Interpreting Robert's Frost Poem, The Road Not Taken

Decision-Making

Life consists of making an infinite number of choices. Whether one decides to what to eat, what to wear, who to like, where to go, life consists of making decisions. In his poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost, writes a poem of consisting of twenty short lines, that acknowledges an aspect of life: decision making. He uses the character of a traveler and creates a setting of past, present and future. The comparison of two roads in the middle of a "yellow wood" (1), represents many of the life choices that individuals make. Robert Frost emphasize the importance of the decision we as individuals make, given no right answer, mold us into who we are.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both." (1-2). Robert Frost begins this poem by simply saying, there's two ordinary roads in a wood forest. These two roads that are mention can be interpreted as a stage in life in which one needs to make a decision. In his second short line, he makes awareness that there will be regret one way or another. Regret sprinkles upon the traveler as it is evident that there is no possible way to take all roads that come upon their way. "And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could/ To where it bent in the undergrowth." (3-5).

The two roads that stands in front of the travelers both leads to the unknown, identical to life choices, which also leads to the unknown. Frost mentions "looking down far as far as I could, (4)" indicating a natural curiosity to see the end of a road that leads to unknown. This is interrelated to the natural tendency of individuals to want a preview of the near future. But the fact is, no matter how hard one tries to see the end of the road , ones eyes has limited ability in only being able to see a certain distance.

"Then took the other, as just as fair,/And having perhaps the better claim,/Because it was grassy and wanted wear;"(6-8). Two types of roads were being placed in front of the traveler. One of which is commonly used by other people, and the other one was newer and less used by travelers. This road gives the notion that this road is newer, therefore less used by the average traveler hence "it was grassy and wanted wear."

This traveler decides to take the less used road. The significance of choosing a road that was less used over a road that was safer gives a sense of individuality. It gives a sense that this traveler "walks to his drum of music" rather than follow the music like everyone else. But in the last two lines of the second stanza, Frost contradicts his statement as addressing the two roads both equally worn about the same. "Though as for that the passing there/Had worn them really about the same." While on the hand, it was first mentioned that one road was "better claim" because it was "grassy and wanted wear." This can be interpreted as the roads being so similar that it can be hard to tell at times. Furthermore, this type of similarity of the two roads might indicate that there is no RIGHT path to take.

"And both that morning equally lay/In leaves no step had trodden black." (10-11). The leaves that blanketed the ground indicate that its been a while since the last person had trodden on them. This can be used to explain further support that this road is hardly ever chosen by travelers to use. It can also be related to when making choices in life, it feels as it is something that is completely new, and no other person has had that same experience before, hence the blanket of leaves that has not been stepped on. A point to consider is Frost's contradiction of himself in saying that these roads are both different but at the same time both alike. It is indicated earlier in stanza one and two one road is more often used to traveled, while the other road is less used.