The Road Not Taken
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 travelled by,
And that had made all the difference.
Literal Meaning
This poem is about choices that people have to make in life and it is not an easy decision for we have to live with the consequences of our choice.
Stanza 1
The poet saw two roads diverge in a yellow wood and he has to make a choice. He wanted to choose both. He looked as far as he could to see where each road would lead. He wanted to know what each road could offer.
Stanza 2
He finally chose the second road. It looked more inviting to him. It was ‘grassy’ and undisturbed, ‘wanted wear’. Very few travellers had taken this road.
Stanza 3
Both roads looked equally inviting that morning. No one had taken the roads yet as the leaves that had fallen on them were still fresh and not ‘trodden’ black yet. He decided to leave the first road for another day. He doubted he would have a chance to find out what kind of future it would hold for him.
Stanza 4
Many years from now, he might regret not being able to choose both roads. However, he himself had made a choice that very few people would make and what he is today was a result of the choice he had made and he seemed to be happy with it. The sigh at the end of the stanza is one of relief.
Figurative Meaning
The road is symbolic. Like the road we can have many choices in life. Every path leads to a new destination.
Stanza 1
‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood’
The poet is at the crossroad of his life. He is faced with two choices. He has to decide the kind of life he wants to lead.
‘To where it bent in the undergrowth;’
One of the roads ends in an undergrowth. This is an obstruction that does not permit him to see into the future.
Stanza 2
‘Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,’
He finally decides to take the second road for it looks more inviting to him. He has chosen a career path that very people would embark on.
Stanza 3
‘And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black’
It is really hard to make an objective choice as both look equally good to him. There is also no one around to help him make his choice.
‘Oh, I kept the first for another day!’
The poet decides to keep him options open.
Stanza 4
‘Somewhere ages and ages hence:’
This could refer to a long lapse of time where the poet can now look back and share whether he has made the right choice.
‘And that has made all the difference.’
The poet has chosen a life that few people would follow. It has made a difference to him for his choice has made him the man he was today.
Poetic Devices
Symbol
An object that is used to represent something else.
‘Yellow’ symbolises autumn.
‘Black’ symbolises walked upon many times.
‘Fair’ symbolises good choice.
‘Diverged’ symbolises choices or options.
‘Undergrowth’ symbolises obstacles to sight.
Rhyme Scheme and Style
The poem consists of four stanzas. Lines 1 to 12 is actually in one sentence,
‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood …
In leaves no step had trodden black,’
This long sentence helps to reinforce the poet’s indecisiveness. It is not an easy choice to make. The rhyme scheme is a-b-a-a-b and is quite consistent. The language used is colloquial and conversational. The style is informal.
Colour imagery is used to paint a vivid picture of the setting in the reader’s mind. The colour ‘yellow’ denotes autumn and the colour ‘black’ describes leaves that had been trodden upon implying the road had been frequently travelled.
Point of View
The point of view used is that of the first person. The poet uses ‘I’ nine times to emphasise how involved he is in making a choice. We can empathise with the poet as he goes through his uncertainties and we eagerly wait for his sharing after he had chosen a certain path.
Themes
Some of the themes found in this poem are:
Choices
Risk
Challenges
Regrets
Happiness
Caution
Tone and Mood
The poem is about making important choices which will affect the future of the traveller. He would like to try both paths that lie in front of him, but he can only choose one. Therefore, the tone in the poem is slow and thoughtful whereas the mood is sombre.
Moral Values
1. We must think carefully before making any choices in life.
2. We must accept the consequences of our choice.
3. A right choice will lead to a happy life.
4. Life can offer many opportunities.
5. We must dare to take the risk.
Question and Answer
Q: In your opinion, was the poet happy with his choice? Give a reason.
A: I think the poet was happy with his choice, because he chose the road that was less travelled by and it led him to a successful life, different from the other.
Q: The traveller took the road that was less travelled by. What can you say about the traveller from his choice? Give a reason why you say so.
A: The traveller is a brave person. He is willing to try something new and less experienced by people. It is risk because he is not sure how his journey will end.
Q: Would you have made the same decision as the traveller? Give a reason for your answer.
A: Yes, I would have taken the road less travelled. It is because it would be more adventurous and exciting.
Q: Do you think that the choices you decide on in your life will also make “all the difference” for you? Give a reason for your answer.
A: Yes, it will make “all the difference” because I will have to accept all the consequences of my decision.
Q: Do you think you would ever regret the choices you make in your life? Briefly explain your answer.
A: Yes. I would always wonder what I would become, if I have chosen the other choice.
Q: In what ways is the experience of the poet similar to what happens in real life?
A: The traveller’s experience is similar to what happen in life. Often we come to a point where we have to make choices. We have to think carefully and weigh our options. We may regret the choice we make. On the other hand, the fact that we dared take the option that few people would chose, make a big difference in our life.
Q: Which road would you choose? Explain.
A: I would choose the second road which is less travelled, because it would be more exciting and challenging to explore new ground.
