He Believed "The Road Not Taken" Was Very Misunderstood

Frost never meant “The Road Not Taken” to be taken so seriously; he composed the poem as a private jest for his friend Edward Thomas. Nevertheless, it is frequently read at high school and college graduations as a warning to build new pathways. Together, he and Thomas liked to go on walks, although Thomas was never sure which way he wanted to go. When he did make a decision, he frequently regretted not going in a different direction.

In the 2008 biography Fall of Frost by Brian Hall, the New York Times wrote, “Whichever direction they walk, they're bound to miss something excellent on the opposite path”. “The “sigh” stated in the final verse could be interpreted as either an emotion of regret or satisfaction.

Frost was taken aback when his audience started to interpret the poem as a metaphor for individual freedom. He complained to Thomas that the poem “The Road Not Received” was “taken quite seriously... despite doing my best to make it evident by my manner that I was joking....” after reading it to some college students. I apologize.