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Stanza IV – The Road Not Taken – Summary & Analysis If a decision is taken without proper understanding or in the heat of things, it could lead to worrying and the individual might express doubts about that choice. If a decision is taken with clarity, then there is nothing to worry about. The underlining intention of the stanza is keeping faith in one’s decisions. The realization sets in after experiences all the choices and the individual would realize that coming back is not something possible. There is no coming back from making a decision as one decision would open up a labyrinth of choices that an individual has to cope with. Robert Frost depicts the choice one makes with the help of the roads. Once again, there is clear indication that the two roads are similar with leaves that are not stepped on by travellers. During the journey, the speaker expresses doubt if he can ever return to the first road. But, the speaker knows that it is highly impossible as once the decision is taken – one path would lead to many. He ruminates about the decision taken and says that he took the second road leaving the first one to another time of journey. He judges that in that morning the leaves are not stepped on continuously hence are not turned to black.
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The speaker goes on with his observations about the two roads. Stanza III – The Road Not Taken – Summary & Analysis Unfortunately, the roads show no such difference leaving the speaker to take one which made “all the difference”. The choice can be equalled to the season as a balanced mind would not leave anything to fate, an adventurous mind would like to seek newer roads unconcerned about the condition of the two paths and a regular mind would seek for clues that could help them take the right decision. The leaves on the ground indicate that the season is autumn, which is a symbol of mystery, change and balance. But, a misinterpretation is a misinterpretation and institutes who teach thus should realize the importance of deviating from the lines in the poem. Although, the misinterpretations have only lead to good, where the readers are encouraged to choose a path that is unique. However, it is clearly stated by Robert Frost that both the roads are “about the same”. Many wrong interpretations show that the speaker has taken the road that is not taken by many. Second stanza can confuse the reader as it did for decades. Both paths seem to have same wear by travellers making it hard for anyone to pick a safe road.
#THE POEM THE ROAD NOT TAKEN SUMMARY FULL#
However, he observes that the other road is similarly less trodden and full of grass. He feels that it is full of grass and less trodden. The speaker takes the other road that seems fair and better. Stanza II – The Road Not Taken – Summary & Analysis The word “undergrowth” is a representation of the unknown meaning that what lies beyond the known knowledge is uncertain. This results in trying to judge the situation as far as possible similar to the speaker who looks at one road as far as the eye permits. The deep insight into the understanding of the road resembles the quandary of people in situations where they cannot “travel both” and stick to one path. The dilemma of the speaker in the poem is simple and is revealed early. The reader gets to know from the following stanzas that the season is autumn as there are leaves all over the road. Robert Frost uses the term “yellow wood” to describe the American setting he uses so often in his poems. He looks down one road till the eye permits and witnesses a bend that dissolves with the undergrowth. He knows that it is impossible to travel both being one individual and stands in the middle analyzing the condition. The poet travelling in the forest during an autumn comes to a point where there is a fork, leading to two different paths. Stanza I – The Road Not Taken – Summary & Analysis The poem is narrated by a speaker who is thinking of the past and the decision he has to take while travelling through woods one day.
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The young minds immediately connect to The Road Not Taken as it represents them while taking unknown decisions. The four stanza poem has inspired and stirred many minds in the world.
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It is no embellishment if anyone claims that this particular poem is amongst the world’s most read and taught one. The Road Not Taken published in the year 1916 is one of his finest accomplishments as a poet. The poet laureate of Vermont, Robert Lee Frost, is a Universal figure known for his sense of rural setting and using them to touch the social side of mankind. Robert Frost – The Road Not Taken – Summary & Analysis
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