“The Road Not Taken” is a famous poem written by Robert Frost, first published in 1916. The poem is about a traveler who comes to a fork in the road and must decide which path to take. It is often interpreted as a metaphor for the choices we make in life and the paths we take.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Analysis of Poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost:
The poem begins with the lines, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both.” This sets the tone for the entire poem, as the traveler is forced to choose between two paths, each of which offers different opportunities and experiences.
The traveler looks down both paths as far as he can see, but he cannot determine which one is better. He says, “And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth.” He eventually chooses the path “less traveled by,” which he says “has made all the difference.”
The poem’s title, “The Road Not Taken,” suggests that the traveler has chosen a path that few have taken before him. However, the poem itself suggests that the two paths were actually quite similar, and that the traveler has simply chosen one path over the other.
There are many interpretations of this poem, and different readers may take away different meanings. Some see it as a celebration of individuality and the courage to make choices, while others see it as a cautionary tale about the difficulty of making important decisions.
Overall, “The Road Not Taken” is a timeless poem that continues to resonate with readers today. It encourages us to consider the choices we make in life, and to recognize that even seemingly small decisions can have a significant impact on our future.
Ted-Ed on the poem:
