1. Robert Frost
“The Road Not Taken”

2. History of Robert Frost
Born in 1874 in San Francisco, California to William Frost and Isabelle Moody
Father died when Frost was 11
Journalist
Mother is Scottish
School teacher
Lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts with grandfather William Prescott Frost
Grandfather gave Frost good education
Graduated in 1892-attended Dartmouth college for short time

3. History (cont’d) Many jobs Married Elinor White in 1895
Working in textile mill
Latin teacher
Cobbler
Farmer
School teacher
Married Elinor White in 1895
6 children
Studied at Harvard-left with no degree
Poems rejected by Atlantic Monthly
Sold farm and moved family to England afterwards
First poem published in England at age 39

4. History (cont’d) Returned to U.S. in 1915 with family
Bought another farm in Franconia, New Hampshire
Atlantic Monthly asked for Frost’s poems
Turned in previously rejected poems
1916-made member of National Institute of Arts and Letters
1916-third collection of poems published
Mountain Interval
“The Road Not Taken”
“The Oven Bird”
“Birches”
“The Hill Wife”
Deep appreciation of nature and sensibility about human ambitions
Images taken from everyday life

5. History (cont’d) 1920-purchased farm in South Shaftsbury, Vermont
1938-wife died along with 4 of his children
Other 2 daughters had mental breakdowns
Son had committed suicide
Frost suffered depression
1961-read 2 original poems at inauguration of President John F. Kennedy
Death-January 29, 1963

6. Frost’s Rewards/Honors
1949-Saimpson Lecturer for Life
1950-Tribute from the U.S. Senate
1953-Tribute from American Academy of Poets
1956-Tribute from New York University
1958-Tribute from Huntington Hartford Foundation
1958-made poetry consultant for Library of Congress
1962-Congressional Gold Medal
1962-Edward MacDowell Medal

7. History of “The Road Not Taken”
Frost claims to have written it about Edward Thomas-friend
Walked many times through woods outside London
While walking in woods they would come to 2 paths
Thomas always wondered what other path would’ve brought
Poem seems to say choice is inevitable
Don’t know what choices mean until living them

8. Stanzas 1-2 First stanza-describes the situation
Frost describes his position physically
Looks down the roads for a long time
Trying to make decision
Second stanza-choice is made
Chose the path that seemed to be less traveled
Both actually had about the same wear but not entirely the same

9. Stanzas 3-4 Third stanza-continues to describe the paths
Fresh fallen leaves on both
May come back to walk the first
Doubted he would be able to
One thing in life leads to another and time is limited
Fourth stanza-”Sigh” and “Difference”
Trickiest piece of the poem
“Difference” is neither positive or negative-hasn’t been lived through yet
“Sigh” may be of relief or regret-don’t know because Frost hasn’t lived through the choice he made
One choice can make “all the difference” in a person’s future

10. Literary Analysis
Diverged- move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point, branch off
Undergrowth-low-lying vegetation or small trees growing beneath larger trees, underbrush
Trodden-a mark (as a footprint or imprint of a tire)
Claim-to demand by or by virtue of a right, demand as a right or a due

11. The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

12. 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;

13. Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

14. And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black
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.

15. 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.