The Road Not Taken

The theme of the "The Road not Taken" is that everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey, life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a

soledirection in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, his poem, "The Road Not Taken", has left

its readers with many different interpretations. It is one's past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shade of

the light that he will see the poem in. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost's belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes

him the man who he is. "And sorry I could not travel both..." It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the

opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. There is a strong sense of regret before the choice is even made and it lies in the knowledge that in one

lifetime, it is impossible to travel down every path. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler "looks down one as far as I could". The road that will

be chosen leads to the unknown, as does any choice in life. As much he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it surpasses his

vision and he can never see where it is going to lead. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going.

"Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim." What made it have the better claim is that "it was grassland wanted wear." It was

something that was obviously not for everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other path therefore he calls it "the road less

traveled by". The fact that the traveler took this path over the more popular, secure one indicates the type of personality he has, one that does not want

to necessarily follow the crowd but do more of what has never been done, what is new and different. "And both that morning equally lay in leaves no

step had trodden black." The leaves had covered the ground and since the time they had fallen no one had yet to pass by on this road. Perhaps Frost

does this because each time a person comes to the point where they have to make a choice, it is new to them, somewhere they have never been and they

tend to feel as though no one else had ever been there either. "I kept the first for another day!" The desire to travel down both paths is expressed and is

not unusual, but "knowing

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