Themes and message

The main theme of the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is indecision, followed by the theme of regre…

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Indecision

At some point in our lives, we are all faced with a decision. It may be a decision related to our love live, to our professional career, or our friendships. Either way, a decision will eventually have to be made. The poet’s message is that one cannot escape the reality of having to decide. No matter what we choose, …

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Regret

Another important theme in “The Road Not Taken” is regret. This theme is felt from the very beginning of the poem: from the title. Notice how the poem is not titled “The Road Taken”, but “The Road Not Taken”. This shows the fact that the speaker will always regret the road he did not take and that it will linger somewhere in the back of his mind.

The theme of regret is ironically explored in Frost’s poem. First of all, look at the way in which both roads are described. The roads are both “really about the same” (l. 10) and “equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black” (ll. 11-12). Since both r…