AnalysisoftheThemeofTheRoadNotTaken

程林

【Abstract】The Road Not Taken is one of the beautiful poems written by Robert Frost，a famous American poet. The conception of the poem is very skillful，though its language is simple and natural. The poet enjoys applying ordinary content，concise and modest lines to display his profound thought and philosophy，which is his most prominent characteristic. The thesis will try to analyze the theme of the poem by explaining the content and reveal the poets implication toward life.

【Key words】Robert Frost； The Road Not Taken； analysis； theme

In the 20th century，Robert Lee Frost was perhaps the most beloved poet in America and the most successful American poet widely accepted all over the world. Unlike most of his contemporaries in the early 20th century，Frost did not break with the older poetic tradition，nor did he make experiments with form. Instead，he learned from tradition and made the colloquial New England speech into poetic expression. Hence his poems are full of life，truth and wisdom. Frost wrote in a simple form with profound ideas. He is “deceptively simple”（常耀信，2003）. The profound ideas are often delivered under the disguise of plain language and simple form. This writing style is embodied in The Road Not Taken. Simple and beautiful in form，the poem is profound in meaning. It could be said that its underlying meaning may never be exhausted by its readers.

The poem is a rhythmic lyric which is very regularly structured with four classic five-line stanzas with the rhyme scheme of abaab. In addition，the diction of this poem is very plain，for ordinary and even colloquial words are used.

The poem begins as if when the poet was walking in a wood in late autumn at a fork in the road “Two roads diverged in a yellow road”. Which one should “I” take？ He described his inner conflicts and regrettable feelings in his heart “And sorry I could not travel both”. As people usually do when they come across crossroads，he stood and looked ahead，“Long I stood/ And look down one as far as I could”. He was attracted by both two roads ahead of him. However，he couldnt take the two roads at the same time，he had to choose one. Actually，it is concerned with the important decisions which one must make in life： one must give up one desirable thing in order to possess the other.

After the judgment and hesitation，the traveler stepped on the other road. The road he had taken was “as just as fair” and “having perhaps the better claim” because it looks grassy and wants wear. At this moment，he might think that he was lucky to choose the road which few people had stepped on. From his choice for the less trodden road，it could be concluded that he did not like to follow the steps of other people. This is often believed to be the symbol of the poets choice of a solitary life—taking poetry writing as his profession.

After stepping on the road less travelled by people，he seemed even more hesitant and kept wondering which road might turn out to be of more advantages. “And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black.” Both two roads are equally pretty，so as soon as he made the choice of the one，the poet felt pitiful for abandoning the other. Then he soothed himself by claiming “Oh，I kept the first for anther day！” Nevertheless，he is quite aware that his intension of “next choice” will be nothing than an empty promise. “I doubted if I should ever come back.” Once stepping on the road there might exist no way turning back.

At last，the poet was imaging many years later when he is recalling the choice he made today，he would respond with nothing else but a sigh，for it would be too hard for anyone，after many more experiences in life，to make any comment on the choice made early in life.

Frost is a master at pulling a thread out of what looks like quite a simple theme. This poem，as many of Frosts poems，begins with the observation of nature，as if the poet is a traveler sightseeing in nature. By the end，all the simple words condense into a serious，philosophical proposition： “when anyone in life is confronted with making a choice，in order to possess something worthwhile，he has to give up something which seems as lovely and valuable as the chosen one.”（李正栓，2007）

“Two roads diverged in a wood，and I—I took the one less traveled by，And that made all the difference.” “A less than rigorous look at the poem may lead one to believe that Frosts ‘moral is embodied in those lines.”（Jay，2005） The poem is often taken as a call to independence，preaching originality and Emersonian self-reliance. But the poet is too deep and too wise to be absolute about the life and people. The poem，in fact，stresses that there is no difference，or little difference between the two roads offered— it is all in the mind. The second stanza claims that “the other” is “just as fair” and having “perhaps the better claim”. Finally it concludes that this path is worn “really about the same” as the first road，presumably the more well-traveled road. The clue to the meaning of this poem actually lies in the following two lines “I shall be telling this with a sigh/Somewhere ages and ages hence”. The poet will be telling his readers that the road he chooses would “make all the difference”. But he will be lying. What he wants to glorify is “the road not taken” rather than “the road less travelled”. The title itself embraces the dazzling and tantalizing ambiguity of this poem.

In ones life，after he has made one choice，whatever follows，he must accept the consequences of his choice for it is not possible for him to return to the beginning and have another chance to choose differently. In this poem，Frost is asserting that nature is fair and honest to everyone. If we do want to experience something，surely we have to give up many other things. And there is no alternative way. We are obliged to keep making choices in the process of life，one after another，and leaving no space for compromise.

In this poem，the poet also uses some techniques to express his ideas such as symbolism. The “yellow wood” may symbolize sophisticated society，in which most people are likely to follow a profitable but easier way； each “road” symbolizes a possibility in life； the road which is “grassy and wanted wear” refers to a solitary life style； while “way leads to way” implies the complicated circumstances of the human world. Using these simple images，the poet has demonstrated his attitude toward life.

In a word，through the description of The Road Not Taken，the poet presents to the readers his experience of taking a road. With the simple words and profound connotation，Robert Frost teaches. Whats more，in the form of a natural poem，he teaches delightfully. Making choices is inevitable. No matter which road you take，you will never know what your choice means only after you do experience it in life. In a sense，life itself is a process of making choices，for life is so limited for us mortals on earth. Once we make a choice，there is no turning back. Whether satisfied or regretful，we have to proceed on the path we have chosen and continue to make choices in the coming days. So it is unnecessary to have senseless lament on the decisions we have made. It is more important not to loss precious opportunities in the future and cherish the present. As far as I am concerned，it is what the poet wants to tell us.

References：

[1]Jay Parini &Brett C.Millier.The Columbia History of American Poetry[M].外語教学与研究出版社.2005.

[2]常耀信.美国文学简史[M].南开大学出版社.2003.

[3]李正栓，陈岩.美国诗歌研究[M].北京大学出版社.2007.