Poetry Explication Draft

Marchella Prado
English 1121 (Prof. Scanlan)
Draft
April 4, 2020
Poetry Explication: “The Road Not Taken”
The poem, “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost, illustrates life and the choices we make in them. Everyday, a decision is made. Whether it be a good decision or a bad decision, the decision made will affect one’s life moving forward. Take notice of the title of the poem, it says, “The Road Not Taken,” keyword “Not.” It doesn’t say the road that is taken. The speaker and as well, the reader, can be at a questioning of, what if? The first two lines that start the poem, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both,” impacts the rest of where the poem is going to go. Throughout each stanza of the poem, the denotation and connotation of words within the lines filled with the use of metaphors and symbols allows us to fulfill the true meaning and theme of the poem.
In the first line, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” the speaker has two choices and can only pick one. These two roads are an indication of two different life paths. The yellow wood is a metaphor of the setting, the season is currently Fall. The season in which the leaves fall, the colors change, as well as the weather. The season of change. Yellow would be the season and wood itself is representing life. The road symbolizes the journey of life. Either one of these paths could potentially affect the speakers life in a positive or negative way. With just that line alone, the reader can connect with the speaker. In life, there’s typically two choices to make, the easy or hard one. Which I feel these roads represent in some way. They’re obviously going to lead to two different destinations but which one will be worth the walk?
In the second line, “And sorry I could not travel both,” the speaker couldn’t pick both paths of life to explore. The desire the speaker had to begin with, having two roads in front of him/her with different possibilities of life knowing they couldn’t have it all. Emphasizing the word sorry in the line could sound like possible regret. The fact of having more than one option can create curiosity of once again, what if.
When both lines combine, it sets the whole tone of the poem. It allows the reader to grasp the true meaning and theme that Robert Frost wants the readers to understand. The metaphors and symbolism within the poem sets the point across. In life, a decision has to be made. The decision must be made thoroughly as any decision is made. At the end of the poem, the speaker makes it clear to which road was chosen, “the one less traveled by.” The speaker didn’t share whether or not the “the one less traveled by” was the right choice. As the reader, it can create curiosity as it would in one’s own shoes.

2 Comments

  1. Leviza Murtazayeva

    1–Is the title of the poem and the full author’s name provided in the first or second sentence?
    -Yes, the title and the author were written as”The poem, “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost, illustrates life and the choices we make in them.”
    2–Does the student provide the two lines he or she will explicate?
    -Yes, the lines Marchella used were, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.”
    3–What poetry terms does the student examine?
    – The poetry terms denotation and connotation, metaphors, and symbolism.
    4–Copy and paste your two favorite sentences from the student’s essay.
    -“Emphasizing the word sorry in the line could sound like possible regret.”
    -“It allows the reader to grasp the true meaning and theme that Robert Frost wants the readers to understand.”
    -These sentences are well written and have a lot of good verbs.
    5–Copy and paste two confusing sentences.
    -The sentences that need further explanation are, “The speaker didn’t share whether or not the “the one less traveled by” was the right choice. As the reader, it can create curiosity as it would in one’s own shoes.” These sentences are the concluding sentences, and I believe that there could be more information added to successfully finish the explication.
    6–Make two concrete suggestions.
    – Your writing is very clear and easy to understand. I suggest you use more words to explain what the author is trying to express. Make sure you are comfortable with the poem. This poem has a lot of meanings.

    Overall, the draft was really good, I hope you do well on the final draft.

  2. Raysi Perez

    1–Is the title of the poem and the full author’s name provided in the first or second sentence?
    – Yes, the title of the poem and the full author’s name is provided in the first sentence.
    2–Does the student provide the two lines he or she will explicate?
    -Yes, the student provides the two lines she will explicate.
    3–What poetry terms does the student examine?
    -Denotation, Connotation, Metaphor, and Symbols
    4–Copy and paste your two favorite sentences from the student’s essay. Then explain why you like them.
    -“They’re obviously going to lead to two different destinations but which one will be worth the walk?”
    -“The speaker and as well, the reader, can be at a questioning of, what if?”
    – I like how you added these two questions. It really makes the readers think about their own decisions and if they picked the right choice.
    5–Copy and paste two sentences that are confusing. Then explain what is confusing about them.
    – I personally didn’t find anything that was confusing with this essay.
    6–Make two concrete suggestions.
    -I think this essay is well written

    I think this was a great essay. It really makes the readers understand what the poem is about. Good luck on your final draft

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