2. The Road Not Taken
Is a poem by Robert Frost, published
in 1916 as the first poem in the
collection Mountain Interval. The poem
may be the most widely recognized of
all poems
4. Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)
was an American poet. His work was initially published in
England before it was published in America. He is highly
regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his
command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently
employed settings from rural life in New England in the early
twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and
philosophical themes. One of the most popular and critically
respected American poets of the twentieth century, Frost was
honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer
Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America's rare "public
literary figures, almost an artistic institution." [3] He was
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his
poetical works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named Poet
laureate of Vermont.
5. History
Frost spent the years 1912 to 1915 in England, where
among his acquaintances was the writer Edward
Thomas. Thomas and Frost became close friends and
took many walks together. After Frost returned to
New Hampshire in 1915, he sent Thomas an advance
copy of "The Road Not Taken."[ The poem was
intended by Frost as a gentle mocking of indecision,
particularly the indecision that Thomas had shown on
their many walks together. Frost later expressed
chagrin that most audiences took the poem more
seriously than he had intended; in particular, Thomas
took it seriously and personally, and it may have been
the last straw in Thomas' decision to enlist in World
War I.] Thomas was killed two years later in the
Battle of Arras
6.
7. The two roads symbolize, obviously, the choices that the
speaker faces in life. He cannot take both, as much as he would like
to, so he spends time in comtemplation and observation. He cannot
see far, not far enough to make a confident decision as to the better
nature of one over the other. The fact that it is a "yellow wood"
perhaps indicates that, as fall is often a symbol of the waning years
of one's life, the speaker is past his youth, when he can make a
choice with the confidence that it is correctible at a later time. The
choice he makes will be permanent, highly impacting the rest of his
fast-disappearing days. As one approaches middle age, he comes to
grip with the fact that his time for hopes and dreams is past; he
must come to grips with the reality created by the choices he has
made.
8. Here the speaker seems to be contradictory. He has
made a choice, but is still unsure about it. It is "just as fair"
yet it has "the better claim." Then again, there is no
appreciable difference as "passing there / Had worn them
really about the same." He is still trying to convince himself
that either choice would have been acceptable (just in case
this path proves ill-advised). He cannot quite make up his
mind about the wisdom of his decision.
9. The speaker is still in the process of
convincing himself, even to the point of self-delusion.
He tries to tell himself that, should this road proves
not the right one, he will have the chance to go back
to take the other road. Yet, in a road of complete
honesty, he knows that life will probably not allow
him the choice to return, even if he should wish to.
He has transitioned to the point where he realized
that his time being a youth had done. and now he
should accept the choices he choose. And make a
difference.
10. He has come to the decision that, for
good or ill, the choice he has made will be
permanent and highly effecting of his
life. He looks ahead to the time when he
can look back and tell that the choice he
made, whether wise or not, the point was
his life's path was set.
