The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The road not taken by Robert Frost 

Robert Frost ‘The road not taken’ as a result of his thoughts about life and

the direction it would take. His poem deals with the theme of choice and the possibilities offered throughout a life that is controlled by time and random events. A discussion of how poetic techniques convey Frost’s important ideas will lead to an appreciation of its universal appeal.

‘the road not taken’ begins with the speaker at a crossroads. Whilst there is evidence that the poem is autobiographical it can apply to any individual who has been faced with having to make a decision. The poems title highlights the sacrifice that is, necessarily, a characteristic of choice. The privilege of choice is always balanced by the inevitable sacrifice one must take. Indeed, Frost prefers to place emphasis on ‘the road not taken’ as opposed to the old taken. He is interested in what we must give up because we can not be in two or more places at once.

This road provides an extended metaphor for life and decisions that must be made throughout it. The poem depicts a time of life where a change is to be experienced. This change is represented by a ‘yellow wood’, which conjures an image of autumn, which is a symbol of change. The speaker is confronting an important life change and finds it regrettable that he cannot experience both opportunities offered to him. He is ‘sorry (he) could not travel both’ roads and considers each option quite deliberately: ‘long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could’. Each direction is attractive, however, Frost chooses the path that ‘was grassy and wanted’. The road of life metaphor is continued with images of grass that we associate with new experiences and opportunities. Frost decides to follow the unknown and different path, and for this reason, has ‘perhaps the better claim’. The low modality