The Road Not Taken
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.
Introduction
"The Road Not Taken" is a poem written by Robert Frost which was published in 1916.
The poem follows 'abaab' rhyme scheme and consists of four stanzas, each of which are made up of five lines called quintain or quintet.
The theme of this instropective poem is about the choices and decisions we make in life, and how they can impact our future.
During Frost's stay in England, he would often go for walks with his British friend, Edward Thomas whom Frost considered the closest he ever came in friendship to anyone in England or anywhere alse in the world. During their walks, Thomas often struggled to decide which path to take and later regretted not taking the other one.
Robert Frost wrote "The Road Not Taken" as a joke for his friend, Edward Thomas .
The poem had a profound impact on Thomas, who took it seriously and perhaps even personally. It is believed that the poem may have played a role in Thomas' decision to join the British army during World War I. Unfortunately, Thomas lost his life in the Battle of Arras just two years later.
Summary
In this poem, the poet describes his experience of a walk through the woods on an autumn morning. He encountered a fork in the road and is faced with a dilemma about which path to take. After much contemplation, he chose the less traveled road, believing that it had a greater claim for travelers as it was grassy and wanted people to wear down the grassy road. He felt sorry that he could not travel through both the roads. Later, he realized that both the roads were equally traveled by other people.
The leaves on the ground of both paths were fresh, having not yet been stepped upon and turned black from the pressure. The poet decided to keep the first well-travelled road for a later occasion and opted for the relatively less traveled road. But he was extremely doubtful if he would ever get the chance to travel the other road.
The speaker anticipates that in the far-off future, he will recount with a sigh that at some point in his life he had to choose between two options. He chose to take the road less traveled, which altered the course of his life.
Explanation
Stanza 1
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;
GLOSSARY
blithe - happy or carefree
thee - poetic word for 'you'
The phrase "two roads diverged" suggests that the two paths are separate and distinct, and that the poet must choose one over the other. The line "And sorry I could not travel both"" indicates the speaker's feeling of loss or regret at not being able to experience both paths fully. The phrase "long I stood" suggests that he is taking his time in making this decision, and that he is deeply considering his options.
The line "And looked down one as far as I could" and "To where it bent in the undergrowth" indicates that the poet is trying to see as far as he can down one of the paths, but the path eventually disappears from view as it curves out of sight. This sets up the tension between the two paths and the poet's decision about which one to take.
The first stanza speaks about the dilemma of decision making that everyone faces in life. It highlights the difficulty of choosing between two options when there are no clear signs to guide us.
Stanza 2
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,
GLOSSARY
thy - poetic form of 'your'
twofold - twice as numerous
In this stanza, the poet describes his decision to take the second path, which is described as "just as fair" as the first path. It suggests that both were equally appealing or attractive in some way.
The reason he gives for choosing the second road is that it was "grassy and wanted wear", meaning that it looked like it had not been traveled as much as the first road. This may have made it seem more inviting to him, as it represented a path that was less well-known or less traveled. However, the poet also acknowledges that both roads had been worn down by previous travelers to a similar extent, indicating that there may not have been a significant difference in the paths after all.
The lines "Though as for that the passing there" and "Had worn them really about the same" means that despite the speaker's initial perception that the second path was less worn than the first, both paths were actually quite similar in terms of how much they had been traveled.
Sometimes, it is possible for us to believe that we are in a superior position compared to others, but this may not necessarily be true. This stanza highlights the importance of making wise decisions in life, as every choice we make has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Stanza 3
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.
GLOSSARY
babbling - talking
vale - valley
thou - poetic form of 'you'
bringest - bring
tale - story
visionary - imaginary
The third stanza describes how both paths were equally untouched that morning. The leaves on both paths had not been stepped on yet, and neither path had been traveled that day. This reinforces the idea that the poet is faced with a choice between two unknown paths.
The poet then expresses regret for not being able to travel both paths, saying "Oh, I kept the first for another day!" This shows that he recognizes that they must make a decision, but he also feel a sense of loss for the path not taken.
The next line, "Yet knowing how way leads on to way" suggests that the speaker understands that one decision often leads to another, and that their choice will have consequences.
The final line of the stanza, "I doubted if I should ever come back" reveals the speaker's uncertainty about the future and whether he will have the opportunity to take the other path.
This stanza explores the theme of decision-making and the idea that one decision can have a significant impact on the course of our lives. The poet is faced with a choice between two paths, and while he ultimately choose one, he still feel a sense of longing for the other. This highlights the idea that every decision involves some level of sacrifice, and that we can never truly know what might have been.
Stanza 4
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.
GLOSSARY
Thrice - three times
art - "are"
mystery - something that is difficult to understand
The phrase "Somewhere ages and ages hence" suggests that the retelling of the story will take place in the distant future "with a sigh" indicating that there is some regret or nostalgia associated with his choice. He will then recall how two roads were diverged in a wood and he chose the one less travelled by.
It is important to note that while Robert Frost employs the well-known phrase "less traveled by" in this particular stanza, he does so with a sense of irony. In truth, both of the paths that diverged in the yellow wood were similarly worn and equally traveled.
The line "and that has made all the difference" indicates that taking the less traveled path has had a significant impact on his life. The phrase "all the difference" implies that the poet's life would have been very different if he had chosen the other path.
This last stanza highlights the poem's theme of making choices and taking risks in life, and the uncertainty and consequences that can come with those choices. The speaker's hypothetical future retelling of this story underscores the lasting impact of our choices and how they shape the course of our lives.
Common Misinterpretation
Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" has often been misinterpreted and misunderstood.
Robert Frost wrote, "You have to be careful of that one; it's a tricky poem - very tricky".
One common misinterpretation is the idea that the poem is about taking the road less traveled or going against the crowd, when in fact, the poem is more about the difficulty of making choices.
Some readers interpreted the poem's closing line, "And that has made all the difference" as a statement of triumph or success,
The 'regret' notion is the correct interpretation at least as far as the original intent of the author. This is supported by the fact that the poem is titled "The Road Not Taken" rather than "The Road Less Traveled" , which suggests that the author intended to emphasize the path that was not taken.
However, the line is genereally considered open-ended. The ambiguity of the phrase allows readers to bring their own experiences and perspectives to the interpretation of the poem.
The Life Lessons
1. We all face choices in life, and it is up to us to decide which path to take. Every decision we make has consequences, so it is important to choose wisely.
2. Sometimes, the choices we make may not be the popular ones, but we should have the courage to follow our own path.
3. We cannot go back and change the past, so we should make the most of the choices we have made and move forward with confidence.
4. We should not be afraid to take risks and try new things, even if they are uncertain and untested.
5. We should be prepared to face the consequences of our choices, whether good or bad, and learn from them.
6. Every choice we make opens up new possibilities and opportunities, so we should keep an open mind and be willing to embrace change.
7. The journey we take in life is as important as the destination, and we should enjoy the journey as much as possible.
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