Imagery (Junior Cert English): Revision Notes

Imagery

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood"

• Frost begins the poem with the striking visual image, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood."

• The yellow wood suggests an autumn setting, symbolising change, transition, and the passage of time.

• The fork in the road is a powerful metaphor for a life decision, representing the choices we face.

  

• This opening image immediately establishes the reflective and contemplative tone of the poem.

"And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black"

• The poet describes the paths as covered in untouched leaves, indicating that neither road has been recently travelled.
• This imagery suggests that every choice presents a fresh opportunity, but once taken, it cannot be reversed.
• The image of leaves that are not yet blackened by footsteps highlights the uncertainty of the future—no one has left a clear path to follow.
• This reinforces the idea that decisions are unique to each individual and must be made without knowing their consequences.