Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

The narrative poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost has long been a well-received favorite. This story is based on the idea of things hidden from view. Two roads lie before the poet, but the poet is clueless as to where these roads will lead. In order to convey Frost’s message, “The Road Not Taken” relies heavily on the use of imagery, metaphorical language and metrical devices to bring to life this actual and figurative road. Through the use of these literary devices the theme is set, and the emotion and mystery is felt. Subsequently, the connection of these techniques leads to the deeper meaning of the poem.

Understanding the setting of any form of literature is essential to comprehending the author’s theme. At first glance,

Without fail, Frost uses a rather unusual use of timing that represents not only the feeling of the poem, but also reflects the narrator’s character himself. Assonance first creates the rhythm to this poem through many repetitions such as; line 1 the “O” in “roads’ and “yellow”, line 3 the “A” in “and” and “traveler”, line 4 the “O” sound is repeated again in “looked” and “could” (Frost, 1916). Through the use of stylistic devices “The Road Not Taken” is finely crafted to emulate a musical masterpiece full of harmony, tension, and resolve. The poem is composed in four-five line stanzas with two end lines inside each stanza (abaab). According to Frost, "There are only two meters "strict and loose iambic" (www.frostfriends.org/meter.hml). His use of this flexible iambic meter does a wonderful job of emulating the dramatic emotion of the narrator to the reader. One point, in particular, really exemplifies Frosts’ use of enforcing meaning through his use of form. In the last three lines, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-/ I took the one last traveled by/ And that has made all the difference,” (Frost, 1916) yields this sense of uncertainty towards choices: it is serious and