Throughout "The Road Not Taken," nature is used as a metaphor for the life of the speaker. The speaker contextualizes a major decision by writing about it as if it were something he encountered while walking in a forest in the fall. This metaphor helps us wrap our minds around the complexities of a choice that will decide his future.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- Why do you think this poem takes place in autumn?
- What do you think the roads in this poem look like?
- What is the effect of this poem taking place in a forest?
- If you had to create a metaphor about one of your major life decisions, where would your setting be?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The speaker would prefer to take a path that would keep him closer to nature, and farther away from other people.