Thus, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I- / I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference” is perhaps the most misinterpreted line of “The Road Not Taken” (Frost line 18-20). However, that feeling of regret and second-guessing himself, as mentioned earlier, does occur near the end of Frost’s life, as it would in the life of anyone who has ever been torn between such circumstances. Furthermore, near the end of their lives when they are looking back on the small yet crucial decisions that could have both lead and shaped them, they would like to believe that they had made the better decision in taking that specific road much like Frost had hoped, though neither road was the lesser. He knew that he would more than likely never get the opportunity to come back and find out exactly where the other road would lead him, and that is simply a consequence of the decisions life expects. He makes the point that despite what may happen farther down the road or where the road may take him, a decision has to be made otherwise he would continue standing there, staring down that fork in the road.
This poem is not about choosing the “right” or “wrong” road, because Frost makes it clear that there really is none. “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back” refers to the inevitability and conflict that occurs when making a simple yet life-changing decision (Frost line 14-15). Though “The Road Not Taken” contributes many distinguishing factors, perhaps the most important of these is the crucial conflict that Frost has with himself as he decides which path he is going to take. Frost’s tone in this poem helps translate the emotions that he and so many others would feel when placed in this position, and also encourages his readers to think critically about which choice they would ultimately make. However, when analyzing the poem, it could be argued that such emotion was not acknowledged by Frost until he came upon his old age.
These specific lines reveal to Frost’s readers the dread he feels when looking ahead to his future and also the regret he believes he could feel whilst wondering how different his life could be if he decides to choose a different road. Frost conveys later within the poem a certain dread that a great amount of people would most likely undergo if they were placed in this situation by stating, “I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence” (line 16-17). The poem is called “The Road Not Taken” for a reason it shows the regret and remorse directly within the title. For instance, when listening to the tone of these particular lines, “And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth,” the reader should be able to understand and relate to the remorse of not being able to choose both paths as well as the anxiety of not knowing where each road will lead him or her if taken (Frost line 3-5). Frost communicates to his readers through his tone, not the usual, generic meaning that his readers so often deem to be true, but rather the grief that he experienced when contemplating his decision.
This poem is often misinterpreted as having an inspiring and uplifting tone however, when read accurately, the depression and sorrow Frost intended can be identified undoubtedly. However, Frost depicts that both of these roads were nearly identical, therefore making the decision that much more difficult to attain. People will always want to look for the easiest road rather than the more strenuous while in their pursuit for happiness, which is what this poem is believed to construe. In some instances, perhaps they are not, but a couple of questions people oftentimes forget to ask themselves is, “In what ways are these opportunities similar? Would they ultimately have the same outcome in that they both would provide happiness, despite what it would take to obtain it?” This statement is misunderstood and overlooked commonly, because people rarely see their options as being “about the same” (Frost line 10).
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