The Road Not Taken
BY 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.
Students, have you ever heard someone say something along the lines of "I took the road less travelled!" or read about someone taking "the road less travelled" - a metaphor for doing something that is not the "norm"? It all sounds very cool, doesn't it?
Well, this poem seems to sum this all up - taking the road less travelled. Being the special one, the different one, the unique one...etc. At least that is how everyone seems to be interpreting it. This is NOT what the poem is about, hence earning itself the reputation of being the world's most misunderstood poem.
The poem is often synonymous with "the road less travelled".
However, carefully look at the title of the poem - "The Road Not Travelled". It is NOT entitled "The Road Less Travelled". One word makes all the difference!
Carefully read the poem and you will realise that the speaker laments his decision of not taking the other option ("road") and how he had no plans to, because he " doubted if [he] should ever come back".
He knows that many years down the road, he would telling a story("telling this with a sigh"- a sigh because it may not be the truth?) about taking the less travelled road because it is exciting. It is so glamorous to be different from every one else! However, reality is such that one can only make the decision to travel down one road, not both, as there just isn't enough time or energy to do so. And the less glamorous truth is, the speaker has observed that the other road has been "worn...really about the same" and "that morning equally lay". It really isn't less travelled, it is equally travelled by other travellers! There is no less travelled road at all. There is no difference. But there is no harm in embellishing the truth, just a little!
So, yes, the poem is really not about taking the road less travelled, but about a beaten, jaded old man who is lying about himself taking the road less travelled (being different) because it will make him seem way more interesting than he really is. And, perhaps, the irony of life is that in striving so hard to be different, every one is the same! (I mean, who wants to be like everyone else?)
No comments:
Post a Comment