Topic > Comparison of “Not My Best Side” and “The Road Not Taken”

Both poems have a very different style. Not My Best Side is a fun and witty poem that explores stereotypes, while Warning is still funny, but explores society and expectations. It's a poem that focuses on classic storybook characters, but instead of telling the story as usual, the poet gives the characters a voice of their own to see what they really feel - something that has never been done before. However, if we look at The Road Not Taken, we can see that it is a poem of regret, it is a reflection of the past, and we get the feeling that Robert Frost regrets a decision he did not make. Starting with Not My Best Side, we can see that it is divided into three separate stanzas, one for the dragon, the princess, and the prince. The poet challenges the orthodox images of the characters in the legend of St. George and the Dragon only to replace them with another equally stereotyped set, but these new stereotypes have a modern twist. The typical image of the dragon is that of being intimidating, fearful, and generally evil. This is questioned by the poet who chooses to make the dragon character quite well spoken, as he uses words such as "ostentatiously". The new stereotype created by Fanthorpe is that of a talkative, critical and pompous actor rather than that of a ferocious and evil monster. This can be seen from the fact that he complains that the artist did not express his 'best side' for the painting, or that 'he did not give me the opportunity to pose correctly' and finally 'I am sorry for the bad publicity' , this shows that he knows he is well known and does not care what others may think of him. He is also very critical of his partners (namely the princess and the prince) referring to them as 'ostentatious beardless'... middle of paper... he is handsome and brave. He should save the princess because she is his true love. However…. In this portrayal of George, he is shown as a modern, technology-oriented, boastful, and self-obsessed man. This is shown to us in the first two lines of his verse which says “I have degrees in Dragon Management and Virgin Reclamation”. This shows us the stereotypical attitude of a modern young man. He is very proud of the painting as it shows his "latest model" and hi-tech equipment. He considers himself a hero, he considers himself brave and the savior of the damsel. His character does not create the voice of the hero of St. George, but an offensive, abrupt and rude voice. All three characters are the opposite of what one would expect from a fairy tale like the princess and the dragon, they are instead the typical stereotypes of a modern society.