The Road Not Taken

Group 8

Yosua Kristian Hadi 081214066Ika Tyas Intani 101214110Vinsensius Wicaksana 121214142Richard Devara 121214126Hilarya Sintya 121214134

Robert Frost

Biography

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech.

Born: March 26, 1874, San FranciscoDied: January 29, 1963, BostonAwards: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, United States

Poet Laureate, MoreChildren: Lesley Frost Ballantine, Irma Frost, 

Carol Frost, Marjorie Frost, Elliot Frost, Elinor Bettina Frost

Education: Dartmouth College, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Bates College, Harvard University

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yelow woodAnd sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowthThen took the other, as just as fair.

And having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted

wearThough as for that, the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden blackOh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads to way

I doubted if I should ever come backI shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

THE PURPOSE AND THE KIND OF THE POEM

The purpose of this poem is:to tell us about a person whose trying to make a decision of two choices in the life. It presents emotions for us to share. He (Frost) wants to share his experience when he faces a difficult choice in his life. He wants to tell us that we have to be brave in choosing choices and take the consequence in every decision. Because sometimes, we will loose the opportunity for the other choice.

The kind of this poem is a lyric poem.

Figurative Language

Word Denotation Connotation

Road diverged

A long, narrow stretch with a smoothed or paved surface, made for traveling by motor vehicle, carriage.

Choices

Yellow Wood An expanse of trees. Yellow fallen leaves

Difference

An instance or point of unlikeness or dissimilarity Changed life

Passing Going by or past

Traveller A person or thing that travels. Human being

Cont.

Imagery in this poem : (visual imagery)Two images show the season of autumn:‘a yellow wood…‘lay in leaves…’There are five images of nature:‘a yellow wood…the undergrowth…it was grassy …lay in leaves …in a wood …’

Cont.

The entire poem is a metaphor for making a decision.

“…I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference…”

Symbol

The two roads symbolize that the writer faces two choices and it is hard to choose one of them.

Yellow wood symbolize an autumn. The setting of this poem is in autumn.

To where it bent in undergrowth : it makes the other path seems a far harder and risky path and a far less ideal or inviting path to choose

It was grassy and wanted wear : it shows that the other path is easier and more ideal to choose.

Sound Patterns

The rhyme isabaab abaab abaab abaab

Two roads diverged in a yelow woodAnd sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowthThen took the other, as just as fair.And having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wearThough as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden blackOh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads to wayI doubted if I should ever come backI shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages henceTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference

Cont.

AlliterationNote the two ‘L’ sounds in this quote:‘lay in leaves’.This sound helps to emphasise the amount of fallen leaves in the wood.Note the two ‘w’ sounds in this quote:‘wanted wear’.This sound helps to emphasise the smoothness of the fallen leaves in the wood.

AssonanceNote fourteen various  ‘o’ vowels in the first stanza. In particular note the four ‘o’ vowels in the first line:‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood’.Assonance creates a musical effect.

Paraphrase

There is a traveler who travelled on a long road. He walks along the road. After he meets two diverged roads. In our daily life, two diverged road means two choices of life. Both of the roads may be a good choice, but only one of them can reach our destination. We can reflect to our life, two ways are two choices of life. We should make a good decision by choosing the best way. We also have to be brave in making the decision in order to choose the best choice. Even the choice is not the favorite one.

References

http://learn.lexiconic.net/elementsofpoetry.htm

http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=1251

http://ta.thet.net:16080/~Chapin/WebPage/StudentWebPages/SethWebPage/LiteraryElements.html

http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&q=robert+frost&btnG=