Every aspect of a person's life is determined by the decisions they make. Some are life-changing, like deciding which college to attend, while others are inconsequential, like deciding what to eat for breakfast in the morning. 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayFirst of all, there is a dual meaning associated with the road symbol in this poem. Literally, Frost describes two tangible roads that someone must physically travel. Of course the reader knows this from the vivid imagery Frost provides when he begins the poem with "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" (Frost). The reader is given 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 centers on the narrator's decision about which path to take and the consequences that will result from his choice, which underlines the point that Frost is trying to make. Use the concrete example of the two paths to highlight the basics of decision making in one's life and how every decision you make affects everything else from there on out. Terry Andrews writes that this poem's popularity is due to the "simplicity of its symbolism" and that Frost sees the choice between the two paths "as a metaphor for choosing between different directions in life." Andrews is right that this is a simple connection that can be made regarding this poem, but while the symbolism may be easy to understand, the underlying development of metaphor is what really makes up the poem. Although they lead to two different places and follow two different routes, in reality each road is ultimately the same. Each of them has associated advantages and disadvantages, meaning that for every resource transported by one road, the other has an equally advantageous one. The narrator states that travelers before them "had worn them much the same" (Frost), revealing that although one may have had grass while the other did not, both traveled equivalently for the most part. When making a decision, it is important to understand the fact that whatever you choose will have the same benefits as the one left behind. A decision would not be a decision if it were not so. 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 “lie equally among the leaves, no step has turned back” (Frost). Basically, the narrator is saying that both paths are covered in leaves that have not been crushed by a traveler's foot, which shows that neither path has been taken in quite some time, once again proving their equality. This also reinforces the fact that the narrator, who is the new traveler, starts from scratch and comes to make the decision on his own. Throughout life there are many decisions to make that no one else has had to make before. When this time comes, it is important to realize that both decisions have advantages and disadvantages, essentially making one or the other a favorable choice. Dan Brown writes that "Frost seems to want things both ways in this poem" as it is obvious that he faces a struggle as he tries to make a decision. This is the classic situationwhere you can't have your cake and eat it too. As nice as it would be to reap the benefits of both paths, unfortunately the narrator is unable to do so; therefore, it is important to spend plenty of time examining the benefits identified with both options in order to make the best choice. Decisions take time, especially the ones alluded to in this poem: the life-changing ones. Frost mentions that every possibility must be weighed when making a decision. The narrator fully recognizes the first path and writes that he stood there and "looked at one as far away as he could" (Frost), which shows that he was truly reflecting on that path and trying to absorb all it had to offer. When you are about to make such an important decision, it is crucial to look at all the advantages and disadvantages of each, which is exactly what is being done here. It is obvious that the narrator is being pulled in both directions. He spends a fair amount of time looking at the first route, while on the other hand he is attracted to the second route due to its unworn nature. The narrator says he took the second road because of its grassiness and comments that the road "wanted to wear" (Frost). The alliteration used here draws specific attention to this phrase and the personification of the path it ends up taking. Attributing this physical need to “want to wear” to the path somehow gives a sense of validation for the narrator making the decision they did. It's almost as if he feels sorry for this route because it seems to have been overlooked by the travelers who preceded him. There is a sense of regret throughout Frost's poetry. Accompanying every decision are the opportunity costs you gave up when you decided against the other option. The title is a clear clue to how the narrator views the decision he has made. The poem is titled “The Road Not Taken,” emphasizing the road that was not chosen. Because of the title, before even reading the poem, the emphasis is on the alternative decision and the one that the narrator did not choose to make. One critic, Jennifer Bouchard, writes that this title “underscores the mystery surrounding the choices people make; in particular, the path not chosen” (Bouchard). He is right to point out that there is a sense of mystery surrounding 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 wondering about the choice made. At the beginning of the poem he tells the reader that he is sorry "that we cannot both travel" (Frost). This shows that he is admitting that each path has a lot to offer, so choosing one to take will cost him the benefits of the other and vice versa. Simply put, it's impossible to have your cake and eat it too. As nice as it would be to experience the benefits that both choices have to offer when making a decision, it is completely impossible. In the last stanza of the poem, the narrator admits that he "tells it with a sigh" (Frost). When someone sighs while telling a story or revealing something about themselves, it is on the grounds that they are not necessarily completely satisfied with the decision they made at that moment. The tone this sentence creates and the exasperation associated with the narrator's voice at this point demonstrate that the right decision will not always be chosen. 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. Frost concludes the poem with the narrator revealing that his choice of path "made all the difference" (Frost). The narrator says this with a longing approach and.