The Road not Taken

The poem entitled "The road not taken" is written by Robert Frost. This poem
is about being at the crossroads and pondering on which path to take. One road is
described as better than the other. In the end, the speaker chooses to travel the road
less taken or the latter,

There are several symbols laid in the text. As one of the most read poems, the
author’s message differs from each reader, and critics say that most of them are
misunderstood. Therefore, a psychological analysis of the poem would be the
appropriate approach to figure out its meaning.

The poem was written as a joke to Frost’s friend, Edward, who often ponders
in regret that they should have taken the other road. However, as time goes, Frost
implied several meanings behind his writing.

Robert Frost’s life was full of grief. His father died of tuberculosis when he
was 11, and 5 years later, his mother died due to cancer. Twenty years later, Frost
brought her sister, Jeanie Frost, to a mental hospital in which he later regretted
because, after nine years, Jeanie died.

Frost started a family, yet out of 6, 4 of his children were short-lived. His wife
also died after giving birth to their child. Frost’s family has a history of mental
illnesses, and throughout Frost’s life, he experienced depression. In the poem, the
road not taken is tied to his experience.

The poem starts as the speaker encounters a fork in the road and heavily
ponders which road to take. Like in life, we are faced with choices, and we try to see
the end of these selections. At times we wished, we could take both ways.

The speaker perceived the contrast between the two roads. He claimed one to
be better than the other. Later, he saw that there was not much of a difference as he
traveled the latter. The persona expressed doubt as he reflects that he cannot go back
to the first road or the better claim. In the end, he has shown a sigh that could express
either relief or regret that he took the road less traveled.

In Frost's life, one of the things he regretted is committing his only sister to a
mental hospital. He could have thought about what would have happened if he did not
make that decision. One of the symptoms of depression is ruminating. Additionally,
Frost is also suffering from a family history of mental illnesses. Thus, he is likely to
think of his regrets in life.

As the title of the poem, the road not taken, Frost highlights the road he did
not take rather than the road he took. Overall, this is a poem that shows the difficulty
in making decisions as we, later on, contemplate it. Even at the end, Frost tried the
mind of the readers and let them imply how the story ends. Thus, presenting the
different perspectives we can have in life.
1. What other message can you imply in the poem?
2. Do you think that the poem is relevant to the author’s life?
3. Describe the life of the author. How it is connected to the poem?
4. In your opinion, do you think the poem is showing regret or pride for taking the
road less traveled?
5. Why do you think most of the audience misunderstood the poem?
6. Are all poems based on the author’s life?
7. What could have been the alternative title of the poem?