The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost (1874-1963)
He never needed the letter E !
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;
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.That Road, I Trod It Not
Two roads! At a fork in an autumn wood
I was sorry I could not go down both
Without bifurcating. Long I stood
looking down road X as far as I could
till it slank out of sight in that sylvan growth.
And I took road Y, which could turn a trick,
Alluring, and angling for priority,
That is, it was grassy and in good nick,
Though I must say footfall and walking-stick
Had worn both roads with comparability.
And both that morning similarly lay
Intact, no taint of any trampling black.
I put off Road X for a distant day,
Though, knowing how way links up with way,
I hardly thought that I would go back.
I shall spout this story and I shall sigh,
Who knows how soon, or in what locality:
Two roads at a fork in a wood, and I –
Shunning busy road X, I took road Y! –
With what upshot? A thoroughgoing dissimilarity!
The story behind this poem:
'Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" is both humorous and ironic, reflecting the poet's playful side. In the early 20th century, Frost became close friends with the English writer Edward Thomas. They often took long walks together through the countryside, where Thomas would frequently express regret over not choosing a different path once they had gone a certain way. Frost, amused by Thomas's indecision and tendency to second-guess himself, decided to write a poem as a gentle parody of his friend.
'In 1915, Frost penned "The Road Not Taken," intending it as a playful mockery of Thomas’s indecisiveness. The poem's narrator stands at a fork in the woods, choosing one path over another, only to later claim that the choice made "all the difference," despite the paths being equally worn. Frost sent the poem to Thomas, expecting his friend to catch the humor. However, Thomas did not realize that the poem was meant to be lighthearted and instead interpreted it as a serious reflection on choice and consequence. This misunderstanding disappointed Frost but also deepened the poem’s legacy, as it highlighted how easily people can misconstrue intentions based on their perspectives.
'Interestingly, this poem, which Frost intended as a joke, became one of his most famous and is often quoted as an inspiring message about individualism and the significance of choices in life. Yet, Frost’s original intent was more about poking fun at the human tendency to overthink and attribute deep meaning to decisions that, in hindsight, may not have been as significant as we believe.
'This story not only sheds light on the poem’s true meaning but also adds a layer of irony, as the world continues to interpret the poem in a way that differs from Frost’s original playful intent.'
Translation: Copyright © Timothy Adès