home learning - Language arts

HOME LEARNING

Hi all

I am apparently still confused by this home learning system. I just returned home from school, thus I seek the understanding of the reader of my blog regarding the late posting.

The record book on iVLE says:
Post your discussion in your class blog . From the poems in the link 'Famous Poets & Poems' look for 'The Road not Taken' by Robert Frost. Check out on Robert Frost. Your discussion should be at least 200 words length.

While the wiki decrees as follows:
Search for your favorite poem or song lyrics on the internet or at this website http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/

Copy and paste the poem/ lyrics on your blog and answer the following questions:

1.How are the figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?
1.Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

Hence, in order to eradicate all opportunities and likelihood of afflicting chagrin, I have decided to combine both questions in my eventual answer. I apologise sincerely should my work seem sloppy.

Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost - Who is he?

Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech.[1] His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. A popular and often-quoted poet, Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

Specify the figurative language used in the poem above.
What types of figurative language are these?
Why did Robert Frost choose to use this language?

Hyperbole - "Oh, I kept the first for another day!"
A hyperbole can be defined as an obvious and intentional exaggeration used to invoke a certain emotion in the literary phrase. In the quote above, the hyperbole lies in "oh", which exaggerates the exclamatory emotion of the narrator of the "story".

Personification - "Because it was grassy and wanted wear"
The personification is clearly evident as the grass could not have wanted wear. This probably means the grass on the road has not been trodden on for a long time. This method was used probaably to add an element of life to the road and liven up the poem.

Symbolism - The entire poem seemingly encompasses a certain literary symbolism. It seems like a story in itself, about the narrator walking on a path which eventually leads to a crossroad. This symbolises the inevitable episode of important decision-making in life, and provides the reader with an important lesson to absorb.

Why do I like this poem? (100 words<)I like this poem 'cause it is in a way straight forward and easy to read - it does not possess an uncomfortable literary depth which may cause me to lose my interest.The simple and concise manner by which the poem is formatted enables easy inference and comparatively more comfortable thinking. However, the addition of adequate literary devices and figurative language adorns the poem and makes it more outstanding. The poem is also structured in a "story" manner, which allows the reader to visualize it and increases our interest. Stories are typically more catchy and attractive than a deep, literary poem. Finally, the poem encompasses a life lesson we can relate to - decision making, as mentioned earlier in my post,an issue that is not frequently addressed, yet drives important changes in our lives, and makes a difference.

Intrepretation
The poem has two recognized interpretations. One is a more literal interpretation, while the other is more ironic.

Frost had intended the poem as a gentle jab at his great friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas, and seemed amused at this certain interpretation of the poem as inspirational.


Literal interpretation
According to the literal (and more common) interpretation, the poem is inspirational, a paean to [[individualism], to [[non-conformist|non-conformism].

The poem's last lines, where the narrator declares that taking the road "less traveled by" has "made all the difference," can be seen as a declaration of the importance of independence and personal freedom. "The Road Not Taken" seems to illustrate that once one takes a certain road, there is no turning back. Although one might change paths later on, the past cannot be changed. It can be seen as showing that choice is very important, and is a thing to be considered. And that you will never know what the other path was like, so you may regret never knowing (the sigh), although it was still worth it because you made the right choice by knowing that you were able to exercise your personal freedom and independence.

Ironic interpretation
The ironic interpretation is that the poem is instead about regret and personal myth-making, rationalizing our decisions.

In this interpretation, the final two lines:

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
are ironic – the choice made little or no difference at all, the speaker's protestations to the contrary. The speaker admits in the second and third stanzas that both paths may be equally worn and equally leaf-covered, and it is only in his future recollection that he will call one road "less traveled by".

The sigh, widely interpreted as a sigh of regret, might also be interpreted ironically: in a 1925 letter to Crystine Yates of Dickson, Tennessee, asking about the sigh, Frost replied: "It was my rather private jest at the expense of those who might think I would yet live to be sorry for the way I had taken in life."

That's all.

Cheers,
Zhu Cheng