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First Stanza                                1

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First Stanza                                1

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'Two roads diverged' metaphor for life choices. Can't pick both in life so the traveler can't travel both. Traveler tried to look down both paths as far as he could to see which one to choose but couldn't see all the way down bc of the 'bent'. Just like life choices you don't know the effect of picking one, can't see far into the future.

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Second Stanza                          2

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Second Stanza                          2

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The path the traveler picked was 'just as fair' as the other path; so there was no significant differences in the paths. Just like in life you could have to choose between similar options but either one can significantly impact your future. Both paths looked to the traveler like no one had walked more on one than the other.

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Third Stanza                              3

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Third Stanza                              3

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Both paths are equal, but the travel picks one and things maybe he can come back and take the other one another time, then again he doubts this. In life you don't get to come back and chose the opposite option of the one you chose. That is why life choices are important and crucial because they determine so much. Telling this stanza as if in his past (shift).

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Fourth Stanza                            4

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Fourth Stanza                            4

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Traveler tells us now that he looks back on this from the future. Admits to taking the path less traveled by even though at the beginning he said they were equal. The path he choose got him to where he is now. That one path determined everything and has made all the difference in his life. Just like life choices they can make or break us they lead us to certain futures.

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First Stanza                                5

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First Stanza                                5

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Primary metaphor the diverging roads. Speaker can't get the information he wants on the paths because he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment.

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Second Stanza                          6

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Second Stanza                          6

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Second path is a better pick to the speaker because no one has seemed to have taken it lately. But speaker is having mixed feelings because he mentions that his pick is "just as fair" as the first one rather than more fair. (psyching himself out). The paths are similar to the speaker and he is searching for a logical reason to decide on one path.

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Third Stanza                              7

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Third Stanza                              7

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Speaker trying to persuade himself that he will be able to come back and take the other path he didn't chose (man vs self conflict) But at the same time he knows he won't be able to do that, it is unrealistic.

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Speaker expresses regret that because of his human limitations he can't take both paths, he has to make a choice. The choice is not easy to him because "long I stood". (Life choice are mean't to be hard)

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Only stanza that begins with a sentence. Tone shift and indicates a stronger break from the previous ideas. Speaker imagines himself in the future looking back and discussing the path he took. He thinks his future self will look back and see that these two paths were indeed not similar at all and that he didn't chose the conventional route. Maybe he will believe this in the future or just wishes that he could choose the less traveled path

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Birch trees stand out because their branches are not straight like other trees. Speaker likes to 'believe' that their branches were bent by boys swing on them (This is his imaginative side). Speaker admits that they real bend from ice-storms (realistic side).

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These lines are filled with imagery of the ice covered branches. Comparison of the ice to glass and comparison of the ice falling to heaven falling.

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The branches never return to normal after they are bent. Speaker implies a metaphor that the branches being bent over are like girls bending over to dry their hair.

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Speaker is continuing his thoughts of imagination after the "Truth" of the bent branches is revealed. Speaker goes on to continue with the boy from the beginning and adds more to him. He only plays with himself because he lives to far from other boys.

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The boy only having himself to play with has worn out all the branches in the birches and along the way has learned new things.

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Speaker uses another metaphor in comparing climbing carefully up the branches to filling up a cup to the brim. The speaker reveals he was once a "swinger of birches" so the boy is really him and he revealed to the reader a bit of his childhood.

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Speaker tells the reader he dreams of being a boy swinger again when life just gets to hard. Speaker uses metaphor to compare life to the woods and all the bad things that happen in it. Speaker says he would like to "get away from Earth" so he would like to escape the pressures of life but not fully leave the Earth or his life.

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The speaker doesn't want "fate" to misunderstand him and take him from this world completely. Speaker says the only good thing about Earth is love. This could be the one reason he doesn't want to leave Earth all together because he finds pleasure having loving relationships. Speaker wants to go by climbing all the way up a birch tree to heaven or this could mean he wants to climb all the way until the tree gives out.

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Frost compares the birches to other trees and describes the bent branches- this establishes the bent branches are a main focus

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Present important contrast in poem the truthful side of the branches actually being bent by the ice storms and the imaginative and playful side of a boy swinging on the tree branches. Speaker knows the truth but would like to believe something different.

