The road not taken (1916)
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, 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 took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
By Robert Frost (1874-1963)
My analysis
The poem is a four stanza poem of 20 lines, it has 5 line in each stanza. The poem was written by Robert Frost to mock his friend in London who often suffered from indecision and spent more time complaining about the road not taken than enjoying the road he did take. The poem originally called two roads makes use of straight forward but somewhat archaic English. It is wonderful poem that speaks a truth present in every day life, each day we make choices, from trivial things like what to wear to important decisions like who to marry and often we suffer from indecision, doubt and regret, we find ourselves wondering what if; what if you had worn flats instead of heels, what if ate toast instead or pancakes, what if you had stayed with your ex, there will always be these doubts and regrets but Robert Frost encourages us not to dwell In the what if but rather to enjoy what we did choose and accept the consequences.
Major themes
1) Choices
2)indecision
3)consequence of choice
Written by Eva. O. Eke-Metoho 15/02/2021
Poetry with Eva 