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The process of interpreting Scripture is very similar to interpreting literature, or in this example, poetry. Many people are aware that the Old Testament is full of poetry, but did you know that the New Testament is as well? While there is no consistent agreement on exactly how many poems there are, the Gospels, Pauline epistles, and James all contain poetic language. Examine the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12: |
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
One of the most interesting things about poetry is ferreting out the hidden meanings behind the artist's carefully chosen words. After re-reading one the other day, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on one of my favorite poet's--Robert Frost and his poem, The Road Not Taken.
Follow your own path! Be different! Society is consumed with the idea of free will and the spirit of individualism. On first blush that does appear to be the message of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, however, upon closer examination, the lover of prose may find an unexpected duplicity of connotation. Frost often said in his student lecture
“It is the little fears—of not being understood, of not being interesting, of not being new enough—that haunt us most”
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Frost’s satirical lyric traverses a circuitous road to achieve its commentary on man’s secret dissatisfaction with self, his insecure nature that is consumed with the unclaimed choices of life. Frost was considered by many to be a literary genius. As the recipient of four Pulitzer Prizes and 40 honorary degrees, he possessed a strong viewpoint on the value and function of poetry. As cited by the Poetry Foundation, Frost writes in his ‘Education on Poetry” that “Poetry begins in trivial metaphors, pretty metaphors, ‘grace’ metaphors, and goes on to the profoundest thinking that we have. Poetry provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning another” . Frost’s view of this duplicitous nature of poetry may best be demonstrated by a statement he made to Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant for her book, “Robert Frost: The Trial by Existence”. |
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
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In it, Stafford quotes Frost saying, “Know what the difference is between me and T.S. Eliot? I play euchre. He plays Eucharist.”
This significant difference between authors is perhaps the first clue to be aware of when reading a piece by Frost as Euchre, a popular twentieth century card game responsible for the creation of the Joker card, was a game of strategy whose trump could be changed over and over again by the dealer of the deck.
Frost was also very vocal about the creative thought process of “The Road Not Taken”. He stipulated on numerous occasions that it was inspired by the long walks in the woods he took with his indecisive friend, Edward Thomas, whom he deemed “the only brother I ever had”. A short preview of it may be glimpsed in a 1912, letter to Susan Hayes Ward in which he wrote,
"Two lonely cross-roads that themselves cross each other I have walked several times this winter without meeting or overtaking so much as a single person on foot or on runners. The practically unbroken condition of both for several days after a snow or a blow proves that neither is much traveled"
Frost was also very vocal about the creative thought process of “The Road Not Taken”. He stipulated on numerous occasions that it was inspired by the long walks in the woods he took with his indecisive friend, Edward Thomas, whom he deemed “the only brother I ever had”. A short preview of it may be glimpsed in a 1912, letter to Susan Hayes Ward in which he wrote,
"Two lonely cross-roads that themselves cross each other I have walked several times this winter without meeting or overtaking so much as a single person on foot or on runners. The practically unbroken condition of both for several days after a snow or a blow proves that neither is much traveled"
Lastly, Frost would say to audiences over and over in regards to this beloved poem that, "You have to be careful of that [“The Road Not Taken”] one; it's a tricky poem - very tricky".
