Homogenized

“The best things and best people rise out of their separateness; I'm against a homogenized society because I want the cream to rise.” (Robert Frost)

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.

Robert Frost wrote this poem to poke fun at, his friend Edward Thomas, an English-Welsh poet, who when out walking with Frost in England would often regret not having taken a different path. Thomas would sigh over what they might have seen and done, and Frost thought this quaintly romantic. In other words, Frost's friend regretted not taking the road that might have offered the best opportunities despite it being an unknown.

This poem was published in 1916 as the first poem in the collection, Mountain Interval. "The Road Not Taken" is a vague poem that allows the reader to think about choices in life whether to go with the mainstream or go it alone. If life is a journey, this poem highlights those times in life when a decision has to be made. Viewing a choice as a fork in a path, it becomes clear that we must choose one direction or another, but not both. Which way will you go? This may be one of the most misunderstood poems. Here are six facts that show you that you may have been reading Poet Robert Frost incorrectly:

1.   He chose the unique path: In the second stanza, the speaker at first says it was the "better" claim because it was "grassy" and "wanted wear." However, at the end of the stanza, he then states both roads were "worn" the same.

2.   He doesn't have regrets about the path he didn't choose: The speaker apologizes in the first stanza wishing he was the one traveler who could travel both paths. The speaker even states, "Oh, I kept the first for another day," which translates to him still thinking about going down the path that was not taken. He even says he keeps it for another day.  

3.   He went down the narrow path and it made all the difference. He chose the path no one would take: Looking at the poem with new vision as I read and critically thinking for myself, it has neither a moral, positive, or negative message. In my interpretation, it is a poem that paints a picture of looking at the path in life he didn't take.

I think everyone thinks to themselves at times: What if I chose this route instead what would have happened to me? To keep our sanity we tell ourselves the path we have chosen was the right choice. We took the road that was "less traveled by" even if we don't truly know. It's human nature to reflect about the paths we didn't take instead of the ones we did.

4.   It's a sigh of relief: In the fourth stanza, the sigh, one could argue that it is a sigh of relief. However, the word "sigh" is usually used to express sadness since he cannot travel both paths. Then the speaker skips to the future using the word "shall;" he will definitely be saying "somewhere ages and ages hence" he took the road less traveled by.

But then goes on using two L’s with a dash, revealing uncertainty in the speaker's tone, trying to convince himself he took the road less traveled by.

5.   It's an uplifting poem: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, the title of the poem is, "The Road Not Taken." The title of the poem is not, "The Road That Was Taken." The speaker of the poem's title emphasizes on the road he didn't take instead of the road he took. Hence his focus is on the road he didn't choose.

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. “ (Robert Frost)[i]

Robert Frost at different ages

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[i] Sources used:

·        “5 Incorrect Interpretations You've Had Of Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken' “by Odyssey

·        “6 Things We Get Wrong About The Road Less Traveled” by Bernardo Aparicio Garcia

·        “The Road Not Taken” from Wikipedia

·        Analysis of Poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost by

This post was inspired by the 2018 movie, Book Club.