The Tree Fallen Across the Road

The Tree Fallen Across the Road

  • Submitted By: jesscat
  • Date Submitted: 08/05/2010 11:40 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 562
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 2

Poem
Overcoming obstacles is the theme of Robert Frost’s poem The Tree Fallen Across the Road. In the poem a tree literally falls across the road, creates a barrier and brings the journey to a halt. The tree is used as the obstacle – something to be overcome by purpose of spirit and ingenuity. The poem is about the removal of the tree and proceeding onward.
This text relates to the concept of journeys because an inner and physical journey is shown in this poem. The tree has physically stopped the journey; however it is up to the people to figure out how to get around the barricade. The tree is seen as an obstacle rather than an opportunity. They discover that it is not going to be easy to conquer the tree as they do not have an axe. The people learn that a simple journey may be stopped at any random moment by a freak act of nature and that they will have to dig deep inside themselves and to find their strength. The poem deals with the apprehensions of the journey of life and the hazards people have to go through on the journey. The poem questions the ambitions and options we face during life.
Techniques and structures have been used in the poem to convey messages to the responder about journeys. The use of personal pronouns has been used. “We”, “us” and “our” are used to give the sense of who is on the journey and to show a unified purpose of a group or maybe a family.
“Crash” is an example of onomatopoeia in the poem. This enhances the imagery in the viewers mind and creates a harsh sound to begin the journey. It strengthens the protagonists’ resolve to complete the journey.
The rhyme pattern of a, b, a, b is used throughout the entire poem; “wood”, “bar”, “good”, “are”. Rhyme provides a sense of closer to a set of lines, so that they sound connected and complete. The reoccurring rhyme gives the journey a cyclic pattern and indicates that the journey is ongoing, as is life.
The word “But” indicates a change in the tone. This word demonstrates that...

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