11. "And both that morning equally lay"

- The deixis here is in the temporal reference to "that morning," indicating a specific time when the
roads were observed.

12. "In leaves no step had trodden black."

- The deixis is in the spatial reference to "leaves," indicating the specific ground covering both roads.

13. "Oh, I kept the first for another day!"

- The deixis here is in the temporal reference to "another day," indicating a future time when the
speaker plans to revisit the other road.

14. "Yet knowing how way leads on to way,"

- The deixis is in the temporal reference to "knowing," indicating the speaker's understanding of the
nature of choices and consequences over time.

15. "I doubted if I should ever come back."

- The deixis here is in the temporal reference to "ever," indicating uncertainty about returning to the
other road.

16. "I shall be telling this with a sigh"

 - The deixis is in the temporal reference to "shall be telling," indicating a future time when the speaker
will recount the story.

17. "Somewhere ages and ages hence:"

- The deixis here is in the spatial-temporal reference to "somewhere ages and ages hence," indicating
a distant future time and place.

18. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—"

- The deixis is in the spatial-temporal reference to "Two roads diverged," referring back to the specific
event being recounted by the speaker.

19. "I took the one less traveled by,"

- The deixis here is in the spatial reference to "the one less traveled by," indicating the specific road
chosen by the speaker.

20. "And that has made all the difference."

- The deixis is in the spatial-temporal reference to "that," referring back to the speaker's choice of the
less traveled road and its consequences.

Throughout the poem, deixis is used to situate the reader in specific times, places, and perspectives,
enhancing the narrative and thematic elements of choice, uncertainty, and consequence.