August 14, 2010

  • first impressions (entry inspired by morningmoka)


    the road not taken
    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 shall 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 road less traveled by
    and that has made all the difference.

    Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" expresses my exact sentiments about attending school here.

    I once memorized this poem for a speech in high school and, even though I didn't quite understand it back then, I've always thought that it contained a dual meaning.

    Back then, I believed that this poem encourages people to take the "road not taken," and promises that choosing this road will lead to wonderful outcomes. 

    Now, I truly understand and appreciate its air of uncertainty.

    "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    "
    When Frost first looked down the two roads, he thought that one path was less taken than the other.  But as he took steps down that path, he realized that both paths were about the same.

    "oh, i kept the first for another day,
    yet knowing how way leads on to way,
    i doubted if i shall ever come back    "
    Frost starts to express a bit of regret here.  He knows that his path is not necessarily "less taken," so he want to take the first path too.   Unfortunately, he's kind of stuck on his second path..  and he knows that he can't go 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 road less traveled by,
    and that has made all the difference"
    What kind of sigh is this? A sigh of accomplishment and happiness? Or a sigh of regret and longing?
    What kind of "difference"? A good difference? Or a bad one?
    He doesn't know - he can't see that far into the future, he can't see past the bend in the road.  All he only knows that his choice is significant - that he will be sighing and thinking about it somewhere down the road of life. He doesn't know whether it will be a sigh of accomplishment, or a sigh of regret. He doesn't know whether it will be a good difference or a bad one.

    And neither do I.

    Do you know this poem? What do you think it means?

Comments (8)

  • This is such a beautiful post.. I was deeply moved when I read "Now, I truly understand and appreciate its air of uncertainty." as it so perfectly described my current state of mind right now. I need to rush off to a house party now. Will definitely be back later to share my interpretation of this Frost masterpiece!!

  • @morningmoka - yay! can't wait to read your interpretation!!

  • I often think about the choices we make in life when I get to a divergence on the freeway. As you enter a new highway, the cars who chose the other path soon disappear from view. It reminds me of the common path we share at one time with people we come in contact with as friends and acquaintances as we proceed with our journey. As time goes on, some will take different paths and leave our lives as we all continue to make decisions of our course of direction. At the same time, we make new friends/acquaintances from meeting those embarking on journeys moving in similar directions as our own merging onto the new path.

    Frost is one of my favorite poets. I take this poem to mean the author has the dilemma most of us have faced - take that the tried and true path most people take with expected outcomes, or to venture on an alternate path that is lesser known and possibly more uncertain. There's no way to tell if the lesser known path is better or worse, and time limitations may mean we may only get to choose one path and never experience the other. 
    While he may have the regret of "what if?", a question we all face when having to choose, he is resolved to take the less traveled road as it reflects the type of person he is. So whether the ultimate outcome is greater or less, he has satisfaction in the choice he made. 

    There is also a third option which is not addressed - to create one's own path and skip the roads all together. :)

    One of my top Frost poems is "Miles to Go Before I Sleep". It resonates with me and my continued drive to achieve all my goals. 

  • poetry is like life: it's what you make of it.

    hope you're settling in ok.

  • I love this poem.  I have not memorized it, and I am impressed that you have.  I am also impressed by your post.  I think that your interpretation is definitely more mature than routine interest in the road less traveled as something we should all consider more, an idea that has definitely spread throughout American culture (Yogi Berra famously said "When you see a fork in the road, take it!").  As you point out, it's about regret, but reminds us that regret is inevitable because we can take only one road in life.  

    Now that you're in New England, you might want to pick up a book (yes, a physical, "smell the paper and turn the pages" book) of Frost's poems.  They will speak to you.

  • after rereading this poem here, i realized i had the same misinterpretation as you did. i used to think that it was suggesting that the road less taken was the path to positive differences in life. it was that misinterpretation that made me decide to pack and leave for a whole new life in japan.

    in retrospect, i finally understood now the "sigh" in the poem. it's not possible to pinpoint it as a sigh of relief or regret. since he realized it was equally well-trodden and he didn't have the chance nor time to try the alternative path, he would never know if the path he took was the "better" one. the only thing he knew was that taking the seemingly less taken path had made a big difference to his life and that he would always go through life wondering how things would have turned out if he had taken the other path.

    interestingly, the mood of uncertainty surrounding this poem really describes my state of mind now..and that tricky "sigh" was just all too familiar..

  • this poem is something truly amazing, i appreciate Frost's work, and by far this is my favorite poem (along with The Raven by edgar allen poe) which is two completely different writers but regardless 2 who have captured my attention. There is pages upon pages of which this poem could be wrote about. many different angles and thoughts as well. The choices in life, what we view life as, can things be seen without going through them, why do others simply take the "easy" way out when the other way might very much indeed benefit something greater. haha i might just come back and give you a better interpretation of what i feel. but regardless this is a pretty great entry

  • The poem's inspiration was literal. Frost and a friend decided to go for a hike. Stopping upon splitting trail, on whim, the friend decided left instead of right.

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