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.

Robert Frost.

A traveler comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go to continue his journey. After much mental debate, the traveler comes to a decision. He takes the road "less traveled by". The lines "And sorry I could not travel both" and "I shall be telling this with a sigh" suggests that the poem is somewhat gloomy and sad. Personification is used in the context, stanza 2 line 3. It says that the road "wanted wear". Sensible people know roads do not think and cannot want, hence this is figurative language. There is irony in the text too. It is ironic how the persona knows he will tell the old story "with a sigh" of a choice that "made all the difference." Lastly, I will talk about symbolism. The forked road represents choices in life. The road in this poem is a text book example of a symbol.

I like the poem because of how it talks about the choices we have to make in life. I am sure i will face similiar problems in the future when i go out to work. We have to get past these tough decisions quickly but after much consideration. We should not regret the choices, of how "grass would be greener on the other side". Rather, we should cherish the opportunities given to us and move foward. I also like the poem as it talks about this man walking in the wood in the morning. I find it relaxing and enjoyable to read.