The Road Not Taken : Key info

Key info

Key Facts

• Full Title: The Road Not Taken
• Author: Robert Frost (1874–1963)
• Title of the Author: Poet of New England Life; Master of Rural Realism and Symbolism
• Source: Appeared in Frost’s poetry collection Mountain Interval (1916)
• Written Time: 1915 (during Frost’s stay in England)
• First Published: 1916
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (New York)
• Genre: Lyric Poem, Philosophical Poem, Allegorical Poem
• Form: Four stanzas of five lines each (quintains); written in iambic tetrameter
• Rhyme Scheme: ABAAB
• Tone: Reflective, thoughtful, and slightly ironic
• Point of View: First-person narrative (the poet as the traveller)
• Climax: The speaker chooses “the one less travelled by,”. It symbolises a life-changing decision
• Famous Line: “I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.”
• Setting:

• Time Setting: Autumn morning. It symbolises maturity and choice in life
• Place Setting: A yellow wood — a forest path dividing into two roads. It symbolises life’s choices

Key Notes

• Road: The “Road” symbolizes the choices of life. The poet stands at a point where two roads divide, feeling confused. It represents that moment in life when a person must make a single, important decision.
• Two Roads: The two roads represent two possibilities or two directions in life. One is common and well-known, while the other is less familiar. The poet chooses the second one, which symbolizes individuality, courage, and independent thinking.
• Yellow Wood: The “Yellow Wood” symbolizes the autumn of life or a time of maturity. It represents that stage when a person looks back on life and reflects on the path he has taken.
• Choice: The main theme of the poem is the idea of choice in life. Every person must, at some point, make a decision that shapes their future.