The road not taken
The Road Not Taken is a well-known poem about making choices in our lives. The choices we make shape
us. In the poem, the road symbolizes our life, and the path that we don’t choose is “the road not taken”. The
poet describes his life experience and says that long ago, he had two choices to make. He had chosen one
and moved ahead with it. Now, if he wants to make another choice, he can’t do so. The message the poet
wants to convey is that the choices we make significantly impact our future. If we make the wrong choice,
then we can’t go back and correct it. We will have no option other than regretting it. So, we should be wise
while making decisions or choices in our life.The poet was walking down the road when he found a diversion
where two roads diverged in different directions. The poet felt sorry that he could not travel on both roads.
He had to make one decision and choose a single path. At the junction, the poet stood for a long time and
tried to look at the roads as far as he could. He wanted to see the roads in full and wanted to know about
both paths. But, he could not see anything beyond the diversion as the roads were curved and covered
with trees. In the stanza, the yellow wood refers to the forest with leaves which were shed on the road and
had turned yellow. This indicates that it was the autumn season. Through this stanza, the poet wants to
convey that in everyone’s life, there comes a time when we have to make choices. We have alternatives,
but we have to choose only one. At that time, we see the pros and cons of the situation and take the time
to decide which path to take. Similarly, the poet is also taking time before making any decision.
After pondering on it for a long time, the poet decided to take the other road. He felt that both roads were
equally good. He started walking on the road which had grass on it and felt that it was a better road for him.
The grassy road means that the road was not used, and the wanted wear means that only a few people
have walked through it. After walking some distance on the road, the poet felt that both paths were almost
the same. There was hardly any difference between them. Through this, the poet conveys that, in our life,
whatever decisions we take or choices we make, each choice has some advantages and some
disadvantages. Problems are everywhere, so we must be ready to face them.
The poet says that both paths seemed to be similar that morning. Leaves were shed on both roads, and
they were still green. It means that no one had walked on the roads. He decided to take one path that day
and the other path on another day. However, he knows that one way leads to another way. He could not go
back and take the other path once he moved ahead with one. Similarly, in our life, when we make one
decision, we can’t go back. We have to move ahead with the same choice and face the consequences which
come our way.
The poet says that in the future, he will take a deep breath and say that once upon a time, he reached a
point in life where he had to make one choice. There were two options for him, and he had to opt for one.
At that time, he decided to take that road which was less travelled by people. It means that he took a
decision which rare people take. And that decision has changed his entire life. Through the poem, the poet
sends a powerful message that people should decide wisely in their life because the decision they take will
have an impact on the rest of their life.
