“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, Essay Example

Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” (1916) is written in 1st person point of view. The use of the 1st person point of view is consistent throughout the poem.  The poem is constructed in such a way that it is meant to sound like an oral story being told from one person to another. The choice of words in the poem is such that the overall tone is conversational. The tone of the poem is normal, almost mundane and this provides a dramatic contrast with the theme of the poem, which hints that a profoundly important choice has been made by the narrator of the poem. Another interesting aspect of the poem and its use of 1st person point of view is that the subjective emphasis of the poem contrasts with the universal resonance of the poem. in other words, even though the poem is written in a 1st person point of view, the speaker of the poem refrains from providing any real personal details. Instead, all is generalized in such a way that anyone could insert their own personal experience with making a profound decision in life. In fact, this is the only way to actually read the poem because the narrator fails to reveal personal specifics.

The way that all of this influences my personal experience with the poem is to enhance my fascination with Frost’s creativity. The way that the poem allows the reader to become the speaker and be part of the audience for the speaker at the same time is more than a simple literary device; it is a statement about the way that all people, merely in being human, share similar experiences. It is therefore a “bridge” between people that works to bring people together. There is a sense of loneliness conveyed in the poem, which is answered by the poem itself. By telling his or her story to the reader, the speaker of the poem has found a way to banish his loneliness. The poem encourages all of us to share our personal stories with others in the expectation that doing so will show the universal parts of being human and bring us closer together. In this sense, we each face a choice, just like that presented in the poem, which is the choice between loneliness and the feeling of belonging with and trusting one’s fellow humans.