Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken”

History of Robert Frost Born in 1874 in San Francisco, California to William Frost and Isabelle Moody Father died when Frost was 11 Journalist Mother is Scottish School teacher Lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts with grandfather William Prescott Frost Grandfather gave Frost good education Graduated in 1892-attended Dartmouth college for short time

History (cont’d) Many jobs Married Elinor White in 1895 Working in textile mill Latin teacher Cobbler Farmer School teacher Married Elinor White in 1895 6 children Studied at Harvard-left with no degree Poems rejected by Atlantic Monthly Sold farm and moved family to England afterwards First poem published in England at age 39

History (cont’d) Returned to U.S. in 1915 with family Bought another farm in Franconia, New Hampshire Atlantic Monthly asked for Frost’s poems Turned in previously rejected poems 1916-made member of National Institute of Arts and Letters 1916-third collection of poems published Mountain Interval “The Road Not Taken” “The Oven Bird” “Birches” “The Hill Wife” Deep appreciation of nature and sensibility about human ambitions Images taken from everyday life

History (cont’d) 1920-purchased farm in South Shaftsbury, Vermont 1938-wife died along with 4 of his children Other 2 daughters had mental breakdowns Son had committed suicide Frost suffered depression 1961-read 2 original poems at inauguration of President John F. Kennedy Death-January 29, 1963

Frost’s Rewards/Honors 1949-Saimpson Lecturer for Life 1950-Tribute from the U.S. Senate 1953-Tribute from American Academy of Poets 1956-Tribute from New York University 1958-Tribute from Huntington Hartford Foundation 1958-made poetry consultant for Library of Congress 1962-Congressional Gold Medal 1962-Edward MacDowell Medal

History of “The Road Not Taken” Frost claims to have written it about Edward Thomas-friend Walked many times through woods outside London While walking in woods they would come to 2 paths Thomas always wondered what other path would’ve brought Poem seems to say choice is inevitable Don’t know what choices mean until living them

Stanzas 1-2 First stanza-describes the situation Frost describes his position physically Looks down the roads for a long time Trying to make decision Second stanza-choice is made Chose the path that seemed to be less traveled Both actually had about the same wear but not entirely the same

Stanzas 3-4 Third stanza-continues to describe the paths Fresh fallen leaves on both May come back to walk the first Doubted he would be able to One thing in life leads to another and time is limited Fourth stanza-”Sigh” and “Difference” Trickiest piece of the poem “Difference” is neither positive or negative-hasn’t been lived through yet “Sigh” may be of relief or regret-don’t know because Frost hasn’t lived through the choice he made One choice can make “all the difference” in a person’s future

Literary Analysis Diverged- move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point, branch off Undergrowth-low-lying vegetation or small trees growing beneath larger trees, underbrush Trodden-a mark (as a footprint or imprint of a tire) Claim-to demand by or by virtue of a right, demand as a right or a due

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 the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked 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.