"The Road Not Taken" has a simple message that students can respond to. After reading the poem together and discussing its meaning, have students write personal essays about a regret from their past. They should think about specific roads in their past they chose not to take and imagine what might have resulted if they had chosen differently. Alternatively, pair students up and have them discuss how the poem makes them feel. You can also lead a classwide discussion about their responses to the poem. Read broad statements, such as "The speaker in this poem is happy," and have students who agree with lift their hands.
Reading poetry can also be an occasion for laughter and creativity. Have students write a mock version of "The Road Not Taken" from the perspective of someone who regrets something silly. Sample titles can be "The Pizza Slice Not Eaten" or "The Video Game Not Played." Encourage students to copy Frost's exact rhyme scheme and meter. You can also have students write a prose sequel to the poem. Have them imagine what happens to the speaker after taking the road less traveled, and what kinds of characters he encounters.
Getting students to think about setting is an important aspect of introducing them to poetry analysis. Have your students draw a picture of how they see the poem in their minds. Get them to read the poem very carefully, picking out specific words evoking an image or setting for them. Ask students to make a three-dimensional representation of the poem using modeling clay or make posters they present to the entire class. The poster may contain a variety of elements, including favorite lines from the poem, pictures they find of forests or roads, pictures or biographical details about Robert Frost. Have students add three-dimensional objects placed on a table in front of the poster.
Students can also respond to "The Road Not Taken" by putting their acting skills to use. For one activity, break students into groups of three or four and have them act out the poem while they read it in front of the class. Encourage them to be creative in how the represent the poem's various elements. Play an improvisational game called "The Road Not Taken." Have two students improvise a skit. After a few minutes, ask for suggestions from the rest of the class for how else the scene might have gone, or "The Road Not Taken." Have the two students act out this alternative version. When they are done, ask for two new volunteers and begin again.