Deciding the Journey The decisions that people make in their lives determine their future. However, many teenagers struggle with determining important choices for themselves because it is usually done for them. The most common mistake people make is that they think there is only one option for each individual; anyone can have any future depending on their own decisions. In both Dorothy Livesay’s “Experience” and Robert frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, they express the difficulty in making crucial decisions when it comes to their future. The poets use point of view and metaphors to express one’s need to determine one’s own journey of life, however the poets differ in how they express their emotions during these experiences by using either contrast
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For example, in the poem “Experience”, Livesay uses the point of view of an individual who is uncertain if she is following the right path. The following quote illustrates her uncertainty, “‘For your own good’, they said/My heart felt hollow/So I went away on my own road” It is visible that gradually throughout the poem, she realizes that the “better” option is not always the happier choice. She quotes, “For your own good”, continuing to feel uncertain if that is actually the right choice for her. She is showing the reader that to get the future they wish for it is one tremendous journey with ups and downs. However, in the poem “The Road Not Taken” Frost uses the point of view of someone who has a choice between two paths but he is having a dilemma as he is very indecisive. This is visible when he says, “And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could” In this quote he expresses his urge …show more content…
For instance, when Livesay uses contrast to compare the frustration she feels during the beginning of her journey comparing it to the feeling of contempt she feels towards the end of the poem. This is visible when she says, “Bitter and hard to swallow/My head felt tired after it/And if some were bitter, others were sweet--/So I learned/How the heart is fed” This quote signifies the different struggles and breakthroughs she undergoes. In the beginning it is really harsh but towards the end she uses contrast and this is because she wants to show the reader that things get better and clearer. On the other hand, Frost uses foreshadowing to show the readers when making decisions it is important to be careful because you cannot always go back and change them. The following demonstrates this point exactly, “Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” He is hinting to himself that going back is not an option considering a decision will continue to lead him somewhere else. Although both poets are different, they convey a similar message which is that it is important to not ponder in the past or worry about the future but to make what is best of the
For example, in the poem “Experience”, Livesay uses the point of view of an individual who is uncertain if she is following the right path. The following quote illustrates her uncertainty, “‘For your own good’, they said/My heart felt hollow/So I went away on my own road” It is visible that gradually throughout the poem, she realizes that the “better” option is not always the happier choice. She quotes, “For your own good”, continuing to feel uncertain if that is actually the right choice for her. She is showing the reader that to get the future they wish for it is one tremendous journey with ups and downs. However, in the poem “The Road Not Taken” Frost uses the point of view of someone who has a choice between two paths but he is having a dilemma as he is very indecisive. This is visible when he says, “And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could” In this quote he expresses his urge …show more content…
For instance, when Livesay uses contrast to compare the frustration she feels during the beginning of her journey comparing it to the feeling of contempt she feels towards the end of the poem. This is visible when she says, “Bitter and hard to swallow/My head felt tired after it/And if some were bitter, others were sweet--/So I learned/How the heart is fed” This quote signifies the different struggles and breakthroughs she undergoes. In the beginning it is really harsh but towards the end she uses contrast and this is because she wants to show the reader that things get better and clearer. On the other hand, Frost uses foreshadowing to show the readers when making decisions it is important to be careful because you cannot always go back and change them. The following demonstrates this point exactly, “Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” He is hinting to himself that going back is not an option considering a decision will continue to lead him somewhere else. Although both poets are different, they convey a similar message which is that it is important to not ponder in the past or worry about the future but to make what is best of the