Poetry The Road Not Taken Mrs. Elliott

Essential Questions? What affects the choices we make? Does every choice we make have a cost? What can we learn from the choices made by others? Does choosing to do one thing mean giving up the opportunity to do something else?

Robert Frost Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California but spent most of his life in New England after the death of his father. Both mother and grandfather were teachers. He grew up in a rural area in the north east of the United States. The area is characterized by hills, woods, farms and small towns. He attended Dartmouth College and Harvard, but didn’t graduate. He worked for many years as a farmer, in addition to teaching English and writing poems. In 1911, he moved to England in hopes of getting his poetry published. His poems reflect the sights and sounds of where he lived, the fields, farms and woods and scenes of everyday life (nature). All those elements make Frost’s poems accessible, leading readers to understand the deeper truths behind seemingly simple ideas. In an essay written by Frost, “Education by Poetry,” the person who gets close enough poetry is going to know more about the word belief than anybody else knows.”

The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Break Down Poetry Literal Meaning Summarize each stanza or line Tone/Mood Author’s Attitude/ Reader feel Structure Stanza, lines, & shape Language connotation/ detonation figurative language Point of View Narrator Sound Devices onomatopoeia, alliteration, repetition, rhyme Theme Overall message Imagery Senses

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; The ‘two roads’ represent a choice in life – this is a metaphor as the paths should not be seen literally ‘diverged’ – means split or divided he regrets not being able to make both choices - as ‘one traveler’ we cannot do this represents the thought process needed to make the choice. Sounds device: The poem rhymes: abaab – this is a lyrical, traditional poem unlike others in the anthology "yellow wood" –Setting is autumn & can be interpreted as a symbol of the nature of human life that ends in death. The narrator would like to come back to this place, but he assumes he want. Literal Meaning

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, sees both choices as having equal merit – pros and cons the narrator chooses the path that was grassier, hence less people had walked it in the past. Keep remembering this is all a metaphor for the choices one has to make in life after thinking about it he declares them worn ‘about the same’ – he contradicts himself showing us the difficulty of the decision and his hesitancy

Analysis What is the poem about ? What is the theme? The poem is about a choices and the need to make a decision or solve a problem

Is the speaker really standing in a forest thinking which way to go? What does the road symbolize ? The road = Life – Symbolism - the use of a concrete image (symbol) to represent an abstract idea. Symbolism

What is the main dilemma in the poem? The speaker is at a fork in the road – he has to choose which way to go. The fork in the road is a metaphor for a point in life when you need to make a choice. A metaphor is a type of comparison in which one thing is described as if it was something else (example: life is a box of chocolates)

How does the speaker solve his dilemma? – He compares the two roads – He weighs the pros and cons – He tries to foresee the future Which road does he choose? – the less traveled by – The more adventurous / the less conventional ??

HOTS – Problem Solving Problem solving is a thinking skill the involves: Identifying the problem Considering the options Weighing the pros and cons of each option Reaching a decision

How do you think the speaker feels about his choice ? – Last stanza takes place in the future – Sigh of relief ? Sigh of regret ? – The “what if ??”