“The Road Not Taken” Sample Answer 1. An example of figurative language that Frost uses in his poem is symbolism, which is conveyed through the two roads that are discussed. Frost uses these two roads to symbolize two different pathways that could be chosen; two different options that the traveller/speaker could choose from. The speaker mentions that there are two pathways, one that is well-worn and another that is less travelled. The pathways can symbolize two different life choices, and the traveller ultimately chooses the more unusual route that has changed his life. In the poem, the speaker says, “Two paths diverged in a wood, and I,/I took the one less travelled by,/And that has made all the difference” (Frost 18-20). The symbolism here is clear to the reader, and is used effectively as it leaves the reader pondering upon the different possibilities that the author could be writing about. It is obvious that Frost is writing about changes, and a choice which has greatly affected his life. GOOD STRUCTURE, BUT AN INCORRECT INTERPRETATION!

“The Road Not Taken” Sample Answer Robert Frost thoughtfully employs both metaphor and symbolism as examples of figurative language in his poem. Of the two metaphorical roads explored in the poem, the speaker says, “the passing there/Had worn them really about the same” (Frost 9-10). In fact, the speaker also mentions that both roads “that morning equally lay/In leaves no step had trodden black” (12-13). This means that neither of the roads is less traveled by, thus changing the meaning of the poem entirely. Two paths in the woods and forks in roads serve as effective metaphors for a person’s life, specifically its crises and important decisions. Identical forks, in particular, also symbolize the contrast between one’s free will and one’s fate. An individual is free to make a choice, but they often do not really know beforehand what they are choosing between. A person’s life journey is therefore determined by both choice and chance, and it is impossible to separate the two. Consequently, the speaker is not a hero for taking the road less travelled, as the outcome of taking one of two equally trodden roads essentially comes down to a matter of chance, and nothing more. EFFECTIVE STRUCTURE AND A CORRECT INTERPRETATION!

“The Road Not Taken” Sample Answer 2. A key theme developed through this poem is the theme of self knowledge acquired through nature. This theme is clearly exemplified through the ironic tone of the speaker when he/she says, “I shall be telling this with a sigh/Somewhere ages and ages hence” (Frost 16-17). The speaker’s “sigh” is the key here (16). From this it is clear that the speaker anticipates his own future insincerity when discussing his supposedly remarkable decision to take the road less travelled. The speaker predicts his/her own need, later on in life, to rearrange the facts and inject a sense of individuality into the account. He/she knows that he/she will be inaccurate, at best, or hypocritical, at worst, when he/she holds his/her life up as an example of making the less popular choice. This reveals the speaker’s moment of self discovery, resulting from the two paths in the wood, but it is not the knowledge that the reader first anticipates for the speaker based on the poem’s title.