The simple yet extraordinary emotion of nostalgia has been ingrained in humanity since its creation. Every individual has experienced this intense emotion at some point in their life, sometimes even regularly. A feeling of sentimental nostalgia for the past, sometimes called "looking back on the good old days," is typical of a state of nostalgia. Robert Frost demonstrates the natural emotion of nostalgia in his poems “Birches” and “The Road Not Taken.” Although both poems convey feelings of nostalgia for days gone by, each poem addresses different types of nostalgia: the longing for a carefree, adventurous childhood of the past and the nostalgic reflection of life choices. Both poems use different poetic structures – in addition to various poetic tools – to create the manifestation of nostalgia in their poems. Robert Frost's "Birches" is written in blank verse and mostly consistent iambic pentameter. The reliable rhythm of this poem can be compared to the reliability and purity of a child. This poem is not divided into stanzas, rather it is compact with its message and vivid imagery. This may be because, aside from Frost's desire for this poem to be read conversationally, the compact nature of this poem attempts to explain the speaker's thoughts and observations in as little space as possible. “The Road Not Taken” is a poetic quintain composed of four stanzas with five lines in each stanza. The rhyme of each quintain is a reliable ABAAB pattern. The rhyme scheme is comparable to Petrarch's sonnet and the rhyming couplets seem to provoke a feeling of focused thought. The rhythm of this poem is slightly more demanding. It is written in an iambic tetrame... middle of paper ...... nation of regret for his life choices. Robert Frost exceptionally depicts the different types of nostalgic feelings in his poems. Skillfully constructed structures, expressive imagery, and vivid symbolism help these authors convey meaning. Ultimately, although the two poems have different perspectives on nostalgia, their poems nevertheless express genuine nostalgia. Works Cited Frost, Robert. “Birches”. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. Nina Baym. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2007. 1961-62. Print. Frost, Robert. “The path not taken”. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. Nina Baym. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2007. 1960. Print. Lerych, Lynne and Allison DeBoer. The Little Black Book of Academic Writing. Boston, NY: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. Print