Figure 1 is my literary analysis of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
Clues used by Frost in his literary techniques reinforce the nature of the satirical commentary on man. The poem is presented in a first person narrative point of view with the storyteller being in the present while speaking of the past and postulating about the future. The genre of the poem can be classified as a lyric by the deep emotion conveyed by its wistful title and the use of the words “sorry” in line 2 and “doubted” in line 15 as well as techniques used for emphasis such as the “: “of line 17 and the repetition of “I” in lines 18 and 19. The satirical nature of the poem can be glimpsed in its exaggerated onomatopoeic expressions found in lines 13 and 16 with the words “Oh” and “sigh”. It can also be noted in line 17’s “ages and ages” as well as its dramatic punctuation of the “!” of line 13 and the almost theatrical pause of the “— “of line 18. These initial uses of sentimentality and overstatement suggest that something duplicitous may be afoot within the nature of the narrator. (See Figure 1 for my analysis of tense and satire in the poem)
The versification of the poem provides yet more insight into the emotions and thought process of the narrator. Its meter is a steady tetrameter which possibly conveys a person pacing back and forth between the two roads while the rhythm of each line is predominantly a combination of spondee, iamb, anapest, and dactyl emphasis which seems to communicate the frenetic, unsettled feeling of a conflicted narrator. Further, the words “two roads” as found in lines 1 and 18 are both spondaic indicating they are equal in emphasis. Additionally, both lines 1 and 18, while they vary slightly in wordage, have exactly the same sentence pattern of emphasis, spondee-iamb-anapest-iamb which seems to create an almost circular focus to the poem. It is also interesting to note that the phrase, “I took the one less traveled by” appears to have a prominence as compared to the rest of the lines as it is all iambic. ) Finally, the rhyme scheme is set in the more masculine one syllable rhyme pattern of ABAAB, CDCCD, EFEEF, GHGGH. When examined, the end rhymes of stanza 1 seem to imply that there are many possibilities of choice. However, the end rhymes of stanza 2 appear to stress that both roads are the same. When stanza 3 is considered it gives the impression of wasting time and an inability to return. Lastly, the end rhymes of stanza 4 convey a deep grief and conclude with perhaps that’s why there has been a difference the narrator’s life. (See Figure 1 for my analysis of emphasis and rhyme in the poem)
A wide variety of poetic devices can be noted throughout the poem that serve to create an imaginative scene and draw the reader deeper into the chronicle. The first poetic tool noted is that of imagery. Line 1 uses the term “yellow wood” which could have two meanings: one transports the imagination to a springtime bloom of youth as opposed to the gold of autumn and reinforces its past time frame for the narrator while the second could simply imply “yellow” in the context of being a coward or afraid. Also, Frost sprinkles his lyric with other descriptive words such as “fair” (line 6), “grassy” (line 8), “morning” (line 11), and particularly in line 12- “trodden black”, which indicates that both roads have not been traveled enough to crush the tender fallen leaves. The imagery extends into the visual shape of the poem with its almost justified margins. The straight column visually looks like a road—perhaps more importantly, a straight line, as opposed to two diverging paths, implying that there is really only one road that man travels. ) Symbolism is used to help express the feeling that the road is a timeline along a person’s life. This can be observed in line 5 with the word “undergrowth” which seems to indicate the obscured future and line 12 with the word “leaves” which appear to equal experiences in life. Personification is used as justification for the presumed momentous decision as the road that is taken makes “the better claim” because it “wanted wear” . The prolific use of the “ă” vowel sound in 16 out of the 20 poetic lines not only helps to keep pace with the meter but also provides for an assonantal effect on the final line with the three beginning words “And that has…” Assonance is employed again with the multiple uses of the sound “I” which especially serves to bring attention to lines 17 and 20 where the two lines of the final stanza hint at its contradictory meaning: in the future the narrator will remember it thus…[whichever way be most to his advantage]. ) (See Figure 1 for my analysis of literary techniques in the poem)
