Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

“You have to be careful of that one; it’s a trick poem – very tricky.” This was Robert Frost’s own comment regarding his famous poem that according to him has been widely misinterpreted.   The famous final three lines, of a poem better known under the title of The Road Less Traveled rather than it’s original title, has turned into one of pop culture’s favorite lines of encouragement. According to popular beliefs, the verses cite the fulfilling outcome of embarking a journey that is less traveled by. On August 23, 1953, in the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, however, Frost claimed that this poem was dedicated to a friend who had gone off to war. A friend, who whichever road he took would regret not taking the other. Through assessing the tone of the poem, and an especially careful look into some key contents of The Road Not Taken, this essay analyzes the clues in which Frost reveals his true intention of writing the poem that contradicts with most popular beliefs.
The poem begins with an important imagery that is not only significant to the setting of the poem, but also to the tone of the first stanza. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” abruptly introduces readers to the circumstances of the poem. The narrator walks in a forest to find a fork in the road. Since he cannot embark on both paths, the narrator understands that a decision has to be made. So, the narrator observes both trails to figure out which road may lead to a better outcome.
The symbolism of “yellow” is very important to the tone of the first stanza. The color yellow reveals that this event took place during autumn. In poetry, autumn often represents death, or gloom in this case. The choice of this particular season is important, because of the emotional impact it may have on the interpretations of readers. Had Frost chosen spring over autumn; the tone of the stanza would differ. For example, “And sorry I could not travel both”. The interpretation of “sorry” would differ based on the supporting...