The Road Not Taken

“The Road Not Taken”

By: Robert Frost

“The Road Not Taken” is a poem about Robert Frost reflecting on a personal experience. He talks about the time when he had to make a tough decision. With the evidence gathered up, it seems as if he regretted the outcome of his decision and he is curious as to see whether the other choice could have been better or not. This is a very intellectual poem that could leave people in suspense. For a first time reader, you would never be able to tell if Frost actually regretted taking the path he chose, or if he was actually grateful for it. It all depends on how a person reads Frost’s wording.

The inspiration for this poem came from his walks with his friend, Edward Thomas, of England. In 1914, when Frost and Thomas lived in Gloucestershire, they frequently took long walks through the countryside. Thomas would choose the path which he thought might show his American friend a rare plant or any kind of special interest. However, by the end of the walk, Thomas would regret the choice he made. He would “sigh” over his decision because he thought he could have taken the “better” direction. Frost would always tease Thomas for all those regrets he would have.

Frost takes a “sigh” in the poem. That could really throw people off. Frost might be implying that it was a sigh of relief, or possibly a sigh of regret. He could be completely happy about the path he chose, or he could be regretful for it. This poem could be analyzed in many different ways. From the research I did, I learned that Frost never really told anyone what the “sigh” at the end of the poem really meant. He said that it was a very tricky poem. This “sigh” came from those that Thomas would make after their walks through the countryside. When Frost returned to America as a successful discovered poet, he wrote “The Road Not Taken”. The manuscript copy of the poem was sent to Thomas immediately. Frost’s expectations were that Thomas would notice how the poem pivots ironically on the phrase, “I shall be telling this with a sigh”. Unfortunately, as it turned out, Frost’s expectations were disappointed. Thomas didn’t notice the gentle jest because the irony was handled too subtly.

If someone thinks in a positive manner, they will realize that is never really a right or wrong choice in your life. A “mistake” could always be seen as a lesson; people learn from their mistakes. Choosing the “wrong” path, could have been better then the other path. To regret a decision a person would have made would be the wrong choice. If the choice made did not have that great of a result, being positive is the right thing to do. The person just has to think in a positive manner. For instance, they should think that the other decision they could have made might have been even worse. Living a life full of regrets is not something someone would be able to live up to.

The poem is basically a reflection on the decision that Frost had made. He explains at first what his situation was, however, towards the end of the poem, the reader realizes that he is in the present, expressing how he feels about the decision that he had made. The poem goes through the past, present, and future about Frost’s decision. No matter which decision the reader has made in the past, they could always relate to this poem.

The sound effect in “The Road not Taken” helps everyone understand the poem better. This poem uses assonance. Robert Frost uses assonance to help his readers imagine “The Road Not Taken” more thoroughly. For example, he used this sound effect by saying “fair and wear.” Also, “lay, day, and way.” Sound effects helped this poem become more interesting.

This poem is filled with metaphors. “The Road Not Taken” is a metaphor for life and its decisions. He also compares roads to paths people take in life. Metaphors helped this poem become more