“two roads diverged in a yellow wood” the key word is “two” in our lives we face decisions where we have two choices, even when it seems there is only one choice, we can or not do it so there are two alternatives, also “Yellow wood” questions reader what time of day it is? What feeling do you get from yellow? What season it is? A “No one has yet walked upon the leaves” initiate that it is autumn and yellow is an autumn color.
“And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood” tells the reader that there are times people could take both choices instead of one but we cannot so we must agonize over the choices; weigh the possibilities.
“I shall be telling this with a sigh” the sighing shows that he is wanting and wishing he could try the other road, tells the reader that he regrets choosing the road. But the sigh can also mean a nostalgic relief or even shocking sigh, the readers do not know what kind of sigh the writer has initiated which leaves the readers confused.
It also shows irony, he got to choose which road he wanted to take, he wasn’t forced into his decision yet he is sighing, showing that he does not approve of what he only chose Frost has a regret for the choice that he has made and he is relating the hardships of that choice to the reader.
Decisions, Decisions, Frost tells the reader that what we do is come up with some justifications for the choice we made even though we question our decision, even as we make it, when the choice are so close to being equal at the end does it really matter?
Throughout the 1st 2nd and 3rd stanza the text is represented to be past tense but in the 4th stanza it suddenly changes to present tense, suddenly change of tone we hear a different story from the 1st 2nd and 3rd stanzas, about sighing and differing the road he did not take.
