1. Literary Elements in “The Road Not Taken”
Ashlee Sadler
READ 3340
Fall ’08

2. Imagery
Imagery is the author’s use of language that appeals to the reader’s senses. For example:
“The bright green car” appeals to us visually.
“Her perfume was as sweet as a dozen roses” appeals to our sense of smell.
“The hot, grainy sand slipped through her fingers” appeals to our sense of touch.
Where does Frost use imagery in his poem?

3. Tone
The tone of a poem reveals the author’s attitude toward a certain subject.
Examples of tone: pessimistic, hopeful, dubious, happy, serious, bitter, humorous
You can assess the tone of a poem by looking at several aspects:
Vocabulary: formal or casual?
Rhythm: upbeat or dull?
Style: simple or complex?

4. Mood
Mood describes a poem’s feeling. This is not to be confused with tone, which describes the author’s feeling. A mystery novel would probably have a mood of danger or suspense, while a love story might have a mood of passion, longing, or sorrow.
Mood is determined by the setting of the story, what details are provided, descriptive language, etc.
What do you think the mood of Frost’s poem is?

5. Metaphor
A metaphor compares one thing to another by implying that they are the same. Words such as “like” or “as” are not used to aid in the comparison.
An example of this is: “The stars were diamonds in the sky.”
Consider that Frost’s whole poem is a metaphor. What do you think he is comparing the paths to?

6. Great!
Now that you’re familiar with these elements, go back to the Pre-Reading page and complete # 2!
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