TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED UPON By Jamison Dempsey Joyce

Lyrics to song and poem  There's a road a winding road that never ends Full of curves lessons learned at every bend Goin's rough unlike the straight and narrow It's for those who go against the grain Have no fear dare to dream of a change live to march to the beat of a different drummer And it all might come together And it all might unraveled On the road less traveled For the road less traveled ain't for the faint of heart For those who choose to play it safe and never stray too far Me I want to live my life and one day leave my mark And it all might come together And it all come unraveled On the road less traveled I've chosen a pathway I may not endure One thing's for certain nothing for sure And it all might come together And it all might come unraveled On the road less traveled For the road less traveled ain't for the faint of heart For those who choose to play it safe and never stray too far Me I want to live my life and one day leave my mark And it all might come together And it all come unraveled On the road less traveled There's a road winding road that never ends  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 The Road Less Traveled by George Strait The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Thesis  Although both authors have similar motifs to write these pieces, George Strait’s The Road Less Traveled is much more straightforward about the benefits of taking the different path while Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken portrays that the author questioned his decision at first.

Literary Devices  Repitition- “And it all might come together…”  Symbolism-The Road  Imagery-Go Against the Grain  Tone- Grateful  Mood-Optimistic “And it all might come together, And it all might come unraveled, on the road less traveled.”  Repitition- “And”  Symbolism-The Road  Imagery-Grassy and wanted wear  Tone- Grateful  Mood- Nostalgic “I shall be telling this with a sigh” The Road Less Traveled by George Strait The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Robert Frost  (March 26, 1874-January 29, 1963) A highly rewarded American poet and teacher who has endured many hardships throughout his life such as the death of his father at a young age, several children for various reasons, and wife to heart failure. Went to great universities such as Harvard and Dartmouth, but saw his true calling as a poet. Followed this dream and even dropped out of Harvard to live on a farm in New Hampshire and write poetry. Frost would write poetry in the early mornings and work on the farm during the day. Frost wrote some of the most popular poems of all time and received many rewards. He even read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. He is without a doubt one of the most famous poets of the 20 th century.

George Strait  (Born May 18, 1952) Born in Poteet, Texas to a family of famers. His mother left with his sister when he was in the third grade leaving his father as the only parental figure in his life. He also lost hid daughter later on in life which was influential on his music. Was in garage bands in high school, but was influenced by country singers to become one himself. He was at Texas State University, but dropped out. He then joined the military and began performing with a band. He continued singing without any likelihood of being successful due to lack of connections. A friend with connections convinced big time people in the music industry to listen to George sing at a bar and they were impressed. Strait has had 38 hit albums since and has won several awards. He has had the most hit records behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley. He is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. George Strait is considered a country music legend.

Comparison  Both authors have endured loss that has been equally hurtful throughout their life and they took the different routes to success rather than the norm. For example, both authors dropped out of college for various reasons. They pursued careers where the chance of success were very low, but defied all odds and were successful. Although Frost was a graduate of Dartmouth, the fact that he dropped out of Harvard and lived on a farm writing poetry is quite a different path to take. Likewise, Strait dropping out of college and trying to sing professionally is not the typical road to success. Their poems both share the same theme about how taking the path with more risk is harder yet more rewarding in the end. George Strait has a much more optimistic mood while observing the benefits of taking the road less traveled. Robert Frost is much more nostalgic of the journey and even calls the other path “as just as fair.” Both authors use similar literary devices such as imagery symbolism and repition, but the mood is the defining difference between the two.

Works Cited  Wikipedia