The path through life is paved with good intentions; but it is the ever-present question of what could have been which seems to linger most among life's travelers. This path is never straight from beginning to end but instead filled with many decisions on which direction to head. The persona in Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" conveys many different symbols but the most predominant is regret. The traveler's regret is apparent in his view of the past, and the attitude with which he looks upon his future.
After making a decision, it is impossible not to wonder what opportunities had been waiting if only a different choice had been made. The persona portrays a sense of this when he says, "And sorry I could not travel both..." (Line 2). There is often a strong sense of regret that follows each decision made. Obviously it is impossible to travel down every path in one's lifetime; instead we are constantly forced to decide on a path. In an attempt to make a decision, the persona "looks down one as far as I could" (4) but eventually it exceeds his vision. This decision is what will set him off on his journey.
The persona is proud of the decisions that he has made throughout his life and he realizes it is these paths that helped him become the person he is. His reasoning is revealed when he says, "I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference" (19,20). Perhaps, he is looking back on his life believing he has chosen only the road that he wanted even if it was the road less traveled. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be the man he is now.
Although the path through life is a constant journey, it is the question of what could have been that constantly lingers. Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" echo's the persona's feeling of regret. He makes a decision in his life that changed
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