Travelling and Journeys: Read “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and
“Postscript” by Seamus Heaney Compare and contrast how the poets write
about travelling and journeys.
Both Robert Frost and Seamus Heaney write about travelling and
journeys, using them as a metaphor for experiences in life. However, this is
done in very different ways. Robert Frost frequently struggled with depression
and a consuming worry about the future. This is reflected in the title of “The
Road Not Taken”, which demonstrates a preoccupation with alternative
choices to the reader Frost conveys a sense of loneliness on his journey,
indicated by the first person narrative. Moreover, the poem serves as an
extended metaphor for the persona’s indecision, and its irregular rhythm
reflects the uncertainty to the reader. The indecision faced by Frost’s persona
is highlighted by the extensive use of enjambement throughout the poem,
which displays the persona’s ongoing deliberation. Additionally, the rhyme
scheme demonstrates the persona's propensity to return to the same position
in his thought process, and his subsequent inability to make significant
progress on his journey.
Contrastingly, Heaney’s journey is one of companionship. The poem
starts in media res, implying to the reader that it is an afterthought to a
pleasant day that Heaney once spent with the Friels. This is supported by the
title of “Postscript”, which implies to the reader that the calmness of the
journey continues to be with Heaney in the present. The blank verse with
loose iambic pentameter conveys a relaxed tone to the reader, underlining the
comfort of the trip. The repetition in “some time make the time to drive”
creates an assured tone, emphasising the pleasant certainty of the trip which
is so different from Frost’s indecision.
Frost focuses on the practical aspects of the journey by portraying his
travels as an extended metaphor for his decision-making process. Frost
continues to build upon the sentiment of uncertainty by describing how he
“took the other, as just as fair… Though as for that the passing there / Had
worn them really about the same… equally lay”. The simile demonstrates the
similarity of the options which Frost faces, emphasising the difficulty of the
decision to the reader. This may be interpreted as Frost’s deliberation between
his failing agricultural endeavours and his career in poetry. The adverbs
, “really… equally” act as intensifiers, highlighting the validity of both potential
journeys. In this way, Frost portrays travelling as a metaphor for choices.
In a different manner, Heaney focuses on the beauty of travelling, and
implies that journeys are about discovery, rather than decision. This is evident
in “ocean on one side is wild / With foam and glitter… surface of a slate grey
lake is lit / By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans”. The assonance
demonstrates the chaos of the raging sea, whilst the alliteration and sibilance
connote a feeling of calmness surrounding the lake. The juxtaposition
between these qualities emphasises the complexities of nature and Heaney’s
exploration of nature through his journey. This is supported by the metaphor
surrounding the swans, which demonstrates to the reader how Heaney recalls
the elegant nature of the birds.
However, there are similarities between the poems as well, as both
poets use travelling to demonstrate the constant movement of life to the
reader. Frost achieves this by demonstrating the inability to return to the past
in “Oh, I kept the first for another day! / Yet knowing how way leads on to way /
I doubted if I should ever come back”. The exclamation implies an emotive
response to the reader, displaying how the persona yearns to return to the
past. However, the repetition of “way” implies to the reader that the choice is
permanent, and that the journey of life can’t be repeated. The end-stop at the
end of the stanza indicates a sense of finality, implying to the reader that the
attempt to unwind a journey is useless, as the pact of one’s travelling through
life is permanent.
Similarly, Heaney expresses that there is no use in trying to control time,
as one passes through life so quickly. This is displayed to the reader in
“Useless to think you’ll park and capture it / More thoroughly. You are neither
here nor there”. The direct address implores the reader to recognise that they
are travelling through fleeting moments, and that people should not
over-analyse them. This reflects Heaney’s own inability to capture the moment
in great depth in his poetry. The idiomatic phrase emphasises how humans
have no role in the greater landscape, expressing their secondary importance
to nature. This demonstrates Heaney’s deep connection to the environment,
and the inspiration that he finds on his journey, leading to his achievements as
a pastoral poet.