Lastly, the poet uses specific style choices in wordage which help to advance the claim that there is really no difference between the roads. The first is found in line 1 with the use of “diverge” meaning to “draw apart” coupled with “wood” which is a “dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than a forest” . This use of style helps promote the idea that this is perhaps not a momentous decision after all. Another hint can be found in the style choice of the word “sorry” in line 2 which can have the definition of “penitence” and furthers the narrator’s angst over the untaken road. Next, the peculiar choices of the words “fair” in line 6 and “claim” in line 7 to describe the roads can be defined as “superficially pleasing” and “an assertion open to challenge”, respectively, supporting the argument that both roads are the same. Also, Line 13’s use of the interjection “oh” indicates the “expressed emotion of desire” . In the same mood of the other emotional choices is the use of “sigh” in line 16 which means not only to “grieve” but also to “yearn”. This intense feeling of covetousness suggests just how unsure the narrator is about his choice. Frost concludes his style choices with the selection of the term “ages and ages” which translates to a “long time” and promotes the idea that far in the future the speaker already has a plan to embellish his past choice. (See Figure 1 for my analysis of literary devices)
The versification of the poem provides yet more insight into the emotions and thought process of the narrator. Its meter is a steady tetrameter which possibly conveys a person pacing back and forth between the two roads while the rhythm of each line is predominantly a combination of spondee, iamb, anapest, and dactyl emphasis which seems to communicate the frenetic, unsettled feeling of a conflicted narrator. Further, the words “two roads” as found in lines 1 and 18 are both spondaic indicating they are equal in emphasis. Additionally, both lines 1 and 18, while they vary slightly in wordage, have exactly the same sentence pattern of emphasis, spondee-iamb-anapest-iamb which seems to create an almost circular focus to the poem. It is also interesting to note that the phrase, “I took the one less traveled by” appears to have a prominence as compared to the rest of the lines as it is all iambic. ) Finally, the rhyme scheme is set in the more masculine one syllable rhyme pattern of ABAAB, CDCCD, EFEEF, GHGGH. When examined, the end rhymes of stanza 1 seem to imply that there are many possibilities of choice. However, the end rhymes of stanza 2 appear to stress that both roads are the same. When stanza 3 is considered it gives the impression of wasting time and an inability to return. Lastly, the end rhymes of stanza 4 convey a deep grief and conclude with perhaps that’s why there has been a difference the narrator’s life. (See Figure 1 for my analysis of emphasis and rhyme in the poem)
A wide variety of poetic devices can be noted throughout the poem that serve to create an imaginative scene and draw the reader deeper into the chronicle. The first poetic tool noted is that of imagery. Line 1 uses the term “yellow wood” which could have two meanings: one transports the imagination to a springtime bloom of youth as opposed to the gold of autumn and reinforces its past time frame for the narrator while the second could simply imply “yellow” in the context of being a coward or afraid. Also, Frost sprinkles his lyric with other descriptive words such as “fair” (line 6), “grassy” (line 8), “morning” (line 11), and particularly in line 12- “trodden black”, which indicates that both roads have not been traveled enough to crush the tender fallen leaves. The imagery extends into the visual shape of the poem with its almost justified margins. The straight column visually looks like a road—perhaps more importantly, a straight line, as opposed to two diverging paths, implying that there is really only one road that man travels. ) Symbolism is used to help express the feeling that the road is a timeline along a person’s life. This can be observed in line 5 with the word “undergrowth” which seems to indicate the obscured future and line 12 with the word “leaves” which appear to equal experiences in life. Personification is used as justification for the presumed momentous decision as the road that is taken makes “the better claim” because it “wanted wear” . The prolific use of the “ă” vowel sound in 16 out of the 20 poetic lines not only helps to keep pace with the meter but also provides for an assonantal effect on the final line with the three beginning words “And that has…” Assonance is employed again with the multiple uses of the sound “I” which especially serves to bring attention to lines 17 and 20 where the two lines of the final stanza hint at its contradictory meaning: in the future the narrator will remember it thus…[whichever way be most to his advantage]. ) (See Figure 1 for my analysis of literary techniques in the poem)
