The setting of “At the Crossroads” is established right in the title, as well as the opening line. These set the premise for what the poem is going to explore. A crossroads is a place and symbol rife with superstition, believed to be a place encounters with the supernatural were more likely to occur. They also symbolize a metaphorical place of change or indecision; when one comes to a point where multiple decisions might be made, they’re said to be at a crossroads. The poet engages with both these meanings throughout the poem.