Robert Frost Selected Poems – ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening’ – Analysis and Appreciation

Robert halt was born in San Francisco on the 26th March 1874 and died on the 29th January 1963 in Boston. He was wizard of Americas leading twentieth century poets and won m whatever a nonher(prenominal) awards and honours, including four Pulitzer Prizes.When rime was eleven, he moved to New England, where his interest in poe accent came during his high up school years at Lawrence, Massachusetts. He studied at Harvard from 1897 to 1899, although he did non get a formal degree. During his support, he went by dint of earthy occupations such as working as a t individuallyer and cobbler. He also managed a farm that his grandfather had bought him, but when this failed he headstrong to sell it and used the m sensationy to take his family to England, where he could devote his era to writing poetry. By the time he f entirelyed to the United States in 1915, he had written and published a soma of collections and became angiotensin-converting enzyme of Americas most storeyed poet s. With each sensitive book including Mountain Interval (1916), New Hampshire (1923) and Steeple Bush (1947) fame and packaging amplified.I do non read much poetry, although I oddly favour the writings of Robert Frost. Many of his metrical compositions including The street non Taken and Stopping By forest On A Snowy Evening focus on images and expositions of the inbred world. However, they mainly concentrate on conveying a much deeper, to a greater extent intense message. The watchings of Robert Frost atomic number 18 often actually mad. I really much enjoy reading his poems and trying to interpret their true meanings. I found that writing this essay made me understand the poems that I had already read many times even much clearly.The Road non Taken is a actually thoughtful and meaningful poem. The traditional but observational and unique verses attract readers to the poem, as they are dissimilar from early(a) poems. When showtime read, The Road Not Taken co mes across as a simple poem based on intricacies of nature. It is clear from the first stanza that it is a poem that aims to headstone a detailed picture of a peaceful road that leads into a yellow wood. However, with further readings and analysis, one tolerate soft reassure that in that respect is a much stronger, deeper meaning behind the smoothly woven row, normal in many of Frosts poems. The poems appeal lies in the extend metaphor and encompassing imagery, devices used precise strongly to convey an important message closely the twists and turns of emotional state. The Road Not Taken is Frosts portrayal of the challenging choices that one is forced to shape in life. I believe that every reader can uphold to the poem and although the message is very strong, it is quite easy to interpret as its readers can compare the poem to their own experiences.As the bank clerk is walking, he encounters a secern in the road. two the roadstead ahead persuade in a yellow wood. T he uninvited predicament poses him to snap off and carefully ponder over his choices long I stood. He has no desire to quickly rush into a decision and wants to be convinced(predicate) as to which road he takes. He looked work through one as far as he could, to help him make his decision as to which road he pass on take, but both(prenominal) bend forward into the undergrowth. If the reader compares this stanza to real life, they can see that the narrator has come to a point in his life when he has to make a very important decision. He has two choices in front of him that, at a glance come along very much a resembling (both diverge in a yellow wood). He calmly roll ups his previous experiences and resources, showing that he is very much a perfectionist. However, he is un able to find any help that go forward give him an perspicacity into the future. In life, we try to coiffure the outcome of our choices but it is very unlikely that we will be able to say exactly what w ill happen to us we can besides depend on assumptions based on our previous experiences and any insight we may take aim on other deals experiences.After looking down the second road and finding that it was just as fair, the narrator decides to travel through it because it was grassy and wanted wear. Once he had taken the road and begun travelling, he realised that the passing there had irresolute them really almost the same. Taking the road less travelled by describes his personality. He seems to be an individualist and does non wish to take the more commonly used path and be influenced by other travellers experiences. By taking the less commonly used road, the traveller sums himself up as universe adventurous and daring, he is not afraid to try new things and likes to take risks and gambles. However, when he realised that other commonwealth had also been gauze-like enough to take the less-travelled road, he may pack felt a bit let down. Every reader can relate to this var. of situation. We all want to be unique, and want to boast about existence brave enough to try something new. However, most probably there will be psyche who has tried it forward us.In stanza 3, it is clear that both roads equally lay and that there was not a less-trodden road. However, the man tries to convince himself that there is a difference in the two roads. He wavers slightly as he realises that his initial interpretation of the two roads was somewhat inaccurate, but retrieves his confidence by saying that he will return to the fork sometime in the future Oh, I unbroken the first for another day to see where the first road will lead him. At this point, the reader is introduced to the travellers ego as he shoos away the truth that he could be wrong, by saying that it doesnt matterhe can continuously come back if things do not go to plan. Yet knowing how way leads on to way/I doubted if I should ever come back. Here, he acknowledges the harsh realities of life, whi ch do not allow one to trace their footsteps back to the origin. All people when do a choice, say that they can always try the other selection later on if need be. Frost teaches in lines 14 and 15 that, in life and the journey through the woods, there will be many other forks where new choices will have to be made. thither will almost certainly never be time to return to the same spot again.The narrator is walking through the road not taken and looks into the future with a sigh. He wonders what it will bring will he be successful and reach his destination or not? There is an element of doubt in his mind what if? What if he had taken the more common road, what would have happened? When people make choices in life, they always question the future. They hope that what they are doing will result in victory. If one succeeds in their goals, the chances are that they will never look back. On the other hand, if one does not attain their goal, they remember the other options they had and wish that they had chosen one of those, even