The Road Not Taken is one of Robert Frost’s most beloved and
well known poems. Using symbolism, the speaker tells a tale of someone making
an important decision; something we all experience many times in life. We all
want to make the right decisions, and we often have to make a choice and hope
for the best outcome. I chose this poem for you because I know it is one of
your favorites, and I wanted to delve into it and maybe uncover some things you
didn’t know about it. The more I thought about it, the trickier it proved to
be.
The speaker tells a story of coming to a fork in the road,
and having to decide which road to take. He says he’s in “a yellow wood”,
indicating that the story took place in autumn, giving us a clear picture of
the setting. The speaker considers the two different paths, weighing their
merits. He looked down one path until it “bent in the undergrowth”, and the
second path is described as being “grassy and wanted wear”, suggesting that it
beckoned to him more than the first. Eventually he chooses the second road,
deciding to save the other for another day, although he knew that most likely,
he wouldn’t get the chance.
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| The Road Not Taken by Ken Fiery |
This is where The Road Not Taken is very often
misunderstood. In the final stanza, the speaker envisions telling his story in
the future with a sigh, and saying that his choice “made all the difference”.
Some people believe that the sigh is one of regret. Others believe that he
picked the road that others were not quick to take, making it
less traveled by; “the narrow road” as opposed to the common path.
But looking at the actual wording of the poem, both paths were “worn them
really about the same” and that each path had the same amount of “leaves no
step had trodden black”, or fresh, undisturbed leaves. At the time, he didn’t
see a significant difference- he just had to make a choice.
Different people see different meanings, but I get the sense
that he’s been travelling on this road for some time, and imagines being
satisfied with the choice he made. Bear in mind he’s talking about the future,
and envisions telling his listeners that he took the path
“less traveled by”. When faced with the decision, he couldn’t have
known the outcome, but it seems that he ended up on a good road and so far it’s
“made all the difference” in his life.
This poem is one big metaphor that making major decisions is
like choosing between two roads. Besides these major things and all the
imagery, lots of literary devices (such as alliteration and personification) are used to make this poem a wonderful piece
but still be understandable.
Life is full of important decisions. The choices we make and
the paths we follow can determine our fate and make us who we are. We can’t
always know what the outcome of our decisions will be, but inevitably, we must
make a choice. The personal meaning I gain from this is that all we can do is
try to make the best decisions, and if possible, stay off the beaten path and
aim for the path less traveled. That's what you've always taught me, and it's something I will continue to strive to do.
I hope you enjoyed my explanation of this poem, and maybe learned something new about it.
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