The Road Not Taken Metaphor

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Pages: 4

The poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, conveys a deep and moving story about the struggle of choices one makes in everyday life. Frost is figuratively stating in the poem that choices about a person’s future are usually very difficult to make and the outcomes will most always be a mystery. Frost's use of theme, setting, and an extended metaphor helps give the reader a better experience and understanding of the poem. The major theme in this poem is about making difficult decisions. The speaker in the poem is walking in a wooded area and comes across a fork in the road; at this spot, he has to decide which way to go. One of the roads looks as if it has been travelled many times and looks like a safer route. However, the other road looks as if it has not been used or may be dangerous. He decides to take the road that has been less travelled. He states that by choosing this path, it has "made all the difference" (line 20). Later in the poem, the …show more content…
When the speaker looks down the road, he could not see beyond the undergrowth, he is saying that no one can tell what the future will hold. When the speaker begins to regret the fact that he cannot take both roads, he understands that it is not likely that he will return to this same place. This is a metaphor for a decision that changes everything because once someone makes the decision to do something, that person cannot go back. The last stanza starts off the same as the beginning so that it can bring the reader back into the focus of the extended metaphor. The speaker includes, “I shall be telling this with a sigh,” when he states this he is showing the regret that he is filled with for choosing the less travelled road(Line 16). With the last line, "and that has made all the difference," he finishes the poem but also shows that even though he regrets his final decision, that same decision has changed his life and made a