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"Click", "colored", "cracks", "crazes", "crystal", "crust" Alliteration

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"inner dome of Heaven" reference to the ancient concept that the cosmos was constructed of a series of crystal spheres. People believed these spheres rotated and created the movement of the stars and planets. Frost uses this to describe the ice: it looks like glass that could be found if the "dome of heaven" broke and fell to earth. With Frost mentioning the idea of Heaven he is preparing us for spiritual matters.

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The branches being"dragged" down and "bowed" by the weight of the ice. Then trees "never right themselves" after being bent down. This is a metaphor the trees covered in ice like a person that is weighed down and deformed by the difficult realities in life.

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Simile with comparing the trees to girls leaning over to dry their hair. This is also a personification in that the speaker is describing the trees as if they were a person.

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"Truth" is capitalized meaning Frost wanted this to stand out and draw attention that what was previously said was the truth about the bending branches but it interrupted his idealistic side of the boy swinging and causing the bent branches. Highlights truth as being one of the poem's main concerns.

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"only play was what he found himself" this suggest that the boy had to exercise his imagination in order to amuse himself. This displays a tie between the speaker and boy in that both use their imaginations.

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The boy gains knowledge and skills the more he swings in the birches. Game can be seen as a way of the boy growing up.

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Speaker confesses to being a swinger when he was younger and longs to do so again so he can escape the "considerations" of life. Considerations refers to the numerous decisions an individual faces in their life. Those decisions are part of the difficulties a person goes through in the "Truth" of life.

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Compares life to a "pathless wood" where you can't find the right way and there are to many difficult obstacles that are in your way. This is one of the big metaphors in the poem; life is like a forest since both have complications, but they contain the means to cope with the complications.The speaker copes with the difficulties in his life by temporary leaving this world.

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Speaker wants to depart from earth meaning he wants to escape the hardship that he continues to face . But he doesn't want "fate" to misinterpret his wish and take him from Earth permanently. He wants to return and "begin over" on earth so he is renewing himself and again facing his commitments.

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The speaker states that even though he would like to escape earth he would like to return since earth is the only place that contains love. Time apart from life's complications is important but establishing relationships with others is more crucial. This is why the speaker says he has to return.

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Tree is metaphor for escape and return since when you swing on a branch you escape the ground but come back around and return. The branches allows the speaker to be above earth and in a sense be above his troubles. Then the branch returns the speaker back to earth and back to his responsibilities, back to reality.

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Heaven is mentioned again and can me see to suggest different ideas. On one hand it can refer to climbing the branches all the way up to heaven. Or it can mean the playful imagination is an ideal state; just as heaven is an ideal place where all worldly worries and stress are forgotten. Or taking it to a deep level can mean that imagination and escape are means of understanding the spiritual world. Our imaginative or creative side allows for us to understand those things that are not of this world.

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By Frost creating this idea and image of a boy bending the branches by swinging on them then discrediting it by saying the branches are really bent because of ice storms; this has Hart feel that Frost creates doubt on the irrational aspects of the spiritual realm (and uphold the value of earthly reality).

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Hart states the claims of Frost's doubts and sense of human limits are against the wishes for magnificence and the sense of mysterious possibility.

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Speaker moving closer to heaven a spiritual world but wants to remain intact with reality.

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Return to the swing of the birches; made a circle. Tree swinging being fun and imaginative represents the speakers escape from their difficulties.

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This one line is very important in that it serves two purposes one for description of the ice and the other that the ice can been seen in a spiritual sense.

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Interpretation on Birches criticism                                38 

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Interpretation on Birches criticism                                38 

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If Frost had doubt on the spiritual realm why would he bring it up in his poem in a way that is not discrediting it. It is brought up for description and mentions it to cross out any confusion since the speaker does wish to escape but he doesn't want to permanently escape (die and go to heaven) bc there is still things he likes about reality or the world.

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Background                             39

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Background                             39

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"In 1912, almost 40 and with only a few poems published, Frost sold his family farm and used an annuity from his grandfather to go to England and gamble everything on poetry."

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Personal Interpretation of Background working in Poetry   40

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Personal Interpretation of Background working in Poetry   40

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Being that old and having no success yet in America with his poetry Frost made a big decision in his life to pick up his family and life and move which was probably really hard, as many things in life are. That big decision probably along with other ones he made in life and the difficult parts of life came through in his poetry. In both The Road Not Taken and Birches he talks about life choices and difficulties in life. In The Road Not Taken the speaker has to choice a path (make a big life effecting decision) which brings difficulty bc do know if you picked the right one. Then in Birches the speaker brings up escaping the difficulties in life which usually arise from having to make tough life choices.