Everyone is on a journey

TASK: Experiment with language choices to create a story that paints the picture of your journey to or from school each day. Rely on showing rather than telling the audience what you see, hear, smell, etc. on your daily journey.


My brother rushes, over the fence, away from our crazy dogs, jumps in the ute and slams the door with a bang. "Sorry" he whines, knowing exactly what my mum was about to say. The little car wizzes down the quiet road, passing the rolling golf course and the crazy lady with her manic dog. Everything is peaceful, only seeing one or two cars on the winding road surrounded by enormous trees and little houses, that is until we hit the motorway. Here our journey reaches a halt. All I can see ahead of me is lanes banked up with cars and trucks so big you can barely see their roof as you slowly creep by. Mum is getting angry, "I told you we should have gone the other way! Why are people stopping? This is ridiculous!" she exclaims. I sit there, bored and listening to my brother trying to tell my sister about different types of cars he sees, even though she isn't the slightest bit interested. Mum is still raging about the traffic to anyone who will listen. I turn the radio on, relieved when the traffic speeds up and spreads out and mum stops stressing so much about being late to work. I listen to the upbeat song playing on the radio and look out the window. "What is that smell!" my sister suddenly yells. At first I don't know what she's talking about, but then I to notice the most horrible smell I've ever smelled. We all turn and glare at my brother who is laughing hysterically. "It's not funny! It's disgusting! I yell. And at that, all the windows are wound down to let the refreshing breeze into the cars and drown out the smell. The traffic has lessened now and everyone is traveling quickly, in a rush to get to their destination. Eventually we exit the freeway onto a road that is only slightly more interesting. A few gloomy factory-like buildings and a bus station are all that line this busy road. The radio is still playing as we turn onto a quiet street. We pass little wooden houses, all painted in pale colours, and continue down this road, past people walking their dogs and riding their bikes to work. Past strips of shops and cafes just opening their doors, until finally reaching our destination. School.

Homework Task: Journeys in Poetry

1. List all the things that Frost sees. Rank them in the order that you would find them attractive.

1. frozen lake
2. snow
3. woods

2. What are the images and ideas that Frost reflects upon when he has stopped?

Frost reflects upon the things he sees in the woods when he pauses. He sees the woods and the frozen lake. He notices that it is the darkest night of the year. He reflects on the idea that it is strange to stop without a reason, just to take in his surrounding, and that his horse finds it odd that they have stopped away from a farmhouse.

3. Imagine that you are Frost. Write what you would say to your wife when you returned home from your journey.

As I was riding home through the woods, I stopped just to watch the woods, the snow and the frozen lake. Did you know that tonight is the darkest night of the year? My horse seemed to think it was strange that we stopped so far away from home. It was so quiet, all I could here was the wind.

4. Is there a deeper meaning to the poem? What do you think it is?

Yes there is a deeper meaning to the poem. I think the meaning is to stop and take time to admire things.

5. Comment on the use of three poetic devices in the poem. (Especially the use of rhyming and repetition in the last line).

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

The rhyming of the last four lines and the repetition of the last two lines indicates that this section of the poem is important and is being emphasised. The repetition of "And miles to go before I sleep" shows that even though he has a long way to go he still took the time to admire the woods. The rhyming of this section emphasises the fact that even though he has promises to keep and a long way to go he takes the time to admire how lovely the woods are. The third poetic devise used is imagery. Frost uses this to create an image of peaceful woods that are beautiful and snowy. His choice of words creates a strong image in the readers mind.

6. The poem draws attention to two conflicting desires: the desire to be alone and to explore mysterious, challenging or even dangerous places, thoughts or objects, and the desire to a sociable person who responds to the company of others. Trace these ideas through the poem.

The desire to be alone and to explore mysterious, challenging or even dangerous places, thoughts or objects is shown when he talks about how lovely and peaceful the woods are and how peaceful and quiet it is in the woods. The desire to be a sociable person who responds to the company of others is shown when he says that he has promises to keep, these being to people back home, and his belief that these are important and that he must keep his promises.

7. What aspects of the journey are being emphasised?

The aspect of the journey that is being emphasised is when he pauses to take in his surrounding and he reflects on the woods and also his responsibilities to people back home. This is more of an emphasis on his inner journey taking place on a physical journey.

8. Explain why this poem does or does not appeal to you. Justify your answer with quotes from the poem.

The poem does not appeal to me because it is hard to figure out some of the things in it such as when Frost writes:

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

I am unsure of who he is talking about. This made it hard for me to make sense of the poem. Also when Frost writes:

But I have promises to keep,

I was unsure who he had promises to. This confused me for a while.