1. COMPARE & CONTRAST POEM #1

2.  The process of studying both the differences and similarities, side by side, of two separate text. COMPARE & CONTRAST POETRY ESSAY “A Road Not Taken” Poem #2 =

3. X Y “Two roads diverged into a yellow wood” (Stanza 1, line 1) ROBERT FROST – “A ROAD NOT TAKEN”

4.  What is the difference between the two paths? X Y X = Y “And both that morning equally lay” (Stanza 3, Line 11) “I took the one less traveled” (Stanza 4, Last 20)

5. Is this about the author not wanting to conform? It’s called “road NOT taken” not “road less traveled”. NONCONFORMITY?

6. “And sorry I could not travel both” (Stanza 1, line 2) “I doubted if I should ever come back” (Stanza 3, line 15)  FEAR of regret about the choices made. REGRET?

7.  And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. (Stanza 3)  Look at Verb Tense. What is it?  First three stanzas is written in past tense. Rest is future speculation. “I shall be telling this with a sigh” (Stanza 4, Line 16) DID HE MAKE A CHOICE?

8.  “ Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Stanza 1, Line 1)  Happiness, youth, sun…..  “And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black” (Stanza 3, Line 12-13)  Darkness, death, tragic….end of life? WASTED LIFE?

9.  Be courageous!  Pick a theme…poetic device to focus on (from vocab list) and find both the similarities and differences in “A Road Not Taken” AND Poem #2.  Then Narrow your Focus (in your thesis):  Example: “ While Robert Frost’s poem ”A Road Not Taken," underscores themes of "A," "B," and "C" and "second author's name" poem, "second author's title" reveals themes of "D," "E," and ”F”, it is apparent by juxtaposing these two texts that…. NOW, TIME TO CHART YOUR COURSE!

10.  Remember there is no right, or wrong. What counts is how you defend and express what you interpret.  Explore the “road not traveled”, and come up with your own unique take! “AND THAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE”