The Author`s Messages in 'The Road Not Taken'

Have you ever read a work of literature that had a simple theme, like about nature or animals that you can connect to real life situations? For instance, many authors of poems write a moral in their poems to teach the readers a life lesson. They convey their message through characters’ actions and life decisions, without directly stating the moral in the plot. A good example of this would be from Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. The plot of the poem seems simple, but there is a much deeper meaning that Mr. Frost tried to convey to the readers.

The story follows a man who has reached a fork in the road, and, though it is not specifically stated where this man is walking, the reader can assume that he is walking somewhere in the woods or in a forest because Robert Frost states that one of the roads had an undergrowth and grass growing over it. The man is left with a very important decision. He could only take one path and he is having trouble deciding on which one to walk through, just like making a big decision in real life. After thoroughly analyzing both paths, the man discovers that one of the paths had signs of wear because other people traveled down that path quite often, and the other one seemed as if it hadn’t been touched in a long time. So which path will he choose?

The man states that he wishes he can take both paths, but him being only one person, is only able to choose between only one or the other. He also states that after choosing what path he will walk, he doubts that he will ever be able to change his decision and go down the other path. Robert Frost is attempting to make the readers aware that after making an important decision, you most likely won’t be given the opportunity to make a second chance, so make sure you are happy or satisfied with what choice you make.

After contemplating which path he should walk down, the man eventually makes his final decision. He decides to take the less traveled path. Of course, it might be easier to take the more commonly traversed road, but it could also be fun and exciting to go where not many people have been. Robert Frost is saying that, although it could be a risky move, sometimes in life, you can’t be afraid to take the less popular route. In the final lines of the poem, Robert Frost writes “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”. This line is very important, as it sums up the entire purpose of the poem. Robert Frost is trying to apprise the readers that, whether it be for better or for worse, taking the less traveled road can change the course of your entire life, just as it did for him.

The messages that authors of poems try to convey to the readers are important for us to remember all throughout our lives and make us grow as a human being. Robert Frost’s purpose for writing The Road Not Taken is to inform readers about how making salient decisions can “make all the difference” in the outcome of the rest of your life, and, although choosing the more favored or popular choices is periodically easier, never be afraid to walk the road not taken.

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