I really enjoyed reading “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost as it really resonated with me, especially as a college student.  Frost wrote about a trip where a road split forcing him to make a decision about which one to take. He decided to take the one that was “grassy and wanted wear” meaning it had not been traveled on by many others, or anyone at all (8). I thought this was a bold move, as if I were in his position, personally I would have been skeptical about why others had taken the other one over the one he chose. I would have been afraid that there might be something dangerous or wrong with that path which is good reason why others had not taken that path either. In trying to decide which path to choose, he looked down both of them as far as he could, but obviously he could not see the ends of the paths, therefore, making a blind guess. Yet, he was still encouraged to take “the one less traveled by, / [in which we see] has made all the difference” (19-20). 

In college, we are starting to make decisions for ourselves that ultimately determine what our future will look like. Whether it is deciding which courses to take, or what clubs to be a part of, we are making decisions that will either set us up for success or lead us into failure. This idea can seem scary and overwhelming which can hinder us from taking risks in fear of failure. Similarly to the way Frost could not see the end of each path, we cannot see the end of the path our decision lead us on, and in this way, we are also making “blind guesses.” Even with the mysteries that lie ahead, Frost sends an encouraging message to still take the risks and try the paths that no one has traveled on. There is no way to know for sure if something will end in failure or success, so the only way to know for sure is to try it. In the poem he says, “Though as for that the passing there / Had worn them really about the same” (9-10). I interpreted this line to mean that in the end regardless of which path he had chosen, he ended up where he was supposed to be and was lead back to a path that had been taken by others again. This adds to his message that regardless of the path you choose, whether it leads to failure or success, you will find your way through and end up where you are meant to be. I received this message with assurance that it is okay to take the riskier path, or one that no one has taken before, because it’ll all work out in the end. Even if your decision leads to failure, sometimes you must fail to learn and grow so that you can be successful. I think this poem also sends a great message to be a leader not a follower. Do what you want to do, not what you think you should do.