For this assignment, the chosen poem was “Rivers/Roads” by Michael Crummey. In this poem, Crummey successfully expresses the difference between individual journey’s through subtle brevity and depth. One of the best aspects of this poem is that it moves the reader to ponder on their journey-- whether on rivers or roads. Within “Rivers/Roads”, there are no similes or metaphors; however, there is literal and figurative imagery, plus symbolism.…
With every page, I could see more and more clearly that The Road served as an analogy for what it means to live as a man of principle in this modern world””a place populated by metaphorical “cannibals” who would survive at any cost, even the cost of their own humanity. The road is more than just the path this pair struggled down in search of something better. It is the road each of us walks down. And what does our journey look like?…
Many people would have made chosen to take the path that has been taken more often, knowing they will be safe and their deeds will go unnoticed. I would have taken the path less traveled by too, but not everyone makes the same choices. This is why there are both bad and good people in the world. Hopefully someday the good will weigh out the bad and all will be equal. The author used poetic devices to make the poem seem more real. Even though choices are already real. In the first line the poet gave am example of assonance. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” The ‘O’ sound is repeated in “roads” and “yellow.” He also gave an example of personification. In the eighth line the text states, “Because it was grassy and wanted wear.” He gave a human characteristic to a non-living thing. He was saying the path wanted wear but only living things like humans, animals and plants can want. The poem as a whole could be considered a metaphor. The poet was comparing the paths in life to the choices one must make. This poem speaks of the actual choices in one’s life, as roads one must choose to take. The roads represent your choices in…
Even if readers did not know that "road" was being used metaphorically, they would still know the poem is about a man making a choice. Using the idea of roads is something we can relate to because we have probably all come to two roads, literally, and have been uncertain about which way to turn. Sometimes we have turned and found that it was the wrong way and that has cost us time, made us late, or lead us somewhere we did not want to go. We can see in some way how even relatively insignificant decisions alter our lives, at least a…
Imagine a desolate and dismal world that deteriorated with scarce supplies of food and shelter and there is only a few survivors left--including yourself and one of your family members. In hopes of survival, what measures would you take? Would you go to the extreme by cannibalism or committing suicide? On the other hand, would you choose to be on an ethical route by grasping on life delicately? In the midst of the unflinching and empty world with virtually no hope, the father and son in the novel, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, choose to be the “good guys” by staying alive and refraining from cannibalism and thievery. They tried desperately to remain alive by roaming as nomads looking for shelter, edible foods, and avoiding the “bad guys” from preying on them for food. The unconditional love between the father and son sustained their struggle to live and try to stay ethical as possible.…
This is evident in The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost where a metaphor of a road is used assiduously throughout this poem to establish the way of life the persona has traveled. Colour imagery through “yellow wood” establishes not only a physical change i.e. change in season, but also a change in the realm of the mind. The persona’s justification of choice is evident through the simile “then took the other, as just as fair” This decision is then contemplated, where the imagination explores the consequences of some choices. Have you ever looked back and felt some regret? The line “I shall be telling this with a sigh” depicts this reflection and possible regret by use of emotive language. The value of this reflection process through the imaginative journey is clear in the last line “and this has made all the…
”The Road Not Taken” suggests that by choosing the less travelled path, one chooses to rebel against the societal norms, revolt against conventional pathways that is use by the majority. One displays individuality, by choosing the road less taken, he does not live in regret nor despair. In comparison to that, is the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, which depicts that one should not choose to give up, “the sad heights”, reveal the father’s regrets in failing to make something out of himself. Adversity is presented to the father as a vast spectrum of severity and it has dramatically became detrimental to his life that he becomes hopeless, but he learns to endure the adversities and not escape…
The overall tone is the difference in Robert Frost to Edgar Allan Poe. You can look at any poem that either author has written and see this. Robert Frost dealt with the trials and tribulations that life throws our way, just as Poe did. At times Frost is dark and cynical about life, but overall he is an optimist and still sees beauty in life. Poe is the antithesis of this. Poe is inherently dark and gloomy in his work. In “The Road Not Taken” Frost’s speaker is given a choice. He’s at a fork in the road in his life. He’s seen the path he normally takes, it’s safe, but has not made him as happy as he wants to be in life. The other road is dangerous. It comes with many risks and potential pitfalls, but he feels ready to take on this challenge now. He understands this road won’t be easy, but believes that anything worth having must have hardships along the way. Life and taken the safe road has taught him this. It is an…
The poem, “The Road Not Taken”, by Robert Frost presents an interesting take on life and the choices people make about life. The theme of the poem is focused on roads that they are traveling through life, and no matter which road people travel, humans may or may not be happy with the choices that they take in life. These choices can cause unhappiness and regret. This is a lesson that all of humanity endures at multiple times throughout life. Every decision is a choice about which road people would like to travel down.…
"The Road Not Taken" concentrates on the narrator's decision between the conformist and non-conformist paths of life. Line 18 and 19 of this poem says, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference."(Frost…
“The Road Not Taken” is a well-known poem, popular for its existential theme. It is about the choices we make in life and how they affect us later on. The reader can easily empathize with the poet, who must choose between two roads without…
Robert Frost analyses the concept of journeys in his poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, using allegory as a technique to convey a message of an inner and emotional journey. These journeys are concealed by a physical journey which Frost writes of; one of choosing between two roads in the woods during autumn. Robert Frost explores the difficulty involved in choosing between two ‘roads’ – one of which he must take in order to continue on the journey of life. In ‘The Road Not Taken’, he also discusses his emotions after he had chosen and set out on a path, which ultimately leads to him proclaiming that he has no regrets. Frost successfully conveys all this through the use of vivid imagery, metaphors, and a build-up of the personae judging on his use of language as well as capturing the mental processes of the character.…
This essay discusses the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. This poem describes a man who is walking in the woods. As he is walking, he finds that the path he is on splits into two roads. He is forced to decide which road to take in order to continue his journey. Throughout the rest of the poem, he describes the experience of his journey. Frost uses many poetic devices throughout this poem. He uses metaphor to describe the road as a part of life. He also uses rhyme scheme to show the important phrases and words to help the reader understand and comprehend the message behind the poem. Finally, Frost makes use of alliteration and similes to draw the reader closer to the text and compare his experience to other occurrences…
The poem “The road not taken” by Robert Frost outlines a scenario every human being on the planet has encountered. The images and emotions evoked are masterfully woven into the style that Frost used. Using the formalist approach this poem is easily stripped down to the intent of sharing a common decision making process with the readers. Robert Frost is able to skillfully use writing techniques to share a common experience of which road to take in life and create a poem that evokes those memories every time.…
“ If on advances confidently in the direction if his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined he will meet with success unexpected, ” by Thoreau. I think this quote means, you should always go for your dreams, don’t doubt yourself because the life you dream of maybe easier is than what you think. In Song of the Open Road, by Walt Whitman and Into the Wild, by John Krakauer, both show that you should go for what makes you happy even if that means leaving everything behind.…
