Analysis Of Frost’s “A Road Not Taken” Essay, Research Paper

Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” is, at first look, Frost’s wistful

memory of coming to two roads while walking in the woods and having to choose one of

the two to travel. However when taking a in-depth look at his poem, one finds that he is

offering words of wisdom about making life choices based on the experiences he has had

in his own.

Frost wishes he could travel both roads, wanting to see what lies at the end of

each. “And sorry I could not travel both/ And be one traveler…”. We all often wish we

could see the outcome of all the possible choices before we make them, but Frost realizes

that this is impossible, “and be one traveler, long I stood/ And Looked down one as far as

I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth”, that in life we are only one person and

must try to make the best choice possible.

Frost examines the second road and comes to a decision about which to take.

“Then took the other, just as fair/ And having perhaps the better claim/ Because it was

grassy and wanted wear”. Frost see that the second road is less traveled , and thinks that,

perhaps he should travel it because it is the “unconventional way” and might give him

different experiences than most people have had. He decides, however that both “had

worn them really about the same” but still chooses to take the different path than most

have taken.

At the end of the poem Frost looks back sentimentally, telling how he told himself

that he would save the “first [road] for another day” but knew deep down that he

wouldn’t be coming back. And even though, at times he regrets taking the “less traveled”

or harder road (“I shall be telling this with a sigh”), that is the path he chose and that

:”made all the difference.”