The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry Foundation  

1. Read the poem above three times, at least one time aloud.
2. Read the poem a fourth time to clarify the speaker/persona, listener, and circumstance. Remember that the speaker may not be the autobiographical poet, but a fictional creation. Compare, for example, when the poem was written with the age of the poet at the time he or she wrote it. Any discrepancy is a sign of a fictional persona. You may also need to do some research to determine the circumstance of the poem. Consider, for example, where and when the poem was written, and the historical circumstances that may have motivated the poet.
3. Read the poem a fifth time, now paying particular attention to the plot, narrative, conflict, and so forth. Remember that in some poems where a traditional plot is missing, you will still find a rhetorical form such as an apology, a plea, a persuasive argument, and so forth.
4. Read the poem a sixth time, now for its images, symbols, metaphors, and controlling ideas.
5. Read the poem a final time, aloud, to appreciate the poet’s use of sound.
6. Finally, spend some time online and research both the poem and its author to see if this will yield some important additional information. Be sure to list the sources of any additional information you uncover in case your readers are interested in pursuing your leads.  (You may also find that you want to pursue these leads in future assignments!)

The key to reading poetry is to slow down, not get frustrated, and give yourself plenty of time to understand each word and line in the poem as well as the many nuances that language can convey. Don’t fabricate a meaning that does not exist, just to be able to say something. Instead, allow the evidence of the poem to lead you to your understanding.

Return to the poem if you are unsure and keep reading!

1. Write 5-8 sentences on the connotation of important images, metaphors or symbols in the work. How does this connotation enrich your understanding of the work as a whole?
2. Write 5-8 sentences on important historical or cultural information that might enrich your understanding of the work. Connect the historical or cultural information to the development of the story.
3. Write 5-8 sentences about the themes. What world or life view is the author expressing? How do you know? What is his/her message?

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