Decision-Making Process In Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

In the course of our lives, we are constantly making decisions. Some decisions can be made instantly and with certainty. However, when faced with a life –altering decision, choosing may become a daunting task. Robert Frost explores the decision making process in “The Road Not Taken”. Unfortunately, the meaning of his poem has been misconstrued by the general public. The common misconception is that his poem sent a serious message to carefully consider the choices one makes because the choices that are made, matter. People think of this message with an empowering, seize the opportunity connotation. However, when the metaphor, tone, and background information are analyzed, it is clear that the poem’s message is more ironic and futile. The metaphor of the roads paves the way to the message Frost had intended. When the speaker arrives at the fork in

“I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence.” (16, 17). The speaker anticipates his own future insincerity—his need, later on in life, to rearrange the facts and justify his choices. In fact, he predicts that his future self will betray this moment of decision as if the betrayal were inevitable. This realization is ironic and even pathethic. However, the one word that defines the tone the most is the “sigh”. This indicates that he will not believe himself when he states he chose the road less traveled. It alludes to the fact that he’ll think back about the yellow woods and the road he did not take. Even the title “The Road Not Taken” suggests a remorseful tone. Frost could have easily named his poem “The Road Less Traveled” but made a conscious choice to use the phrase “not taken”. By choosing this title, it shows that the speaker knows that he will wonder about what he irrevocably lost and ultimately second guess himself. The thought of the road not taken will forever haunt