The poem describes a traveler coming to a fork in the road in a yellow wood. The traveler could not take both roads, so he stood looking down one road for a long time. He then took the other road, which seemed just as fair and had less wear, though the roads appeared equally worn. Knowing that each choice would lead to further choices, the traveler doubted returning. He resolves to recount ages later how he took the less traveled road, and that it made all the difference.

1. The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

2. TWO ROADS
diverged
in a yellow wood,
And
SORRY
I could not
travel both

3. And be one traveler,
long I stood
And
looked down
one
as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

4. Then took the
other,
as just as
fair,
And having perhaps the
BETTER CLAIM,

5. Because it was grassy and
wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn
them really about
the same,

6. And both that morning
equally lay
In leaves
no step
had
trodden black.

7. Oh, I kept the first for
ANOTHER DAY!
Yet knowing how
way leads on to way,
I
DOUBTED
if I should ever
come back.

8. I shall be
telling
this with a
SIGH
Somewhere
ages and ages hence:

9. Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I—
I took
the one
less traveled
by,
And
that has made
all the difference.

10. The Road Not Taken
-1-
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, -3-
And sorry I could not travel both And both that morning equally lay
And be one traveler, long I stood In leaves no step had trodden black.
And looked down one as far as I could Oh, I kept the first for another day!
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Yet knowing how way leads on to
way,
-2- I doubted if I should ever come back.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim, -4-
Because it was grassy and wanted I shall be telling this with a sigh
wear; Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Though as for that, the passing there Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
Had worn them really about the same, I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.