THE ROAD NOT TAKEN BY ROBERT FROST: POEM ANALYSIS

About The Author:

The Road Not Taken is a narrative poem written by Robert Frost, An American Poet. His works were first recognized by England before publishing in America. The poem “The Road Not Taken” was published in American magazine “The Atlantic monthly” in August 1915. Robert Frost is the only person to receive Four Pulitzer prizes for poetry.

      

In 1960, he received the Congressional Gold Medal for his poetry. Frost was appointed  as poet laureate at Vermont in 1961.

Many of you undoubtedly recall the poem "The Road Not Taken" from your childhood memories. All I want to do is reiterate:

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.

 

The poem consists of Four Stanzas of five lines each. The poem gives an Strong imagination of a person traveling on the road which is divided into two and had to select one road to  continue his journey. Here the author specifies that he chooses the road which is less traveled by. Finally he said choosing the less traveled road had made the difference.

Analysis on Poem :

From Stanza 1:

 

The first two lines describe that the author as a Single traveler by himself travels down the road  in woods,  which is covered in yellow because of Autumn. He adds that  the road is divided into two ways and he has to make the choice here.  In the third and fourth lines he says that he looked as far as possible till it's visible.

 

This is true in real life too. Every person is a solo traveler in life. We are presented with a variety of choices from which we have to select one. By the third and fourth lines, We should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each choice in every way possible.

 

From Stanza 2:

The Author claims that he took the other road as it is fair and less worn. While passing by, he assumes  that both roads are the same and equally worn. He is in a Dilemma thinking of the road not taken.

 

In real life too we make a choice but are in a confused state of whether the decision is right. But we really ever know the truth because we can’t assume what comes if we choose the next alternative.

 

From Stanza 3:

Robert Frost unfolds the description of two roads that both are equally laid by leaves, Since the leaves are  not trodden black implies there are less travelers as the leaves are fresh without footsteps. He even hides his intention of leaving the other road the next day. However,  he is  unsure that he will be able to come back due to the route taken because he is uncertain of where it will lead.

 

In reality, if we choose any alternative we have to accept the fact and go with it. We can’t estimate what happens if we choose the other one. Since a Decision made cannot be taken back, at least in life you can’t go back to the same step again to choose. Always “Think twice before you decide, Don’t decide and think”.

 

From Stanza 4:

The author explains with a sigh that the path chosen had made all the difference while gazing into the far future. However, the author is in dubiety of where the other path leads to, hence the title "The Road Not Taken."

 

Finally you should believe the decision you have taken is the right decision which is going to change your life. Even though you are uncertain about what occurs if we choose the other alternative, you should be happy with what you choose.

 

I hope you liked my analysis, please let me know in the comments below.