"Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete" (Clugston, 2012, pg. 108, para. 2). This also pertains to other literature genres, such as poetry. Sometimes two different genres can share an identical theme, yet convey it differently. This paper will compare and contrast the poem "The Road Not Taken," by Robert Frost and the short story, "I Used to Live Here Once," by Jean Rhys to identify the quintessential theme of journey through content, form, and style. "When it is used in literature, persona refers to the person who is the narrator in a story or the speaker in a poem" (Clugston, 2010, pg.25, para. 2). The personas used in "The Road Not Taken" and "I Used to Live Here Once," reflect being on a path or road. In literature, this is a connotation that symbolizes a journey or a choice. Journeys in life can be thought of as being physical, mental, or even spiritual. According to Clugston (2010): "Reading a story, a poem, or a play introduces you to an imaginary world. You are pulled away from a living, breathing world into one created in the mind of the author. Its situations and experiences may resemble ones you are familiar with [...]" (pg. 2, para. 1). In The Road Not Taken, the theme of journey is based on making choices in life. Some critics would suggest that Frost's poem is straightforward. Frost's persona used learns it does not matter which road you take, but what you encounter and learn along the way. However, Jean Rhys' short story, I Used to Live Here Once reaches a climatic ending when the character realizes at the end of her journey that she has passed on from this world. The revelation of her realizing she is in fact deceased is important to her, because she was not aware of this before her journey began. Moreover, both The Road Not Taken and I Used to Live Here Once exhibit journeys that have a setting of being outdoors which is significant to the theme. The serene use of being outdoors and surrounded by nature gives the reader an effortless connection to both works. In The Road Not Taken, stanza one line one, Frost writes, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" (Clugston, 2010, sect. 2.2). This gives the reader the idea of the setting, which is visualized throughout the poem. In the first stanza, lines two and three tell the reader that the persona is on foot. "And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood" (Frost, 1916). This allows the reader to vividly picture a man walking on foot, down a road, coming to a fork where two roads split therefore leaving him to choose which one to take. In comparison, Jean Rhys short story begins with the setting also taking place outdoors. The first sentence of I Used to Live Here Once reads, "She was standing by the river looking at the stepping stones and remembering each one" (Clugston, 2010). Rhys uses simple language to grasp the attention of the readers. Frost's character is in the woods walking down a road, and Rhys' character is by a river. Both of these characters