The narrator begins the poem by describing his surroundings, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," (Line 1). This line is a metaphor in which the woods represent life. This image helps the reader to have a better understanding of the complexity of the problem the speaker is facing. When standing at the edge of woods, one cannot clearly see what is ahead, due to the trees other undergrowth blocking the view. Life is like those woods because no one can clearly see or predict what will happen in the future, only hope to choose a path that will lead to good fortune and happiness. Frost returns to this metaphor at the end of the first stanza.

Frost's use of word choice to prove his point is evident in this first line. The wood is descr

As with anything in life, one wants to be well informed before making major decisions. The narrator shows this quality: "And looked down one as far as I could/To where it bent in the undergrowth;" (Lines 4-5). The narrator is attempting to see where this path will take him, to see his future. However, this path, like many in life, is obstructed. The narrator seems to want a path that is not easy. An easy path would be much less of an interesting journey for this traveler. This narrator enjoys the challenge of the path and its uncertainties. This is another example of fate's control. Fate keeps this man from seeing down the path to what lies ahead.

In the final stanza of the poem, the narrator reflects on the decision that was made. He is relieved and satisfied with his final choice. However, in his recounting of his tale, he "shall be telling this with a sigh" (Line 16). The narrator will use this sigh as a dramatic pause, much like an old man leaning back in his recliner before telling a story of 50-cent movies and long walks to school to his grandchildren. Not only does the narrator take a pause to collect himself, he tells his story a bit differently than it actually happened: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--/I took the one less traveled by," (Lines 18-19). The narrator claims the he made the choice, all by himself. Frost emphasizes this by using "I" twice. The narrator would like to take credit for the path he has chosen and fails to realize the immense role fate played in his life. By thinking he had control over the choice makes him feel as if his decision was more important: "And that has made all the difference" (Line 20).

The second stanza begins with the choice of path being made: "Then took the other, as just as fair," (Line 6). Here, the word fair means that the other path looked just as promising as the first. "And having perhaps the better claim," once again shows fate's control over the narrator. This path seems to have a hold on the narrator, ultimately leaving him with little or no choice at all.

Conspicuous by its absence is the word "yellow" when used to describe the wood. As in the first line, the missing word's meaning is two-fold. First, the narrator refuses the word in his retelling of the story to portray confidence in his decision. Human nature makes him want his past to seem better than it actually was. He does not want to portray any kind of weakness or apprehension when telling h

Some common words found in the essay are:
Robert Frost's, Frost's Road, Secondly Frost, fate's control, word yellow, morning equally, wood line, merriam-webster defines diverge, journey narrator, poem narrator, defines diverge, refuses word, choice frost, roads diverged,
Approximate Word count = 1661
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)