Poetry Break

1. The Road Not Taken

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;	5
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,	10
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.	15
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.	20

I know, everyone has read or heard of this poem. Robert Frost, the "American Poet" -- which I find quite comical, because I think most Americans do not understand his poetry. He is the most misquoted poet I've heard of -- not the words themselves, but the meaning. I admire his sarcasm. To me this poem isn't a poem about great expectations, definitely not something that should be read at highschool graduation, but more of a gloomy poem of uncertainty and regret in a decision made.

First stanza, "yellow wood" -- It's autumn, he's at the fall in his life, the speaker needs to make a decision, and the overall mood of the poem -- physical sounds (o's-- no highpitched i's and a's) themselves are low and full of gravity -- not excitement. The repetitive "And" -- like the speakers fumbling for words, and making excuses.

Here's a clear hint, "I shall be telling this with a sigh" -- hm... Anyways, my interpretation of the poem is that the speaker thinks he made a mistake in his life, that he choose the wrong path. Maybe it's the pessimist in me but I've always read it that way.

Well, I think I've been de-schooled long enough to get back into poetry -- all those monotonous english courses (especially WSU english courses) sure took a wear on me. I've been thinking of this poem today -- just because of all the decisions that Jeff and I are making lately, and I have this poem ringing in the back kind'of as a warning, that I don't want to look back with a "sigh" on the decisions my path will create.