The poem describes a traveler coming to a fork in the road in a yellow wood, with two paths diverging. He stands for a long time, unsure of which path to take as both seem equally fair. He eventually chooses one path, rationalizing that it was less worn, though in reality the paths were equally worn. Though he keeps the other path for another day, he doubts he will ever return to make the choice again. The choice he made has made all the difference.