In literature, tone is the attitude that a literary work takes toward its subject and theme (Stand 147). The tone of the stories “The Road Not Taken” and “Hills Like White Elephants” is very decisive and strong towards the subject of each poem. In the story “The Road Not Taken,” the traveler has decided to embark on the path that is less traveled by others. Then, in the story "Hills Like White Elephants", the man and woman try to decide whether or not to have an abortion. The first line of “The Road Not Taken” is “two.” the roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Frost 1). This gives the reader two distinct choices for the traveler to choose from. The second line is "and sorry, I couldn't travel both" (Frost 2). This lets the reader know that in fact the traveler has chosen only one path. Just by reading the first two lines, the reader can already sense the tone of being decisive. Throughout the poem he gives excellent descriptions as the journey is likened to two paths. An example of this would be line 8, "Because it was grass and it wanted to wear out." This statement also lets the reader know that the traveler already knew which one. to choose by the appearance of the road, the road therefore being the least traveled. At the end of the poem, lines 19 and 20 let us know that the traveler has made a decision, even though in the traveler's words we can almost sense the sadness. The traveler explains that one day he would like to go back and take the other path. In the story "Hills Like White Elephants", the couple must make a decision. Throughout the story, one can feel a sense of nervousness and disappointment. first paragraph, the setting introduces the tense atmosphere that will continue throughout the story. The couple is in limbo about......middle of paper......is. I would lean toward them keeping the child. My take on this type of situation is that if you take the risk, be prepared for the consequences of what love might bring. These stories have very different meanings, yet both have big decisions to make. The tones are very, strong and decisive towards the subject. Works Cited Booth, Alison, J. Paul Hunter and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 9th ed. shorter. New York: Norton, 2006. A7Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills like white elephants.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, and Kelly J. Mays. 9th ed. shorter. New York: Norton, 2006.128-132 Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, and Kelly J. Mays. 9th ed. shorter. New York: Norton, 2006. 988