Page 16 - DENG203_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_IV

Unit 1: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The Diction and Vocabulary or Lexical Features Notes

In relation to the vocabulary and diction, Leech (2001: 5) distinguishes “ordinary” language
from poetic language. He has additionally specified that poetic language may violate or move
away from the normally observed rules of the language in several ways. Moreover, each element
of any portion of writing has a potential interpretive importance and its readers generally pick
up the smallest details of a text and use these details to build a meaningful interpretation. An
analysis of the lexical features is good to start with a more detailed linguistic study.
Firstly, let us study the open class words in the poem. Open class words can be defined as words
which carry the majority of meaning in a language, as against grammatical words or closed class
words such as prepositions and determiners. Closed class words act like sentence ‘glue’. They
connect open class words in meaningful arrangements or sentences. (Ling131: Language and
Style, 2009: 4)

Let us take specific instances from the poem. The speaker is travelling in a “yellow” wood.
Yellow, in this context signifies perseverance, hope, happiness, etc. This high spirited tone is
constant all through the poem. Considering that, it is right for the reader to think of the sigh as
a satisfied sigh.

Moreover, the lexical features indicate that the poem has two known explanations; one is a
literal interpretation, while the other is more ironic in nature. Readers usually understand the
poem literally, as an expression of individualism. Critics consider the poem ironic – “The Road
Not Taken,” is possibly a well-known example of Robert’s own claims to conscious irony.
Moreover, Robert himself warned “You have to be careful of that one; it’s a tricky poem – very
tricky”. Robert projected the poem as a gentle poked his good friend and fellow poet Edward
Thomas, with whom he would walk several times in the woods near London. Edward always
worried about what they could have possibly missed by not walking on the other road. Edward
always complained at the end that they could have walked on the other road and appeared
amused at this explanation of the poem as inspirational.

Task Write an essay about a time when you took a less travelled road.

Self Assessment

Choose the correct answer:
1. In the poem the poet is standing:
(a) at a crossing (b) at a crossing in autumn season

(c) in a forest (d) where two roads cross
2. Robert Frost sees before him:
(a) a yellow forest and roads (b) two roads crossing
(c) a dense forest (d) two roads diverging in a forest
3. The phrase ‘yellow wood refers to

(a) a wood painted yellow (b) autumnal forest
(c) trees with infected flowers (d) wood that is yellow in colour

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