Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" (61-62)

The origins of “The Road Not Taken” were in what?

A teasing joke that Robert Frost played on his friend

“The Road Not Taken” originated as a joke towards who?

Edward Thomas

Who was Edward Thomas?

A British poet and friend of Robert Frost

“The Road Not Taken” has been recited where and served as what?

At countless graduations, and served as the title of dozens of books and selfhelp memoirs

“The Road Not Taken” has been anthologized in how many collections of canonical American poems?

Hundreds

“The Road Not Taken” has served as the title what genres of writing?

Books and self-help memoirs

How many books and self-help memoirs has “The Road Not Taken” served as the name of?

Dozens

When read with usual interpretations “The Road Not Taken” is what?

Inspirational and provides guidance

When read apart from usual interpretations “The Road Not Taken” becomes what?

Obscure, ironic, and tinged with despair and doubt

What does a typical reading of “The Road Not Taken” highlight?

At the crossroads the speaker must make a choice, and both choices are fine, but one wanted wear and is thus less traveled. The speaker takes the path because it isn't popular and looking back seeing that the less traveled road makes all the difference. In our lives avoiding conformity can make the difference.

What additional nuance do some readings of “The Road Not Taken” add to the common interpretation?

That the speaker doesn't specify whether the less traveled rad makes a positive or negative difference

When adding the common nuance to common interpretation of “The Road Not Taken” what is the message of the poem?

That our choices have consequences, and that we all have to make hard choices and we cant be sure that they are right but we must make them and push forward regardless

Does “The Road Not Taken” ACTUALLy endorse the idea that one path is less traveled?

No. At first the speaker believes so but upon reflection realizes that other traveler's had worn them about the same so that “both that morning equally lay”

What problem is there with the reading that the speaker doesn't endorse either path?

That the speaker doesn't actually reflect on the choice but is projecting into the future what they shall be telling

What word In “The Road Not Taken” demonstrates the idea that the speaker projects into the future what they will say?

“shall be telling”

Ultimately In “The Road Not Taken” the speaker ________ that at some point down the line they will do what regarding their choice?

Imagines; look back and interpret the choice as being a choice to take the less traveled road (Inaccurate) and that the choice made all the difference (Something the speaker in the present doesn't know is the case)

The poems emphasis on what two things guide our attention to what?

The similarity of the paths and speculative nature of the future reflection; Guide our attention to not the meaning of choice but to the speaker’s desire to turn choice into smth meaninfgul

What message does “The Road Not Taken” ultimately have regarding human nature?

That we like to place events of our lives into meaningful coherent narratives even when making possibly totally irrelevant choices

Why might the choice in “The Road Not Taken” be totally irrelevant?

Voth paths diverge but in reality are the same in appearance and we have no sense of what tthe’ll lead to or even if chosing one over the other will even matter

The speaker is ________ looking back on the events ________

Prospectively; retrospectively

Who describes “The Road Not Taken” as a “projection into the future to look back upon the present as the past?”

John Savoie

How does John Savoir describe “The Road Not Taken?”

As a “Projection into the future t look back upon the present as the past”

Frost ultimately highlights what over what?

The universal desire to turn journeys into meaningful ones rather than advocate for nonconformity orr emphasize importance of choices

Telling our lives as stories of _________, _____________ moments, and ___________ episodes is often part of human nature that frost argues against

Crossroads; meaningful; definitive

If our lives are stories and we are both main characters and editors what does Frost suggest we often do?

Tell the best stories about the choices we made on our journeys rather than the truest stories