1st period Lit analysis “The
Road Not Taken”
Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not
Taken” clearly shows how life is a journey
and each person has to make choices.
“Two Roads diverged in a wood,” and
choices must be made. “The Road Not
Taken” by Robert Frost, the theme, be
yourself and make your own choices is
revealed through his use of symbols,
repetition, and figurative language.
Robert Frost’s use of symbols helps reveal the theme,
be yourself and make your own choices. One of the
symbols that Frost uses is the two paths leading
different ways. In the poem, Frost explains, “Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood.” He then explains
how he chose, “the one less traveled by,/ and that has
made all the difference.” Frosts’ explanation in
choosing the one path most do not choose indicates
that all individuals are free to choose their own path on
life’s journey. Another example Frost uses is the color
yellow, a symbol indicating that we need to be careful
in the choices we make throughout life. Yellow
symbolizes caution. Frost clearly states “long I stood/
and looked down one as far as I could/” and “took the
other as just as fair,” showing his caution in making
the right decision in which path to take. Frost not only
uses symbols to reveal the theme but also the use of
In “The Road Not Taken” Robert Frost makes his
theme clear by using repetition. The most
important repetition Frost uses in the poem, “Two
roads diverged in a wood,” indicates the issue of
having choices in life. Frost repeats this one line
twice because he wants to make sure that
readers are clear on the importance of choices in
life’s journey. In addition to the above repetition,
Frost also uses repetition in the rhyme scheme.
His choice of rhyme scheme is “abaab” which
repeats throughout the poem’s four stanzas. This
repetition of the rhyme scheme reinforces the
theme of the journey of life as one which presents
a regular pattern of choices to make. But,
symbols and repetition are not the only tools
Frost used to relate the theme of the journey of
life; he also used figurative language.
Frost uses figurative language to help
describe and relate the theme of the
journey of life.