Skip to main content

What is a short summary of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

In this poem the speaker (let's assume he's a man), is out for a morning walk during the autumn. He comes to a place where the road he is following splits into two paths, and he has to decide which way to go. Both ways look equally appealing to him, and he wishes he could "travel both and be one traveler." One of the ways is "grassy and wanted wear," so it is the one...

In this poem the speaker (let's assume he's a man), is out for a morning walk during the autumn. He comes to a place where the road he is following splits into two paths, and he has to decide which way to go. Both ways look equally appealing to him, and he wishes he could "travel both and be one traveler." One of the ways is "grassy and wanted wear," so it is the one fewer people have used, although not to a huge extent because he also says that "as for that the passing there had worn them really about the same." No one has traveled on either road on this particular morning. The speaker makes his decision to take the second road, the one that "was grassy and wanted wear." He thinks at first he will go down the other road some other time, but then he realizes that, since one road leads to another and another, he will probably never come back to take the first road in the future. The speaker then fast-forwards in his imagination to some day in the distant future when he will remember and talk about the decision he has just made. He thinks he will tell the tale "with a sigh" and that he will realize that taking "the road less traveled by" is what will have "made all the difference."


The last stanza shows that the poem is about more than taking a walk in the woods. The poet obviously means the poem to be taken metaphorically. The walk represents one's life journey, and the forked path represents a critical decision point. Many people interpret the poem to mean that the speaker believes his choice was the right one and that his sigh is one of contentment; in this interpretation the speaker believes going down a path of nonconformity results in greater gains in the end. The poem is ambiguous, however, and allows the opposite interpretation. The speaker's sigh could be one of regret, and choosing to buck the crowd or ignore tradition could end up having undesirable consequences. Another interpretation is that the poem satirizes people who agonize about every little decision in life, which gives the poem a lighter feel.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...