Poem Analysis Example

“The Road not Taken” is an analogy discussing about a person who made an important, but irreversible decision of life in the past. The poem symbolizes how that person (the speaker) chose the risky decision that has a large impact in that person’s life. In fact, later the person feel uncertain if the decision was right. The “yellow wood” depicts the condition of carefulness and privacy. The decision that the speaker made particularly talks about a long-term private life decision.

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The speaker uses the color yellow to show that he is very careful in choosing the options as yellow is a color usually used in caution sign and traffic light as a warning for people to be careful. Also, “Wood” or forest is indeed an isolated area. “The diverged road” takes place in a wood explaining how the decision relates to the private and isolated part of the speaker’s life. In fact, this decision is actually irreversible. The last two lines of the third stanza tells that the speaker finally began to realize that he cannot go back to this condition facing the same choices again. Yet” refers to the word “nevertheless” tell how the speaker does finally change the way s/he think. In addition, the world “doubt” shows uncertainty of the speaker and as whole states that the speaker is no longer willing to come back. Furthermore, there are some metaphors illustrating how the speaker wants to be different by the taking unusual choice. In fact, in a confident tone, the speaker “took the one less traveled”. When a road less travelled, it means that only few people want to pass there, whether because it is terrible or too hard to be passed.

However, the poem also tries to tell that it is actually so hard for the speaker to finally make his/her decision. S/he, in a regretful tone, feels sorry that s/he cannot manage to have them both explained his/her statement “ sorry, I could not travel both. ” S/he uses the word sorry as a symbol of regret. In fact, the speaker thinks that both options are “as just fair” showing that both of the choices are actually desirable. Indeed, even though he has chosen a decision, he is still thinking of taking the other decision in the future.

Finally, after a long period of time, interpreted in ”somewhere ages and ages hence”, the poem represents the moment when the speaker starts to regret his choice in the past. Ages, especially with repetition, emphasized many years or long period of time. “Telling with a sigh” emphasizes the expression of regret more than that the expression of relief. The speaker says, “I-I took the one”. People start to repeat words when they are nervous. In this case, it is seems that the speaker is no longer regard his choice in the past is a correct one.

The speaker at first was so careful in making the important decision and wants to be different in making it since s/he knew that s/he could not go back. Practically, the speaker did also attracted the other option and unfortunately, regret his/her final decision at last. The speaker decides an unusual choices which unfortunately regretful in the end. “The Road not Taken” is an analogy discussing about a person making an important, but irreversible decision in how he will become in the future.

The poem (1st to 3rd stanza) symbolizes how that speaker (the person) meet two hard choices in chasing his important life decision and finally choose the risky decision that has a large impact in that person’s future life. In fact, later the speaker feels uncertain if the decision is right (4th stanza). It is interpreted that the options are both attractive and have an almost similar characteristic. The poem tries to tell that it is not easy for the speaker to make the decision.

It is explained in his/her statement “ sorry, I could not travel both” as “sorry” connotes the expression of regret. It implicitly explains that the speaker actually wants to take them both. “As just fair” also shows that both of the options are actually desirable. However, in the two last lines of the third stanza, it becomes more obvious for the speaker that s/he definitely cannot have them both in her/his life. “Yet knowing how way leads on to way” relates to the shift of mood of the speaker after s/he really understands where the choices will bring her/him.

By saying “ I doubted if I should ever come back”, the speaker feels more certain that he will never have the chance to choose again. The “yellow wood” depicts the condition of carefulness and privacy. The speaker uses the color yellow to show that s/he is very careful in deciding how s/he will be in the future. Yellow is interpreted as a color used for warning people to be careful as yellow is often used in caution signs and traffic light. Wood literally talks about small forest but emphasizes on the existence of larges trees surrounding it.

Thus, “wood” represents an isolated area relating to the private and isolated part of the speaker’s life. In addition, in a confident tone, the speaker “took the one less traveled” which means that only few of people want to pass there. Furthermore, there are some metaphors illustrating how the speaker wanted to be different by that taking unusual choice. For instance, the speaker talks about “grassy” road which and “in leaves no step had trodden black” which connote that the “road” he is taking is rarely stepped by people.

When a road is seldom traveled, grass starts to grow. Finally the consequence of the decision shows up after a long period of time, shown in ”somewhere ages and ages hence”. Ages, especially with repetition, emphasized many years or long period of time. The poem finally represents a shift of tone when the speaker no longer believes in his choice in the past. “Telling with a sigh” emphasizes the expression of regret more than that the expression of relief since it is followed by the speaker saying, “I-I took the one”.

People start to repeat words when they are nervous. In this case, the speaker is no longer regard his choice in the past is a correct one. In summary, this poem tells about how the speaker makes an important long -term decision. The speaker at first is so careful in making the decision of life since it relates to his/her personal life. Also, the options are both attractive which harden the speaker. At the end, the speaker decides an unusual choices which unfortunately regretful in the end.

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