Skip to main content

What poem is similar to "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

"The Road Not Taken," one of Robert Frost's most famous poems, is sometimes compared to another of his famous and well-loved poems, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Both of these poems feature a lone traveler as the narrator. In the former, the narrator is traveling by foot, taking a walk in the woods on an autumn morning. In the latter, a man either on horseback or in a horse-drawn buggy stops on a...

"The Road Not Taken," one of Robert Frost's most famous poems, is sometimes compared to another of his famous and well-loved poems, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Both of these poems feature a lone traveler as the narrator. In the former, the narrator is traveling by foot, taking a walk in the woods on an autumn morning. In the latter, a man either on horseback or in a horse-drawn buggy stops on a winter evening to watch the snow falling in the woods.


In both poems, the narrator has a decision to make. In "The Road Not Taken," the narrator must decide which of "two roads... diverged in a yellow wood" he should take. The narrator believes his choice will lead him on to other paths and that he will never be able to return to experience what the other choice would have been. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the narrator's choice is not about which direction to go, but rather whether to go or stay. He loves the calm scene of the gentle snowfall in the deserted woods, but his responsibilities compel him to continue his journey—he has "miles to go before I sleep." 


Both poems give glimpses of the narrator's world beyond the moment of the current scene of the poem. In "The Road Not Taken," the narrator imagines a day in the future when he "will be telling this with a sigh" to some person who will be listening to his tale, but we get no real insight into the narrator's current life or concerns. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," readers understand that obligations in the world beyond the woods are placing demands on the narrator's life now. We don't know what those obligations are, but the tone of the poem suggests they weigh heavily upon the man. The look into the future in this poem does not go "ages and ages hence," as it does in "The Road Not Taken." "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" only goes a few hours into the future until the man finds his rest at his destination. If read metaphorically, however, the "miles to go before I sleep" could mean the man has many years of responsibility before he will retire or die. In that case, both poems project far into the future. 


Both poems are set in a woods, feature a narrator who has a choice to make, and project the action of the poem into the future, making them similar in some respects.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more