Every aspect of a person's life is determined by the decisions they make. Some are life-changing, like deciding which college to go to, while others are inconsequential, like deciding what to eat for breakfast in the morning. Whether big or small, these decisions are what progress from day to day, week to week, and year to year. In his poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost examines the process and effects of such decision-making. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay First of all, there is a dual meaning associated with the symbol of the road in this poem. Literally, Frost is describing two tangible roads that someone must physically take. Obviously, the reader knows this thanks to the vivid images that Frost gives at the beginning of the poem by “two diverging roads in a yellow wood” (Frost). The reader has a mental image of an autumn forest with two roads disappearing into the trees, but, as always, there is an underlying meaning, and it is implied that these roads are not entirely physical . In fact, the entire poem focuses on the narrator's decision regarding which route to take and the consequences that will result from his choice, which underlines the statement that Frost is trying to make. He uses the concrete example of the two roads in order to highlight the basis of decision making in life and how each decision one makes affects everything else from there on out. Terry Andrews writes that the popularity of this poem is due to the "simplicity of its symbolism" and that Frost views the choice between the two roads "as a metaphor for choosing between different directions in life." Andrews is correct that this is a simple connection that can be made about this poem, but while the symbolism may be easy to understand, the underlying development of the metaphor is what actually makes up the poem. Although they lead to two different places and they take two different paths, in reality, each road is ultimately the same. They each have advantages and disadvantages, meaning that for every asset one route carries, the other has an equally beneficial one. The narrator claims that travelers before them "had carried them in much the same way" (Frost), revealing that while one may have grass while the other does not, they have both traveled equally for the most part. When making a decision, it is important to understand that whoever is chosen will have just as many advantages as whoever is left behind. A decision wouldn't be a decision if that wasn't the case. If something is easy to decide and there is nothing else to compete against, then it is not a decision. He also writes that when he observes the two paths, they “were equally covered with leaves that no step had trodden” (Frost). Basically the narrator says that both paths are covered in leaves that have not been crushed by a traveler's foot, showing that neither path has been taken for some time, once again proving their equality. This also reinforces the fact that the narrator, who is the new traveler, is starting from scratch and making the decision for himself. Throughout life, many decisions must be made that no one else has had to make before. When the time comes, it is important to realize that both decisions have their own pros and cons, essentially making one or the other a favorable choice. Dan Brown writes that "Frost seems to have it both ways in this poem" since it is obvious that he isfaced with a struggle while trying to make up his mind. It's the kind of classic situation where you can't have the cake and eat it too. As nice as it is to reap the benefits of both routes, unfortunately the narrator does not succeed; It is therefore important to devote enough time to visit the advantages identified with both options in order to make the best choice. Decisions take time, especially those mentioned in this poem: those that change your life. Frost talks about how every possibility must be weighed when making a decision. The narrator fully acknowledges the first path and writes that he stood there and "looked at one as far as he could" (Frost), which shows that he was really thinking about this path and trying to absorb all that that he had to offer. When making such an important decision, it's crucial to go over all the pros and cons of each, and that's exactly what he does here. It is obvious that the narrator is torn in both directions. He spends a lot of time observing the first path, while on the other hand, he is attracted to the second path due to its unused nature. The narrator says he took the second path because of its grassy appearance and comments that the path "wanted to wear out" (Frost). The alliteration used here draws particular attention to this phrase and the personification of the path he ends up taking. Attributing this physical need to “want to carry” to the path somehow gives a sense of validation to the narrator who makes the decision he did. It's almost as if he feels sorry for this path because it seems to have been overlooked by travelers before him. There is a feeling of regret throughout Frost's poem. Each decision comes with the opportunity costs that one of the people gave up when they decided not to choose the other option. The title is indicative of how the narrator perceives the decision he made. The poem is titled “The Road Not Taken,” focusing on the road not chosen. Because of the title, before even reading the poem, the focus is on the alternative decision and one that the narrator did not choose to make. One reviewer, Jennifer Bouchard, writes that this title “emphasizes the mystery surrounding the choices people make; more precisely, the path not chosen” (Bouchard). She rightly points out that there is a sense of mystery around the choices people make. No matter who or what tries to influence a person, the final decision is in the hands of the person making it, which will always leave others pondering the choice made. At the beginning of the poem, he tells the reader that he is "sorry we couldn't travel together" (Frost). This shows that he accepts that each path has much to offer, so choosing one will cost him the benefits of the other and vice versa. Simply put, it's impossible to have the cake and eat it at the same time. As nice as it is to benefit from the benefits that both choices have to offer when making a decision, this is quite impossible. In the last stanza of the poem, the narrator admits that he “tells this with a sigh” (Frost). When someone sighs while telling a story or revealing something about themselves, it comes from the fact that they are not necessarily completely happy with the decision they made at that moment. The tone created by this sentence and the exasperation associated with the narrator's voice at this point show that the right decision will not always be made. No matter what you do or how much time you spend making a decision, sometimes it just won't go as planned and there's not much you can do about it..