But Frost likely left this ambiguity on purpose so that the reader would not focus so much on condition of the road, and, instead, focus on the fact that he chose a road (any road, whether it was that which was less traveled by or not), and that, as a result, he has seen a change in his life. I, like others, have come to that proverbial "fork in the road" many times. Norton Anthology of Poetry, 2005, Norton. Had worn them really about the same, The Road Not Taken is Robert Frost’s first poem in his book ‘Mountain Interval’.A popular pleasantly misconstrued poem since its release, its simplicity, and way with words demonstrate the skill of Frost… Oh, I kept the first for another day! When making a choice, one is required to make a decision. In the real world it is most certainly possible to discover that you made a poor decision and then back track to that fork in the road. He told Thomas: "No matter which road you take, you'll always sigh and wish you'd taken another." Andrew Spacey (author) from Near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire,UK on April 25, 2018: It's a pleasure. Andrew Spacey (author) from Near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire,UK on September 12, 2018: Appreciate the visit and comment. Oh, well, it's led me to where I am today, which isn't so bad...not at all. All Rights Reserved. It is ambiguous, as you say, but if you write or read poetry, it is positive. It's the most comprehensive collection currently on offer. In other words, Frost's friend regretted not taking the road that might have offered the best opportunities, despite it being an unknown. This pondering about the different life one may have lived had they done something differently is central to "The Road Not Taken.". Andrew Spacey (author) from Near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire,UK on April 26, 2018: Yes, Frost is a great poet of traditional form and often leaves us wanting more. The two roads in "The Road Not Taken" hardly differ. At this, it seems the second road is overgrown and less travelled, but then the poet writes: So, again, the roads are equalized. Yet, as if to confuse the reader, Frost writes in the final stanza: With that, we are left to wonder how Frost knew the road he took was the one less traveled by. It's only when a society restricts this possibility that the poem's message might apply. So it's ironic that Frost meant the poem to be somewhat light-hearted, but it turned out to be anything but. And be one traveler, long I stood. The second road is described as "just as fair," though it was "grassy and wanted wear.". This poem consists of four stanzas, each five lines in length (a quintrain), with a mix of iambic and anapaestic tetrameter, producing a steady rhythmical four beat first-person narrative. Looking back on some of the choices I've made at that fork, I can clearly see that I took the wrong path. Contact Us | Terms Wayne Harrison from Sarchi, Costa Rica on July 14, 2020: Could Frost have learned the road he took was less traveled after he walked it? In a sense, I think this poem is about making your choice with no regrets, and no looking back. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both. But its meaning changes with age. One does wonder at times, on life's journey, what taking a different road might have led to. But to contemplate this hypothetical deeply is folly, for it is impossible to say whether taking the other road would have been better or worse: all one can say is that it would have been different. His poems are published online and in print. … The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is quite a popular poem; unfortunately, however, its popularity comes mainly from the simple act of misreading.