Lastly, the poet uses specific style choices in wordage which help to advance the claim that there is really no difference between the roads. The first is found in line 1 with the use of “diverge” meaning to “draw apart” coupled with “wood” which is a “dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than a forest” . This use of style helps promote the idea that this is perhaps not a momentous decision after all. Another hint can be found in the style choice of the word “sorry” in line 2 which can have the definition of “penitence” and furthers the narrator’s angst over the untaken road. Next, the peculiar choices of the words “fair” in line 6 and “claim” in line 7 to describe the roads can be defined as “superficially pleasing” and “an assertion open to challenge”, respectively, supporting the argument that both roads are the same. Also, Line 13’s use of the interjection “oh” indicates the “expressed emotion of desire” . In the same mood of the other emotional choices is the use of “sigh” in line 16 which means not only to “grieve” but also to “yearn”. This intense feeling of covetousness suggests just how unsure the narrator is about his choice. Frost concludes his style choices with the selection of the term “ages and ages” which translates to a “long time” and promotes the idea that far in the future the speaker already has a plan to embellish his past choice. (See Figure 1 for my analysis of literary devices)
It is a debatable boon to the literary community that Frost was recorded reading his poem before an audience. In a minute’s time presuppositions may be dashed as listeners gain a glimpse of his intended emphasis. In reading line 10, his voice inflection dramatically ends in a rising meter on the word “same”. As the poet continues on in an almost monotone rhythm, his voice inflection becomes particularly theatrical on the last line where it hangs on the word “all” finally finishing once again, with a falling meter on “difference”. Scansion of the poem seems to hint at the insecurity of the narrator and his pre-formulated future strategy to exaggerate his wisdom of choices. The sarcastic wink to Frost’s voice suggests that if there were a 21st line, the narrator would go on to aggrandize his travels.
America seems particularly fascinated with the last three lines of “The Road Not Taken”. It is commonplace to notice them applied in multiple mediums including commercials, conclusions of motivational speeches, and book dedications. Many argue that this poem is about being unique and daring, however upon closer inspection of the language used, both roads or choices are shown to be identical. Frost strews evidence throughout the narrator’s dialogue about the conditions of the roads. Lines 1 and 18 start by providing equal spondaic emphases on speech with the use of “two roads.” He then blatantly employs the phrases “just as fair”, “worn them really about the same”, “both…equally”, and “no step had trodden black” to prove that each path is indistinguishable. Also in lines 16 and 17 the narrator indicates that at some point in the future he shall be expressing his decision with a great amount of regret. He chose to take a path he deemed less traveled by- even though they were essentially the same, and that is the excuse the narrator will use for his present state. One could go further in postulating about the uniqueness of any choice. As the setting for the poem is in the wood, it would be entirely logical that the leaves mentioned as they relate to the trodden grass of one path versus the other are periodically blown and redistributed by the wind, thus wiping away most of the evidence of a previously taken road or conversely exposing evidence of a previous traveler. It would seem that there are no remarkable choices in life, only the person responding to the choice is extraordinary as their character is built upon the foundation of their choices.
America seems particularly fascinated with the last three lines of “The Road Not Taken”. It is commonplace to notice them applied in multiple mediums including commercials, conclusions of motivational speeches, and book dedications. Many argue that this poem is about being unique and daring, however upon closer inspection of the language used, both roads or choices are shown to be identical. Frost strews evidence throughout the narrator’s dialogue about the conditions of the roads. Lines 1 and 18 start by providing equal spondaic emphases on speech with the use of “two roads.” He then blatantly employs the phrases “just as fair”, “worn them really about the same”, “both…equally”, and “no step had trodden black” to prove that each path is indistinguishable. Also in lines 16 and 17 the narrator indicates that at some point in the future he shall be expressing his decision with a great amount of regret. He chose to take a path he deemed less traveled by- even though they were essentially the same, and that is the excuse the narrator will use for his present state. One could go further in postulating about the uniqueness of any choice. As the setting for the poem is in the wood, it would be entirely logical that the leaves mentioned as they relate to the trodden grass of one path versus the other are periodically blown and redistributed by the wind, thus wiping away most of the evidence of a previously taken road or conversely exposing evidence of a previous traveler. It would seem that there are no remarkable choices in life, only the person responding to the choice is extraordinary as their character is built upon the foundation of their choices.
