IT Emergency Lesson 1: Figurative Language

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost (1874–1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though 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 black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

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.

Hyperbole:

Robert Frost exaggerates his grief by stating "I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence".

Personification:

The poem suggests that the road "wanted wear". This is impossible as roads are inanimate and cannot yearn for anything. Only people can. Thus, Robert Frost personifies the road by giving it this human trait.

Symbolism:

Robert Frost uses symbolism to show how the speaker’s choice impacts his life.In the beginning, Frost says that “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” . He links a decision to two diverging roads. Travelers who face two diverging roads represent the people who have to make a decision in life.

The last two lines of the poem “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” tells us that the road the speaker chose has made a large impact on his life. This symbolizes that taking the less desirable or uncommon decision in life can make a huge difference.

I couldn't find any metaphors or similes in this poem. Sorry.

I liked this poem as it encourages me to go for the "road less traveled" in life, meaning taking the harder but more rewarding journey instead of a comfortable and meaningless one. For example, instead of simply going on to university and becoming an ordinary office worker, I could follow my dream to be an artist and opt for an overseas art course. This would be far more meaningful to me as I would have achieved my ambition in life and would have no regrets when I pass on.