though that may have also not worked.The traveller continues to entail about the future as he walks and meets other forks (challenges), and considers what he will tell people about his choicedeuce roads diverged in to a yellow wood, and I I took the one less travelled by,And that has made all the differenceStopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening comes across as very pensive and serene, describing, as many of Frosts poems do, tranquil images of nature. Although the poem does not have any direct metaphors and similes, there is a clear use of extended imagery which is the main poetic device in the poem although it takes a couple of reads in the first place one can see it, unlike the put in of nature which can be seen in the first few lines. It is a beautiful poem with a very strong message about life and how it forces people to work and strive away until there is naught left to fight for.The first stanza enlightens the reader of the setti ng and mood of the poem. A man is travelling through woods when he stops to identify the natural world around him. He knows the person whose woods these are and knows that his house is in the village. The poets tone and mood appears dismal as he states that the person in the village will not see me stopping here/To watch his woods fill up with bamboozle, although he does not hint why this could be. From this verse, the reader can gather that the narrator is trying to reach a destination, his tone and mood suggesting that perchance he does not wish to go there. The woods are patently special to him as it causes him to pause at such a harry place on a snowy eve. The line, His house is in the village, though, indicates that the woods are away from the village and any civilisation. The woods are lovely and peaceful, but they are isolated too.In stanza 2, the reader can identify some examples of extended imagery. The refrigerantness of the night (frozen lake) and description of it being the dirtyest evening of the year may describe the way he feels as well as his surroundings. My little gymnastic horse may think it queer/To stop without a farmhouse near indicates that the poet is aware that he does not have time to stop and stare at the woods modify with snow, even though he does not want to leave. In life, people are always busy doing things. They often wish to stop and reflect, only the demanding circumstances around them forbid them to do this, and they are forced to booking away with the day-to-day chores. Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening seems to give this sort of message.In stanza 3, the man has still not moved on and his horse is becoming more and more worried as to where they are. He gives his harness bells a shake/To ask if there is some mistake. The horse keeps hurrying Frost by thrill his bells, upsetting the narrators thoughts and short break. Even in such a beautiful, soothe place, where the only other sounds the sweep/Of easy wind an d downy splintering, the traveller is not free from interruption and disturbance. One can easily relate to this when people try to relax for a little while, away from all the work, others around them seem to think that he or she is being lazy and hurry them along. In the same way, the horse cannot understand as to why Frost is not doing anything, even though it is so cold and glooming.The traveller conveys his feelings towards the woods, saying that they are lovely, dark and deep. However, he woefully sighs, admitting that he cannot stay as he has promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep. Maybe the journey that the traveller is travelling through is the journey of life, the one common journey that all human beings have to travel. He has made many promises and has many goals that he wants to achieve in life. Frost implies that it will be a long time before he sleeps, sleep maybe being a metaphor for devastation as this is really the only time when one is free from the ins ouciant circle of work and unrest.In Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening the description of the night being cold and dark emphasises the fact that even in the most impossible situation, one has to sputter on and on until the end. The poem shows that even an animal like the travellers horse will hurry you if the work is not done. Also, the choices that one makes in life have to be achieved if success is to be met. No matter what happens, humanity have to keep on fighting all the problems and distractions until everything is done. In life, people find rest and freedom very late in life. By the time they have finished all the work and attained all their goals, they are very old and probably cannot enjoy the good things life has to offer. True happiness and rest comes only with death. I think that Frost tries to convey all these messages through the profound images in the poem. I like Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening very much, as the multi-layered and poignant messages, in my mi nd, hold a lot of truth. The emotional and passion-arousing teachings give the poem a very strong identity and cause me to stop and reflect, while comparing them to my own experiences.When comparing The Road Not Taken and Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, I find that they are very similar in a number of ways. In both the poems, the woods encountered are travelled into unintentionally. For example, in The Road Not Taken the man is walking when he suddenly faces a fork in the road that leads into yellow woods. In Stopping By Woods the traveller is travelling on horseback on a snowy, dark evening as he passes peaceful, wild woods that belong to someone in the village. This could be a metaphor for unknown, unfamiliar circumstances.Even though one would think that the narrator is a different person each time, both travellers seem very similar. The traveller that takes the road not taken is different from others. He seems to be a cool, level-headed, unbiased man who likes to take risk s and try new challenges. The man who encounters the woods on a snowy evening is also different from others. Despite the cold and darkness, he insists on staying in the woods for some time. He loves the sense of desertion and loneliness and wants a break from the hustle and bustle of work. The dark and deep woods seem to reflect on him, revealing his dark emotion and depth of character. Both men are peculiar in their actions and views when compared with the majority of people, their deep view much the opposite to most of the impulsive minds of today.Both of the poems written by Frost have the use of extended imagery, giving them the Robert Frosts poetry stamp square(p) away. Although the poems themselves are simplistic, plain and candid, they have very deep, significant and emotional messages, which teach readers the harsh realities of life. The poems provoke and challenge ones existence, bringing the true meaning of his words home to the reader, making them so beautiful and uniqu e in their way.