In conclusion, David Lehman quotes Frost as saying, “A poem ‘begins in delight and ends in wisdom’…’it assumes direction with the first line laid down, it runs a course of lucky events, and ends in a clarification for life’”
Life will always be limited in some way. No one is ever “free”. In truth, it is how a person responds to a situation that is important. Ostensibly, no matter which path the traveler chose, the measure of success would be determined by their actions when confronted with various obstacles, be it in a literal sense as those that may be encountered on a path such as fallen trees, overgrowth, or streams or metaphorically as challenges in life. In the final analysis, Frost is the dealer in this poetic card game of wit, opting to exchange one idea for another. The joker is revealed to be the narrator as he pontificates about his future claim of the past. The trump card is played by the word “difference” that he uses to cover his imagined inadequacies. It is in fact an ironic twisting road that continues round and round: imagining what the response might be in the future to a past choice and a life spent in anxiety, bemoaning what could have been. Perchance it harkens back to Frost’s comment, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on”- Robert Frost
I hope that if you were not a fan of poetry before, you'll give it another chance-- you never know what you may find!
References
Ages. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ages
Biography.com Editors. (n.d.). Robert Frost. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from
http://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091
Carlson, E. (1962). Robert Frost on "Vocal Imagination, the Merger of Form and Content"
American Literature, 33(4), 519-522. Retrieved fromhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/2922619
Claim. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claim
Euchre – Card Game Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from
http://www.bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/euchre/
Fair. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair
Frost, R. (2010, July 25). Robert Frost reads The Road Not Taken. Retrieved June 11, 2016,
from https://youtu.be/ie2Mspukx14
Frost, R. (2014). The Letters of Robert Frost, Volume 1, Volume 1 : 1886 - 1921. Cambridge,
US: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Frost, R. (2016). “The Road Not Taken”. In Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,
Drama, and Writing (8th ed., pp. 376-385). Pearson Education.
Hollis, M. (2011, February 29). Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and the road to war. Retrieved
June 12, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/29/robert-frost-edward-thomas-poetry
Robert Frost. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-
and-poets/poets/detail/robert-frost
Lehman, D. (2006). The Oxford book of American poetry (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Oh. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oh
Petras, K., & Petras, R. (2009). 'Don't forget to sing in the lifeboats': Uncommon wisdom for
uncommon times. New York: Workman Pub.
Sigh. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh
Sorry. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorry
Stafford, W. (1974, August 18). The Terror of Robert Frost. The New York Times. Retrieved
June 12, 2016, from https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/25/specials/frost-terror.html
Diverge. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/diverge
Wood. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wood
Ages. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ages
Biography.com Editors. (n.d.). Robert Frost. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from
http://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091
Carlson, E. (1962). Robert Frost on "Vocal Imagination, the Merger of Form and Content"
American Literature, 33(4), 519-522. Retrieved fromhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/2922619
Claim. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claim
Euchre – Card Game Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from
http://www.bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/euchre/
Fair. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair
Frost, R. (2010, July 25). Robert Frost reads The Road Not Taken. Retrieved June 11, 2016,
from https://youtu.be/ie2Mspukx14
Frost, R. (2014). The Letters of Robert Frost, Volume 1, Volume 1 : 1886 - 1921. Cambridge,
US: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Frost, R. (2016). “The Road Not Taken”. In Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,
Drama, and Writing (8th ed., pp. 376-385). Pearson Education.
Hollis, M. (2011, February 29). Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and the road to war. Retrieved
June 12, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/29/robert-frost-edward-thomas-poetry
Robert Frost. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-
and-poets/poets/detail/robert-frost
Lehman, D. (2006). The Oxford book of American poetry (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Oh. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oh
Petras, K., & Petras, R. (2009). 'Don't forget to sing in the lifeboats': Uncommon wisdom for
uncommon times. New York: Workman Pub.
Sigh. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh
Sorry. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorry
Stafford, W. (1974, August 18). The Terror of Robert Frost. The New York Times. Retrieved
June 12, 2016, from https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/25/specials/frost-terror.html
Diverge. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/diverge
Wood. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wood