Consequences And Themes In Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

Throughout life, people are faced with many decisions. Some of these decisions are easy to make, while others are excruciating, as they can be life-altering. From a Christian's perspective, however, people never have to make these decisions alone. God promises that he will never abandon his people, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" (New International Version, Deuteronomy 31:6). In the poem, "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost uses beautifully crafted metaphors, imagery, and tone to convey a theme that all people are presented with choices in life, some of which are life-altering, so one should heavily weigh the options in

He begins the poem by revealing the woods as painted yellow. The yellow color paints the picture of a brisk autumn morning with the leaves freshly fallen to the ground, with a vivid picture of each path. Frost illustrates visual imagery of the less traveled road when he says, "Then took the other, as just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear" (lines 6-8). The quote describes the less worn path that the narrator will choose. The imagery ties into the Biblical teaching that one should not choose what is popular or what everyone else is doing but instead choose to follow God on the "less worn path." This concept is illustrated in the Bible passage seen in Romans, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2). Imagery is vital to the theme as it paints a picture of the setting and fully allows one to see, smell, feel what the traveler is experiencing during the decision-making

A path that diverges into two, revealing two options that one must choose from, can be overwhelming when trying to make the right decision. As Christians, it is a comfort to know that believers have an ever-present help to hold them in all situations. As said in Proverbs, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs