A Multi-Critique on Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I1.46Keywords:
Affectivism, Expressivism, Imaginary Transaction, Literary Criticism, Mimesis, Objectivism, Poetic Write-Back, Reader Response, VersificationAbstract
This study examined Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” through a multi-critical literary framework anchored in Mimesis, Expressivism, Objectivism, and Affectivism. It aimed to analyze the poem’s imaginary transaction, versification, possible poet’s presence, and reader response through a poetic write-back. The study employed a qualitative-descriptive research design using interpretive textual analysis. No human respondents were involved, as the poem served as the primary unit of analysis, supported by literary, theoretical, and biographical sources. The findings revealed that the poem presents life as a journey characterized by uncertainty, limitation, and consequential decision-making. Its road imagery represents possible life directions, while the speaker’s retrospective account demonstrates how individuals construct meaning from choices whose outcomes could not initially be known. Formally, the poem consists of four five-line stanzas, follows an ABAAB rhyme scheme, and generally employs iambic tetrameter with rhythmic variations that reinforce hesitation and reflection. The expressive analysis identified possible parallels between Frost’s life and the poem’s concerns, although the poem could not be treated as direct autobiography. The poetic write-back, “Light,” demonstrated how a reader may transform textual interpretation into a personal creative response. The study concluded that meaning emerges through the interaction of represented human experience, poetic structure, authorial context, and reader interpretation. Future studies may conduct comparative multi-critical analyses of Frost’s other poems and selected works by other poets. The study supports SDG 4—Quality Education by promoting critical reading, literary interpretation, cultural appreciation, and creative expression. Its sustainability impact lies primarily in strengthening educational, cultural, and institutional practices through a reusable framework for literature teaching and research.
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