Poetry: Analysis of “The Road Not Taken” By Robert Frost

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; 5 

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, 10 

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. 15 

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. 20       

The poem analysis

                In my opinion, we can conclude all of the main point of the poem above is generally about the consequences of someone’s decision for himself and other people’s lives. The first thing to do to get the sense of this conclusion is we can start from the stanza 1 which is the beginning of the poem message;

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; 5 

It means that there is a wood between the two intersections of the roads and exactly at the beginning of their entrance. About the position of the wood, to make the sense of meaning, it can be connected to the word “yellow” which is can be symbolized as falling down lives, the color of almost died lives commonly, and the result is those all can be symbolized as the caution for everyone who has to be careful of choosing one of both roads. In addition, this argument is supported by the line 2-4, "And sorry I could not travel both” means that someone cannot pass both road in the same time, “and be one traveler, long I stood-And looked down one as far as I could-To where it bent in the undergrowth” is someone who wants to pass that way has to be careful and has to look the condition of both roads, which one is dangerous and which one is on the contrary not. Then, the word “undergrowth” in the line 5 is symbolized as the challenge of the roads which has their own consequences. So, the setting here is not real and just as the important symbol for the writer to express his message. It is important for him because the yellow wood, the undergrowth, the grass, etc. are easier to get the proper symbol of his message in every case he wants to explore in the poem.

            Secondly, in the stanza 2 & 3, are generally about the confusion of someone to choose the suitable way that is better. “Oh, I kept first for another day!” in line 13, the writer actually wants to describe the expression of someone who is confusing to choose the better road. So, that one tries to delay his first choice for another day and convinces himself that the first choice can be taken later, but he is afraid if he cannot come back again because as we know the chance is rarely come twice. Therefore, he chooses one that is less travelled by. So, he regrets for this choice and this is described in the line 18-19 at stanza 4 “Two roads diverged in a wood and I-I took the one less travelled by”. In these lines, he repeats the preposition of “I” twice. So, it will be the confused, fearful, or nervous intonation that can be represented as the regretting. However, besides, in the last line “And that has made all the difference” means that it is different with what he hopes, which he hopes to get better road, and so that he just can hope faithfully the road he is choosing  now will be better then.

The Message of the poem

            If you try to do two things that are very confusing to take one for better, don’t choose it hastily. You have to be careful to get that better one. You have to think deeply over and over again and you have to see the condition, the risk, and the advantages, of each. If you don’t know, look for the truth of them as quickly as possible you can. Everything you do will be affected to your and other people’s lives.