1. The Road not Taken Robert Lee Frost March 26, 1874 January 29, 1963

2. 3. 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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

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

7. 8. to diverge 9. to doubt 10. hence 11. sigh 12. undergrowth 13. to diverge 14. to doubt 15. hence 16. sigh 17. undergrowth 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. to diverge 24. to doubt 25. hence 26. sigh 27. undergrowth 28. yellow wood leaves turn yellow in autumn fair beautiful claim argument grassyand wanted wear overgrown and unused the passing there the number of people who had taken that road no step had trodden back stepping on leaves they turn black ages and ages a very long time 29. How do we go about breaking thepoetic code ?

By Looking at Robert Frosts choice of words we get a clue as to what the poet is saying.

30.

Tworoad s divergedinayellow wood

And sorryIcould not travelboth

And beonetraveler, longIstood

And looked downoneas far asIcould

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then tookthe other , as just as fair

And having perhaps the bett erclaim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that, the passing there

Had wornthemreally about the same.

Andboththat morningequallylay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh,Ikept the first foranotherday!

Yet knowing howway leads on to way ,

Idoubted ifIshould ever come back.

Ishall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Tworoad s divergedinawood, andI

Itook theoneless traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

31. system of systems

onetwo

one person has two choices

32.

travel /being a traveller

two roads diverge

a yellow wood

What are possible connotations of

travel roads wood?

33.

How does he reach his decision?

Which words evoke his emotions?

Was the decision difficult?

34.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

AndsorryI 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

35.

And havingperhapsthe better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that , the passing there

Had worn themreally about the same .

Andboththat morningequallylay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

36.

Look at the words in red and try to find the common denominator, we can establish that the speaker spent some time trying to make up his mind (long I stood) and that he underwent a process of considering the pros and cons.

The decision was hard because there was really wasn't much to choose between the two roads. They both attracted him but the (later) "less travelled by" road was the one he chose.

37. Universal Themes

Traveling

The idea of man traveling through life which is a series of roads and crossroads.

People make decisions along the way which may be very difficult.

One can never see into the future (the bend in the road the undergrowth)

The decisions are irreversible (way leads on to way)

38. Robert Frost on his own poetry:

"One stanza of 'The Road Not Taken' was written while I was sitting on a sofa in the middle of England: Was found three or four years later, and I couldn't bear not to finish it. I wasn't thinking about myself there, but about a friend who had gone off to war, a person who, whichever road he went, would be sorry he didn't go the other. He was hard on himself that way."

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, 23 Aug. 1953

39.