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The Road Not Taken can be interpreted many different ways. Depending on the past, present and future attitude one has at the time he read it determines the way the poem may be interpreted. As the title indicates the central theme of this poem is choices. Most people agree that in the poem that Frost was expressing the belief that it is the road or path that one takes or chooses that makes him the man who he is today and will be tomorrow.
Everyone is a traveler on lives roads. In the poem there is never just one road to take. Life is a struggle to make the decision of which road to take but a choice must be made. A traveler comes upon "two road deversised in a yellow wood" He is at a cross road point in his life. He is unable to take both paths at once and must make a decision which way he would like to go or how to live his life. He must decide but is remorseful as he states "And sorry I could not travel both." This decision is always difficult to make because it is impossible not to wonder at the cost of taking this path over that one.
He can not help but wonder what he will miss if he chooses this road over that one. There is regret before the choice is ever made. He relaxes that in one lifetime it is impossible to travel down both roads and he has a difficult choice to make and is carefully considering his options as well as wondering were each could lead. In attempting to make this decision the traveler "looks down one as far as I could, " trying to see the future and were this road might lead.
Both roads lead to the unknown and although he tries to see as far as the road stretches he cannot see where it is going to lead. It is the way he chooses that sets him of on his journey of life and determines were he is going. < BR> He makes his decision and chooses "Then took the other just as far and having perhaps the better claim. " This road has a better claim because it was the one that appealed more to him and "it was grassy and wanted wear. " He feels he choose the road that most people do not take because it is less traveled and not the most popular secure one. His choice helps show the type of person he was and his personality. He does not necessarily follow the crowd, but tales the road that has never been traveled or is new and different. He thinks he is a independent fellow, not afraid to strike out on his own. After taking this road he relaxes that both paths are actually "worn almost the same, indicating that an equal number of people have actually taken both paths, and he is not the first to go this way.
Next the traveler observes that "And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black." Leaves had fallen and it had been a long time since anyone had past on this road. Every time a person comes to a point in life when they have to make a choice, they feel like they are the only one ever faced this choice and are going somewhere no one else has been. "I kept the other for another day!" The traveler expresses the desire to be able to travel both roads. He tries to hold on to the possibility that he could still travel the other one also at another time. He realizes however "knowing how way leads to way" that this decision is not just a temporary one and once made he "doubts if I should ever come back", realizing that this choice will affect other choices he makes in the future. Once you choose you cannot turn back, it cannot be undone. The road the traveler does not take becomes the "Road Not Taken" as is the name of the poem.
Once again at the end of the poem the traveler expresses regret. The traveler realizes at the end of his life, somewhere ages and ages hence." he will have regrets about the choice he make and he can not go back and travel down the road he did not take then and wonders what his life would have been like had he chosen differently and took the other road or choice. Still the traveler is proud and pleased with the choice he did make and realizes that this choice is what made him live his life the way he did and the reasons he turned out like he did as opposed to the other road he could have taken. At the conciliation of the poem even with the regrets, the choice of roads was a decision he made himself. He may have chosen the unconventional road, but he did what he wanted and this has made him the man he is today.
This poem I feel is about choices. All through life decisions will haft to be made and roads chosen. The road we choose helps determine the kind of person we are and the life we lead. Once choices are made you cant go back. Even though you may regret your choice at a later date or wish you had chosen differently.
The "Road Not Taken" will always be a mystery and something to wonder about. Taking "the road less traveled by" and not going down the popular more conventional road may lead to as satisfying life as taking the conventional path. You must live with, and eventually die with, every choice you make.
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