![]() The latter book was published in the United States in 1915. Publishers liked his work and printed his first book of poems, A Boy’s Will, in 1913, and a second poetry collection, North of Boston, in 1914. Disappointed with the scant attention his poems received, he moved with his wife to Great Britain to present his work to readers there. Frost attended Dartmouth and Harvard, married Miss White in 1895, worked farms, and taught school. There, Robert graduated from high school, sharing top honors with a student he would later marry, Elinor White. In 1885, after his father died of tuberculosis, the Frosts moved to Massachusetts. Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Francisco, California, where he spent his childhood. Such challenges seem to appeal to the speaker. It may be that the road the speaker chooses is less traveled because it presents trials or perils. The speaker does not have second thoughts after making his decision. He says, "Long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could" (lines 3-4). Before deciding to take the "road less traveled" (line 19), the speaker takes time to consider the other road. The speaker chooses to go his own way, taking the “road less traveled” (line 19). However, when he chooses this less-traveled road, the other road then becomes the road not taken. ![]() In other words, he chooses the road not taken by most other travelers. Here's why: The speaker takes the road "less traveled" (line 19). You may have noticed that the title of the poem can refer to either road. He observes, however, that he probably will never pass this way again and thus will never have an opportunity to take the other road. The speaker remains committed to his decision to take the road he had previously selected, saying that he will save the other road for another day. No one on this morning has yet taken either road, for the leaves lie undisturbed. After a moment, he concludes that both roads are about equally worn. This selection suggests that he has an independent spirit and does not wish to follow the crowd. The speaker selects the road that appears at first glance to be less worn and therefore less traveled. He examines one choice as best he can, but the future prevents him from seeing where it leads. ![]() On the road of life, the speaker arrives at a point where he must decide which of two equally appealing (or equally intimidating) choices is the better one. ![]() In "The Road Not Taken," the path through the "yellow wood" could be anywhere, but Frost may have been picturing the Gloucestershire wilds when he began putting the poem on paper. Frost and Thomas continued to communicate until Thomas died fighting in World War I. In response, Frost began writing "The Road Not Taken," but he did not finish it until he and his family returned to the United States. Upon returning from their walks, Thomas often expressed a wish that they had taken an alternate trail or road to view its plants. ![]() At the urging of Frost, Thomas began writing poetry and later achieved his greatest fame in this genre. During their frequent walks in lanes, forests, and heather fields, they would discuss poetry and botany, noting the plants and flowers in the region. Thomas was a literary critic, essayist, and nature writer who had favorably reviewed a volume of Frost's poetry and become one of his best friends. Another writer, Edward Thomas (1878-1917), was staying with his family at a cottage half a mile away. While living in Great Britain from 1912 to 1915, Frost and his family had rented a cottage, Little Iddens, near Dymock, Gloucestershire, in the summer of 1914. He received inspiration for the poem from the landscape in rural Gloucestershire, England. He had previously published two books in England.įrost sets the poem on a forest road on an autumn morning. (A lyric poem presents the feelings and emotions of the poet rather than telling a story or presenting a witty observation.) Henry Holt and Company published the poem in 1916 in a collection entitled Mountain Interval, Frost's first book printed in the United States. "The Road Not Taken" is a lyric poem with four stanzas of five lines each. ![]()
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