He then goes on to describe the character of Thomas as someone who was always hard on themselves and no matter which option he chose, he would always beat himself up for not taking the other. In his book on Frost’s life, biographer Lawrance Thompson insinuates that the poet wrote this piece with his author friend, Edward Thomas, in mind. It would be expected that if the road he chooses has brought all the positive change that is always assumed as the poem ends, then Frost would have titled it close to that and not the alternative. Interestingly, Frost decided to name this poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, which begs the question of which road carries more weight to the main character. Now, without downplaying its ability to inspire through positive individualism, Frost also expresses regret for the road he did not choose and even paints it in broad strokes throughout the poem. So the speaker resorts that he will be telling this story in ages to come: how he chose the less preferred option that has made all the difference. As the narrator walks down, he plans to keep the other road for another day but doubts that he will ever come back given the nature roads (read life) always leading to others. They look down upon one until they could see no further but chooses the other. In the woods, the narrator comes across two diverging roads. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I–/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference.”

The poem’s last three lines often sum up these powerful talks, How they took a different career path or made an infamous decision and that has put them at that podium. Motivational speakers, pastors, promotion, and award speeches all tout its main theme of individualism and ‘following your own path’. Robert Frost’s famous poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ has been anthologized in plentiful collections and quoted in a multitude of settings, some without even knowing it.

The road not taken tone