In his celebrated poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost describes the decision one makes when reaching a fork in the road. Some interpret Frost as suggesting regret on the part of the traveler as to not choosing the path he forgoes, for in doing so he has lost something significant. Others believe he is grateful for the selection, as it has made him the man he is. The diverging roads are symbolic of the decisions society is faced with everyday of life.Choosing one path will lead the traveler in one direction, while the other most likely will only become more distant, as it leads towards a completely different journey. How might one tell which is the right path; is there a right path? The answer lies with each individual, upon reflecting on their personal choices during the course of life's unfolding, as well as the attitude one manifests towards the future. In the first stanza Frost writes:.
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.
It is immediately apparent that the two roads are metaphorical, as no one would truly wonder how he could possibly walk down two literal roads at once, and so the roads here must be somewhat symbolic. The traveler begins to ponder on the thought of which road will lead him to the future he envisions for himself. However, he can only look so far before the road bends and can no longer be seen. Towards the end of the first stanza one gets the impression that this will not be an impulsive decision, but rather one made rationally. In the second stanza Frost writes:.
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.
Right in the beginning of the second stanza the reader is caught off guard as the traveler makes a sudden decision to take the other road, without even contemplating over it.
