"He gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake." The horse's action portrays the tendency of people to question those choices they don't understand. This scene can be interpreted as the disapproving voice of society voicing its demands on those of a more sensitive bent.
In much the same vein as the previous stanza, Frost shows a depth of human understanding (and misunderstanding). Our motives are ours alone, and try as we might, we cannot truly understand another.
Frost concludes the poem by commenting on the nature of obligations and they role they play in our choices. "The woods are lovely, dark and deep / but I have promises to keep / and miles to go before I sleep..."
While the author expresses his desire to linger amongst the magnificent forest and rest awhile, he must push on due to his obligations. Contrary to his true wishes, he trudges on in the night. In the same way, we are all bound by responsibilities to do what is required of us instead of what we want.
In "The Road Not Taken," the author describes the pondering that ensues as he considers which path to take when the road before him forks. The entire essence of the poem is neatly distilled into the final stanza. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- / I took the one less traveled by, / and that has made all the difference." This is probably the most famous quotation of Frost's. Frost expresses how the choices we make contribute to our direction in life- who we are as people could be perceived as the sum of our choices. It is interesting to note that while the author says that his choice to travel the less-frequented path has "made all the difference', he neglects to say whether that difference was for the positive...
"Oh, I kept the first for another day! / yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back." For all his desire to wander off the beaten track, there is a strong urge in him to stay on the well-traveled road, to follow in other's steps. We all face conflicting desires that we seek to resolve, and Frost is no exception. As much as we may want to be an explorer or innovator, we are also inclined to follow the safer, more conventional road.
Also implicit in this stanza is the realization that we often cannot return to where we were in the past. In this way, our choices contribute to our overall makeup as people. Choices, once made, are hard to unmake, and this must be considered when pondering the different paths ahead of you.
From Frost's poems, we can discern many messages about choices. We can see that our choices can be misunderstood by others. He muses upon conflicting desires, where we are pulled in two different directions. He discusses situations where our promises shape our choices. He shows the potential of choices to bring about severe repercussions for ourselves. He also shows us that in the end, we all meet the same end- our choice is in what we do with the time given to us.
Bibliography
Frost, Robert. "Fire and Ice. "The Wondering Minstrels" 2001. http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/779.html
Frost, Robert. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." 1999. http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/155.html
Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." 1999. http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/51.html
