"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost presents readers with a recognizable situation that they have probably encountered numerous times in their lives: a moment where they have to make a choice. This choice is typically between two things that are similar but have the ability to lead you in completely different directions. It is a free choice that we are given, but have no exact knowledge of what we are fully choosing between.
 During Poetry Week last year, I saw this poem plastered on the door of a bathroom stall, and it caught my eye and immediately had a profound impact on me. I read it over and over again as certain lines resonated with me. "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference," kept standing out in my head as I read the poem. Clearing my mind and easing my indecisiveness, I had made my decision. For me, I wasn't choosing between what tennis shoes to buy or what to eat for lunch; I was choosing my college.
Poetry has the ability to bring all sorts of emotions to people, making them react in different ways than maybe their friend would. That, however, is the lovely thing about poetry. It can be as small as four stanzas, like "The Road Not Taken," but can impact a life or decision so greatly.
My favorite aspect of this poem is that Robert Frost really leaves the meaning of the poem up to the reader, allowing them to insert parts of his/her life in the cracks. This also allows the reader to find a slightly different meaning to the poem every time he/she reads it because it is so flexible and adaptable.
I think it was fate that I found this poem while I was going to the bathroom in the middle of math class. It is by far my favorite poem because of the effect is has had on me. I also knew it was important to me when it was the first thing I shared with my parents when I came home from school. This poem, as weird as it sounds, saved me from my own insanity at a time of tremendous stress and indecisiveness. It has eased my mind and made me find clarity and confidence in my college decision. Thank you, Robert Frost!

(I'm excited to start the poetry unit!)