![]() This unplanned quandary causes the speaker to stop his journey, and contemplate which path to take. In the bigger picture, “The Road Not Taken,” portrays the speaker walking along a path in the woods and stumbling upon a fork in the yellow wood. Although this slight difference in form is not very drastic but helps support Frost’s theme of life choices. In a similar fashion, this rhyme scheme slightly deviates from common measure, which consists of the typical “ABAB” rhyme scheme. This specific deviation from iambic pentameter could be used to represent the speaker being “out of the norm.” Furthermore, this lyric poem consists of four quintains with an “ABAAB” rhyme scheme. It is written in iambic tetrameter, rather than the most common meter: iambic pentameter. This famous poem, however, has a rather unusual structure. Although the speaker could have stayed there, his/her commitment “dragged” them away.įrost’s poem entitled “The Road Not Taken” is arguably one of the most celebrated poems in American history. The peace of the woods seems like a “dream” where all the stress and obligations of daily life disappear. This shows a common theme of being distracted from everyday life. In the final stanza of the poem, the rider acknowledges the beauty of the woods, yet resumes on his journey back to reality. This is then carried into the third stanza when the horse shakes his bells, almost asking the rider, “what are we doing here?” The horse symbolizes common sense, keeping the rider focused on real life. In the second stanza, the rider’s horse is perplexed by the sudden halt in their journey. A theme of isolation emerges, as the rider feels joy in his solitude in the woods. The rider is entranced by the sight of the snow and can’t help but stop and take it in. Through the first stanza, the rider stumbles upon the beautiful scenery of the woods while on his journey. Frost uses these two approaches allow Frost to accentuate the stillness and attraction the speaker feels to the snowy woods.Īll things considered, Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” appears to be a very simple poem but has powerful symbolism embedded. ![]() Lines 11-12, “The only other sound’s the sweep/ Of easy wind and downy flake/,” illustrates this. Correspondingly, the auditory imagery allows the reader to have a better sense of how quiet the woods are, with the only sound being the snowflakes falling in the wind. This is specifically shown in line 13: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep,/” which conveys the dark, yet calm demeanor of the woods. Visual imagery is shown when the speaker describes his surroundings in the snowy woods. Frost not only uses visual imagery but auditory imagery as well. Specifically, lines 13-15: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ but I have promises to keep/ and miles to go before I sleep/.” The phrase “I have promises to keep,” emphasizes his commitment to his work at home pulling him from the peaceful beauty of the snowy woods.Įqually important, In “Stopping by Woods,” Frost’s use of expressive imagery and personification bring an enchanting feeling to the reader. Additionally, the fourth stanza’s “DDDD” rhyme scheme implies the speaker’s transition to more focused thoughts when he decides to continue his journey. This is seen in lines five through eight: “My little horse must think it queer/ to stop without a farmhouse near/ between the woods and frozen lake/ the darkest evening of the year/.” The speaker continues to question if he/she should stay and admire the beautiful scenery, or continue on his long journey back to his obligations. The uneven rhyme scheme of the first three stanzas embodies the speaker’s scattered thoughts. Frost uses this rhyme scheme to accentuate the main theme of human life and decision making. This pattern is repeated for the next three stanzas and then shifts to a rhyme scheme of “DDDD” in the fourth stanza. The outsider is then carried into the next stanza, adding more uniformity to the poem’s structure. The first, second, and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme, leaving the third line as an outsider. In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Frost uses a very common, yet powerful rhyme scheme. “Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” convey a universal theme of making a significant decision in life and moving forward. ![]() He specifically manifests this through his connotative language and detailed descriptions of nature. Frost’s work is exceptionally vivid and emotional. In addition, they capture the reader’s attention by centering around a deeper and more powerful message: life choices. Written in the 1920s, “Road Not Taken” and “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” focus on the images of our natural environment. Robert Frost is admired not only for his world-renowned poem, “Road Not Taken,” but also for his incredible symbolism and deep interpretation of life through nature.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |