The Road not Taken

I. Introduction

The poem “Road not Taken” was written by Robert Frost in 1916 as the first poem in the
collection Mountain Interval. The poem a roughly iambic pattern with 4 stanzas , 8 and
10 syllables in an abaab pattern, which may also be a tricky poem. The poem is based on
a person making decisions in life , although a person can only choose one path but he
wanders too if he should have taken the other path. A person who, whichever road he
went would be sorry he didn’t go the other. Here are some unfamiliar words used in the
poem with its meaning.

Definition of Terms:

Undergrowth - a dense growth of shrubs and other plants, especially under trees in
woodland.
Diverged - separate from another route, especially a main one, and go in a different
direction.
Worn - damaged and shabby as a result of much use.
Difference - a point or way in which people or things are not the same.

The Road not Taken

Robert Frost

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 traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
II. Author-Dependent
Historical-Biographical Approach

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, but his family moved to Lawrence,
Massachusetts, in 1884 following his father’s death because of Tuberculosis. Frost
learned reading books through her mom. Frost graduated from Lawrence High School,
in 1892, as class poet (he also shared the honor of co-valedictorian with his wife-to-be
Elinor White), and two years later, the New York Independent accepted his poem
entitled “My Butterfly,” launching his status as a professional poet with a check for
$15.00. Frost's first book was published around the age of 40, but he would go on to win
a record four Pulitzer Prizes and become the most famous poet of his time, before his
death at the age of 88.

Explanation:
The author came from a wealthy family but when his father died, leaving them with just
8 dollars. Life may be hard but his mother tried to raise Robert her own hands. The
author became successful through writing poems. He also graduated a valedictorian and
so the love of his life. At 1963, He won a Bollingen Prize which is a literary honor
bestowed on an American poet in recognition of the best book of new verse within the
last two years, or for lifetime achievement.

Robert Frost

Although life is hard He wrote “The road not

but making a big effort Taken”
will change what is
about to happen next.
 Theme: This is all about decision making which the author emphasized. Every decision
you make can make a difference in your life. In the author’s life, he chose to follow his passion
and be grateful of what he has even though his mom raised him alone.

III. Text Dependent Interpretation

The poem “Road not Taken” has 4 stanzas with 8 and 10 syllables in a roughly iambic
rhythm in an abaab pattern.

Every line in the poem states something about decision making. The first stanza
defines the two road paths and the persona is sorry for he/she cannot travel both
paths. The persona just goes with the flow as he/she chose the path, as he/she looks
back what the path has given.
The second stanza, the speaker chose to travel the less-traveled path (less worn)
because the speaker thought that it will be just the same if he/she traveled the
other.
Third stanza peaks about how confident the speaker about its decision. Though, the
speaker cannot go back to take the other path again. For the speaker thinks that the
both paths are equal.
Last stanza, even though that the speaker traveled the less traveled road. More
people will not take the road the he has traveled because for him, he made a
difference. Not just a difference in decision making but the difference to other
travelers in life.

Figure 2
Formalist Approach

The Road not Taken

Free Will Think Twice

-Free to make decisions -Before finalizing, Think twice

-Freedom as a human -Determine your decision’s
advantages.

Theme: Free decision doesn’t always end up with good results

 IV. Reader Dependent
Psychological Approach

The ID, Humans has the freedom to make decisions in life. Whether they follow this
or that. As long as they have the freedom to choose their own path in life. God has given
freedom for us to choose our own decisions in life.

The Ego, making good decisions in life does not always result with excellent results. Though, we
need to think twice and a hundred times because we can never go back with this situation in
life. Remember that regrets are at the end because at that point you will determine which path
you should have taken from the first place. Then, we are able to finalize and determine which is
right and wrong.

The Super Ego, Decisions in life are finalized. You’ll feel sorry because you chose to go rights
instead of going left. Regrets are always at the end. Remember that you can never go back and
travel the other path, once you already passed you can never go back. For you to learn so that
the next time you choose, it will be worth it.

FIGURE 3
Reader’s Response

The Road not Taken

EXEGESIS

Reader 1 Reader 1
Sees the poem as a tricky Sees the poem as a lucky
poem. Determines that choice in life. It doesn’t
making decisions is matter if it’s wrong or
important in life. It can right, as long as you chose
have good or bad results. your desires then it will
have results that you
want.

Theme: The poem shows that every decision in life may end to
good or bad results. It depends on what you choose.
 Pyscho-Analytic Approach

The generation nowadays, people just tend to make decisions without knowing its
possible outcome or effect in their life. The effects of their decisions may affect to
their future lives. But most of all some decisions are made because they are afraid to
be judged by others or they are pushed to rush decisions because of others.

The Road not Taken

ID, A person who just wants to have a good decision in life. The persona just wants to
take a path where it would be comfortable and be able to travel alone (less travelled).

Ego, Decisions are hard to decide. It depicts of what kind of thinking you have. So,
making decisions can affect the future decisions you have. It means that you have to
value or take your time thinking all over again of what decisions to make.

Super Ego, when you already have decisions that is finalized. You can never go back
again to take the other path just because you made a mistake. Face your decisions and
stand.

V. Literary Conclusion/ Synthesis

The poem “Road not Taken” depicts a remember for us to make good decisions. It
reminds us to take good decisions and always think twice because you’ll regret it
afterwards. At the end of this poem, As the persona says that the decision that has
been made, made a difference. It’s okay to be different to others in making
decisions, as long as what you are going to travel is the best for your situation.
VI. Credits and Sources

1. AnE Networks, February 11, 2019:

https://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091
2. David Orr, Road not Taken:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/books/review/the-road-not-taken-by-
david-
orr.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FFrost%2C%20Robert&action=click&c
ontentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=la
test&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection

3. Andrew Spacey, analysis of piece:

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Poem-The-Road-Not-Taken-by-
Robert-Frost