Introduction

The poet describes a very typical experience of making a choice in the poem The Road Not Taken. He thinks back to one such decision he had previously made while leaving the forest. The poet decided to take the forest’s less-traveled of the two paths that split off from it. He claims that his decision has significantly affected his life. The poet emphasises that our decisions determine our future through this choice. The decisions we take have a significant impact on our future. We will regret a bad decision, but we won’t be able to go back and change it, So, when making decisions, we must exercise wisdom.

Summary

In the autumn, when the leaves have turned yellow, the poet has arrived at a forest. When the two roads split into two directions, the poet arrives at that spot. The two ways of life are represented by the roads. As a traveller, the poet understood that he had to choose because he couldn’t take both roads at once. He therefore stood there for a while and peered down both roads. When the poet turned to look at the first road, he noticed that it had a bend that was lined with tiny bushes and plants. We all make decisions every day, just like the poet did. To make the best decision, we must therefore evaluate the circumstances

The poet considered the alternate route before choosing to take it. He thought that if this road were covered in grass, it would be better and more impressive. There weren’t many people who walked over it. However, after the poet had travelled a short distance on the road, he realised that both roads had been travelled equally. The poet chooses a career path that seems less well-traveled or pursued. Due to the fact that it is grassy and requires walking on, he believes it has a stronger claim.

Now that no one has travelled on any of the roads, the poet claims that both were similar that morning. The leaves were still fresh and green because no one had walked over them. The poet chooses to take the second route, saving the first for a later date. The poet questioned, though, whether he would ever be able to return to walk on the original road. The poet understood that once he made a decision, he would move on and make many more decisions before being able to go back and change his mind.

The poet discusses the effects of the decision in these lines. The poet claims that he will recall the day he made his decision at some point in the future. He would be exclaiming his choice while sighing, either in relief or regret ( relief of making the right choice or regret of making the wrong choice). He would mention that he chose the less-traveled path out of the two that led into the forest and that his decision had a profound effect on his life.