Skip to main content

Do you think the poet's sigh indicates regret or relief in "The Road not Taken?"

This could be argued either way, but I am going to say the poet's sigh indicates regret, and I will explain my reasons for saying so.

The most common interpretation of the last line of the poem is that the poet is probably content to have taken the road less travelled. That is why we often advise people—particularly young people—to take the "road less travelled," or the more unconventional choice, to live a rich life. The poem itself, however, is ambiguous on this point, meaning one can read the last lines as either approving or disapproving of the less-travelled road:



I took the one less traveled by,


And that has made all the difference.



Was the difference positive or negative? We don't know. We only know it has made "all" the difference, for better or for worse.


Assuming taking this road made a negative difference and the poet knows he definitely should have taken the other road, then the "sigh" would surely be one of regret. The poet says at the beginning of the last stanza,



I shall be telling this with a sigh


somewhere ages and ages hence



But what if the story had a happy ending, and the road less travelled made a positive difference? Wouldn't the sigh then be one of relief?


Not necessarily, in the context of the poem. The poet is imagining telling this story with "a sigh" at some time "ages and ages hence." In other words, he imagines sighing in the far future—not next year, but "ages and ages" from now. He will be in middle or old age and looking back over his life when he sighs. We know from psychology that one of the attributes of middle- and old-age is regret. No matter how good our lives have been and how many good decisions we have made, there is always something to regret. That is simply part of being a human being; we can't do it all, and one path pursued, no matter how wonderful, means another path is not pursued. The poet recognizes this truth when he says earlier in the poem that, much as he would like to return and take the other path to see where it would lead, "I doubted if I should ever come back." It is directly following that line that he says, "I shall be telling this with a sigh." The sigh suggests the narrator realizes that as he ages he will regret roads not taken, paths not pursued. This might be a bittersweet regret, but it will be regret all the same. This regret underlies so much poetry, a lament that we are not immortal; our time runs out and our choices form us in one way rather than another.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...
Post a Comment
Read more