A Question Based Analysis on
Guiding Question: How is the extended
metaphor and imagery used in the poem crucial to help create a certain tone and
mood?
Perhaps the most prominent
emotion we acquire after realizing that we no longer possess the chance to do
something we once could is regret. In his poem, The Road Not Taken, poet Robert Frost establishes a regretful tone
and a contemplative mood through his use of imagery and an extended metaphor and
through his deliberate wording.
A remorseful tone is
prevalent in the overall course of the poem. This can be inferred from the
poet’s use of certain words, imagery and an extended metaphor. Initially, his word
choice comprises phrases that connote with severe contrition. For instance, the
word “sorry” (line 2) reflects the repentance the poet was feeling at the
moment of decision after realizing that he could only choose one of the two
roads. Furthermore, he emphasizes this regret he felt with “as far as I could”
(line 4) implying that he had an intense yen to see what both of the roads had for
him, despite the fact that he was only able to choose one. Moreover, the
imagery he adopts serves to illustrate that this moment of verdict was a
turning point for his life. Notably, the portrayal of a “crossroad” in the
readers’ minds performs this task brilliantly. A crossroad is an implicit
delineation of a momentous instant in the poet’s life since, in any crossroad,
the road one will prefer over the other will probably lead her to a
surprisingly disparate place than would the other. Bearing in mind that the
poet was initially tentative of his resolution, him grasping that this
particular moment was a crossroad for his life could be presumed to have augmented
his anguish tremendously. On top of that, the imagery utilized go hand-in-hand
with the extended metaphor. The poet’s detailed descriptions of the crossroad
and the two roads that instinctively come with it make it much more straightforward
for the audience to visualize the sorrow he is experiencing. As an example, the
words “grasses” (line 8) “trodden black” (line 12) and “diverged in a wood” (line
18) all help the readers conceptualize the situation in a broader sense and the
poet’s pain in a deeper manner.
The poet inspires his
audience to ponder about their past decisions through his captivating
illustrations and the significance of the ideas he conveys, with both of them
being greatly reinforced by his exploitation of imagery and an extended
metaphor. To begin with, as stated in the first paragraph, the imagery the poet
wields makes the readers conceive his state of mind more thoroughly. And due to
this, inevitably, after some while, the readers start sympathizing with the
poet and putting themselves in his shoes, feeling as if it were themselves who
were to make a vital decision about life and their future. Ergo, this
internalization also results in the readers questioning their own past
decisions, indicating to a pensive mood. In addition, looking holistically, the
poet proposes tough questions about “the road one has chosen not to take” to
his readers in this poem. However, the poet cuts down, with his extended
metaphor, all the process of coming to a pivotal decision in life into an
uncomplicated scenario wherein the audience is presented with two roads and
they simply have to select which one to go with. It is a well-known fact that
our brains find it easier showing compassion for subjects that are relatively
effortless for our brains to comprehend with; therefore, the poet’s digestible
rendering of an obscure theme his poem is essentially trying to communicate invokes
even more cogitation, hinting, again, at the meditative mood.
To sum up, in his poem The Road Not Taken, poet Robert Frost consults to specific words, imagery and an extended metaphor to create a contrite tone and a reflective mood. He excels at this, profoundly gripping his audience’s interest in the meanwhile and allowing them to feel sympathy towards him while imparting his message.
-Bora
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