Analyzing a Poem for Theme

Another method of determining the theme of the poem is, after several careful readings, to analyze aspects of the poem, such as sound devices (rhythm, rhyme, repetition etc), mood, tone, word choices, figures of speech, and form. Then you can determine the message of the poem and whether the poem fulfills its purpose.

Self Assessment


Read the poem "The Road Not Taken" below or listen to an oral reading of the poem. Then, answer the following questions.

The Road Not Taken

        Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Listen to a reading of The Road Not Taken

Choose one of the following:





Apply these general questions to help you to understand the poem and the techniques used to achieve meaning. 


  1.  If the poem rhymes, what is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
  2. What is the meter or regular rhythm of the poem? (If it is available, listen to a reading of the poem to help you determine this.)
  3. Discuss other sound elements in the poem such as pleasant, musical sounds or harsh sounds (euphony and cacophony).
  4.  Where (if any) does the poem contain repetition? How does this support the topic, subject, and theme of the poem?
  5. Discuss the form of the poem. For example, how many stanzas are used? What is the form of the poem?
  6. What is the speaker's attitude toward the subject he or she is describing?
  7. Describe the mood (feelings or emotions) the poem evokes. What word choices develop the mood of the speaker? (Who is the speaker in the poem?)
  8. What is the message of the poem?
  9. How has the poem's purpose been accomplished? How do the various elements of sound, imagery, form, mood, and tone develop the message or theme of the poem?


Click here to check your answers.