“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost was written in the year 1915 and has become very well known poem. This poem uses many different poetic devices in order to get the theme of the poem across, which comes down to, decision. Frost made the speaker of the poem being put into a tough place between two roads, having to make the decision of which one to take as an individual. This poem teaches judgement and individuality that one needs to take when making a decision that could seem to be the end of the world. Ending the poem, it is said that it “made all of the difference”. It is not a clear good or bad “difference” and that is left up to the readers to decide. The theme of decision comes with complications, stress, consequences, and different types of outcomes.

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 woods diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think the tone is in this poem?

Can you relate to this poem in any way?

Did you find anything unique with the language used?

What message do you think Frost is trying to send?

Activity:

Create your own drawing that is associated with this poem and then explain why you chose to draw what you did.