The Road Not Taken
Careful Analysis of the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost communicates to readers the importance of choices made in life. Frost uses simple language to communicate a complex meaning about the choices made in one’s life. Everyone is faced daily with decisions varying in significance and complexity. Whether it is choosing what to eat for lunch, which color to paint the house, whom to marry or where to live, the decisions we make in the moments of each day impact our life both in the present and future. The interpretation of this poem can be helpful for the Christian when facing decisions in life. So many Christians are living passively in the state of indecision instead of making a decision and living passionate and dynamic lives
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It is possible that this season of change is symbolic to this Frost himself entering into a season of change in his life as well. The “two roads diverged” (Frost) in the forest symbolize a “fork in the road.” Perhaps the “y” in “yellow wood” (Frost) is intended by Frost to give a picture of a diverging path or a point of decision. In the poem, Frost has reached this fork in the road or point of decision, not just in his walk in the woods, but in his walk of life as well.
The last four lines of the first stanza show Frost contemplating which path to take in the forest. He is sorry he “could not travel both.” (Frost) He is not hasty in making his decision, but he stands in the place of indecision for a long time, straining to see what the outcome of the path might be. Frost does not expound on what he thinks when he sees the undergrowth on the first path, but it would seem that he is quick to eliminate choosing the first path because it appears to be …show more content…
The first line of this second stanza reveals which path the Frost chose. After deciding against the first path, he starts down the second path that is, “as just as fair.” (Frost) At first this path appears to Frost to be the less-traveled road, “because it was grassy and wanted wear.” However, as he continues walking, he realizes that the two paths have actually been equally traveled. Lines 11 and 12 show that no one had walked down either path that morning. “And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black.” (Frost) Perhaps his to take the path that appeared less traveled reveals a desire in him to be independent and not conform to the path or choices of others. He does express that he would like to try the first path another day, possibly out of curiosity to see what excitement and challenges the path would hold. But, Frost knows that realistically he will probably never be presented with the opportunity to experience the first path. Maybe what makes the decision at the fork in the road difficult is not so much choosing which path to take, as deciding which path not to take, which experience to let pass
It is possible that this season of change is symbolic to this Frost himself entering into a season of change in his life as well. The “two roads diverged” (Frost) in the forest symbolize a “fork in the road.” Perhaps the “y” in “yellow wood” (Frost) is intended by Frost to give a picture of a diverging path or a point of decision. In the poem, Frost has reached this fork in the road or point of decision, not just in his walk in the woods, but in his walk of life as well.
The last four lines of the first stanza show Frost contemplating which path to take in the forest. He is sorry he “could not travel both.” (Frost) He is not hasty in making his decision, but he stands in the place of indecision for a long time, straining to see what the outcome of the path might be. Frost does not expound on what he thinks when he sees the undergrowth on the first path, but it would seem that he is quick to eliminate choosing the first path because it appears to be …show more content…
The first line of this second stanza reveals which path the Frost chose. After deciding against the first path, he starts down the second path that is, “as just as fair.” (Frost) At first this path appears to Frost to be the less-traveled road, “because it was grassy and wanted wear.” However, as he continues walking, he realizes that the two paths have actually been equally traveled. Lines 11 and 12 show that no one had walked down either path that morning. “And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black.” (Frost) Perhaps his to take the path that appeared less traveled reveals a desire in him to be independent and not conform to the path or choices of others. He does express that he would like to try the first path another day, possibly out of curiosity to see what excitement and challenges the path would hold. But, Frost knows that realistically he will probably never be presented with the opportunity to experience the first path. Maybe what makes the decision at the fork in the road difficult is not so much choosing which path to take, as deciding which path not to take, which experience to let pass