M. Camila Piedras
Professor Cynthia Vergara
ENC 1101
14 March 2015
A Journey to Decisions
Recognized American poet, Robert Frost wrote about rural living with an everyday language in the early 1900’s. Frost had an attachment towards nature since he was a farmer from his early years. In two of his most distinguished poems “Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening” and “The road not taken” in a metaphorical and literal manner there is critical decision to be made. While remorse was the emotion being represented by traveling through nature, the setting was portrayed. The temperament on both poems is alike, lonely and puzzled. Again, while both poems snap a reflecting state of mind, nature serves as the symbolic journey to show life and emotions.
In the poem, “The road not taken” the speaker is walking through the woods where he comes to stop as “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (1.1). Both roads are attracting to the speaker as both are equally worn. The speaker reflects on the desire of following both paths, to avoid hesitation of making a choice. The fact that the speaker travels alone indicate he has troubled feelings. The narrator is uncertain about where one of the roads could lead him. “And looked down one as far as I could” (1.4). Each road representing a decision he has to make. The woods are represented in a positive way, as he states to appreciate the environment around him and is ashamed he could not take both roads. On the last stanza it seems the tone has had a transition of no longer speaking in the present but perhaps recalling a feeling of accomplishment. “That has made all the difference” (4.4) indicates the road he chose was the best way to go. In life, this can find meaning as we constantly encounter scenarios in which we have to make decisions and it’s difficult considering sometimes all of the alternatives we have. Choices delay reaction but making a decision it’s the first step for heading either for success or failure. The road less traveled by, can teach us that even though we might feel secure in deciding on the road everyone has taken because it has been proven to work. However, choosing outside of the norm can open the potential to do something we might not feel capable at first.
In “Stopping by the woods in a snowy evening, the narrator is also in a journey. This time he is again alone on “The darkest evening of the year” (2.4). The woods, on this poem, could be interpreted by being either a good or bad thing because their quiet, dark and cold. In his trip, the speaker seems obligated to stop and contemplate the beauty and calmness of the woods. Indicating winter as the season of the year, the reader can conclude it might not be a good idea to stop and stare. This idea is reiterated in stanza 2, line 1-2, where his horse has a concerning reaction towards coming to a stop. “The woods are lovely, dark