The Road Not Taken

"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 roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

-Robert Frost
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In his widely-read poem “The Road Not Taken,” poet Robert Frost develops the theme of individual choice as the basis of our life’s course. When the speaker arrives at a fork in a road, he must decide which road to take. One road was slightly less followed than the other, and that is the road the speaker chooses. He predicts that this event will have “made all the difference” when he looks “somewhere ages and ages hence.”

This poem addresses the everyday (and therefore universal) situation of having to make choices that could affect us in unexpected ways, making “all the difference.” When we are faced with one clearly bad option and one obviously good option, decision-making is simple. However, when we are confronted with situations such as the speaker’s where we are presented with two equally good options, it becomes much more difficult to choose. In choosing the road that is (slightly) less travelled by, the speaker seems to advocate a form of individualism as he makes a choice different than the majority. The fact that the speaker cannot return to travel the other road reflects the reality that we often must choose between two mutually exclusive options. “The Road Not Taken” meets the universality requirement for inclusion in my personal canon by addressing not specific issues, but rather the way we respond to them and the choices we make.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

“The Road Not Taken” is also well-written as it clearly reflects the decision-making process of the speaker. As he approaches the two roads, he first longs that he could take both, but then begins the process of choosing one. He then appraises them, choosing one, and then recognizes that this is a choice that will make an important difference. In this organization the reader can essentially see him make his decision. While some might argue that “The Road Not Taken” is so used as to be a cliché, it does merit inclusion in this list. If the general popularity of a work is not sufficient for its automatic inclusion in personal canons, neither should it be sufficient for its automatic exclusion.

This poem fulfills the critical thinking element of the general education requirements. As SNU students, we should read this poem because we will make important decisions in these four years that will affect the course of our entire lives. As we make them, we should be careful to avoid choosing the road most traveled by solely because it is easiest. This poem’s example of reflection and careful consideration when making a decision is a good model for university students.

On a more personal note, this idea of a simple decision making an important difference in one’s life has already been very evident in my own life. When enrolling for classes as a freshman in high school, I had to decide whether to take debate or some other elective. Although I was uncertain about it, I decided on debate based on my mother’s suggestion. I became actively involved on the debate team, debating for four years and earning numerous awards. Debate became perhaps the most important activity of my high school career. When I made the decision to take it, I did not know that it would be so significant. I include “The Road Not Taken” in my personal literary canon because it reflects this reality.

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Photo from:
http://gryphonscry.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/yellow_wood.jpg