The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" is a reflection on the choices we make in life and the consequences that follow. The speaker is faced with a decision to take one of two paths in the woods. The speaker contemplates which path to take, knowing that once he chooses one, he will never be able to go back and take the other.

The poem begins with the speaker describing two paths diverging in a yellow wood. He looks down each path as far as he can see, but they both seem equally worn and fair. The speaker then admits that he cannot take both paths and must choose one. He takes his time deciding which path to take, knowing that his choice will have a significant impact on his life.

The second stanza describes the speaker's contemplation of each path. He notes that one path appears more traveled than the other, but he also acknowledges that both paths are equally grassy and covered with leaves. The speaker then decides to take the less traveled path because it seems more unique and less traveled.

In the third stanza, the speaker realizes that taking this less-traveled path has made all the difference in his life. He reflects on how this decision has affected him and how it has led him down a different path than he would have taken if he had chosen differently.

Moral Value: "The Road Not Taken" is a poem about making choices in life which are crucial as they shape our future and determine the path we take. Every decision we make has consequences that can either lead us to success or failure. It is essential to take responsibility for our decisions and learn from both our successes and failures. By making wise choices, we can create a better future for ourselves and those around us.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost - 1874-1963

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.

The Road Not Taken