(Cramer 157) Many think that he wrote this poem about himself and his personal experiences through life. Though it is about a personal experience, the poem is indeed not about his life.
Frost and his good friend, Edward Thomas, who was a poet as well, would often go on long walks through the Gloucestershire countryside. Thomas would try and choose a path that would allow him to show Frost a rare plant or a special scene. Often, before the walk would end, Thomas would regret his choice, sighing over what they could have seen had they chosen a better route. (Cramer 111) These eventful walks prompted Frost to write the poem "The Road Not Taken". Without knowing this, the poem can easily be misinterpreted into a poem written about the author himself. I was amazed to learn the actual story behind Frost's writing.
The relations between Thomas and Frost were mutually beneficial. Thomas was encouraged by Frost to write poems, while Frost enjoyed hearing new ideas and getting attention from a "strong, critical mind" like Thomas". (Parini 82) It is due to Frost that Thomas really became very interested in poetry and became the serious poet that he was. .
Frost later sent "The Road Not Taken" to Thomas, but Thomas didn't realize it was written about him. Thomas in return insisted to Frost that "I doubt if you can get anybody to see the fun of the thing without showing them and advising them which kind of laugh they are to turn on." Though Frost didn't agree with this, he did on occasion warn his audiences and other readers that it was a tricky poem. (Hoffman 153).
A portion of the poem that is specifically focused on by readers is the "sigh" in the fourth stanza. Many say that he is looking back at his life. I also had that outlook until I learned otherwise. They claim that this "sigh" represents the regrets that he holds after the choices he's made and paths he's chosen. Others argue that it is a shift in tone, or that it is a view into the future.
