Frost completed and sent the poem to Thomas only after he had returned to New Hampshire. (Edward Thomas was an English poet who Frost befriended while living in England). Lea also writes that Frost’s intent, in writing the poem, was to satirize his friend, Edward Thomas, who would frequently dither over which road he and Frost should walk. In one of the most enjoyable books I own (among books on Frost) Lea Newman relates that according to a survey of 18,000 written, recorded and videotaped responses, this poem (along with Robert Frost) is America’s most popular poem – a probably more accurate poll than the self-selected poll done by. Part of the magic is in how Frost loosens meter to obtain a more colloquial tone. One of the loveliest poems in the English language is Frost’s The Road Not Taken. – Interpreting Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods”.May 5 2009: Robert Frost’s “The Pasture”.A pril 26 2009: Robert Frost’s “For Once, Then, Something.”.April 25 2009: Audio of Robert Frost added.It’s interesting to me to see where readers are coming from and why they are reading these posts. If you’re a student, just leave a comment with the name of your high school or college. April 23 2009: One Last Request! I love comments.Pass it around if you have friends or relatives interested in this kind of poetry. Check out Spider, Spider or, if you want modern Iambic Pentameter, try My Bridge is like a Rainbow or Come Out! Take a copy to class if you need an example of Modern Iambic Pentameter. One of the reasons I write these posts is so that a few readers, interested in meter and rhyme, might want to try out my poetry. After you’ve read up on Robert Frost, take a look at some of my poetry.To find all the posts I’ve written on Robert Frost, click here. Febru– If you enjoy Frost, you might like reading Birches along with a c o l o r c o d e d scansion of Birches included in my post on Frost’s Mending Wall.If scansion is new to you, check out my post on the basics.When the bar is set low enough, everyone becomes exceptional. But if we come to think of it, only the mediocre are always at their best. We may take the wide road where people cheer us on, calling us “the best,” and “the first,” because we are like them. The path to the narrow gate is ours to create with every decision that we make.

In a very real sense, our life’s journey is unique to us. When we go against the current, we actually blaze a new trail. We should rather walk on the narrow road of freedom and excellence that results from our obedience to God’s will. Jesus warns us against choosing the beaten path forged by our culture, which extols conformity, compromise, and mediocrity. Paying lip service to excellence, students are promoted to the next academic level regardless of their performance. In the name of equity and accessibility, educators unwittingly make students think that society doesn’t care if they don’t aspire to be the best, as long as they play their part as cogs in the big wheel of politics, business, industry, and government. This kind of thinking is reflected in our current public pre-college educational system. They believe everyone shall go to heaven because Jesus has already died for us.

Their constant striving for what is convenient and easy leaves them weak, unable to stand up for what is right and good. What saps their strength is their desire to fit in whatever environment they find themselves, even if that environment directly contradicts their principles and value system. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough to do so” (Luke 13:24). In today’s gospel reading, Jesus addresses the many Christians who choose the wide road that leads to the wide gate of conformity. This wide road leads to a wide gate that opens up to a place where everyone is just like everyone else. Many, indeed, choose the “road taken,” the popular and conventional path that requires very little effort to traverse because we are simply following the footsteps of others.

So, Frost advises us to take the “road not taken,” as the title of his poem suggests. This voluntary surrender of autonomy can backfire. When we do not decide for ourselves, we allow others to decide for us. But his message is clear -we should not postpone making crucial decisions just because we are afraid of making a mistake. As the oft-quoted part of the poem says:įrost does not elaborate on what that “difference” was. Sadly, we realize this only through hindsight. But once a decision is made, it generates consequences that are beyond our control.

The road not taken frost