WORLD POETRY DAY: CPE/ ECPE CLASS SURVEY

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In C2 Proficiency(en), english-post



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.

After studying your notes on the handout, answer the following questions by clicking on the word ‘comments’ below this post:

What does the title of the poem refer to? Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you had chosen differently at a particular point in your life?

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  1. Robert Frost is an American poet, very famous about his poetry’s concept what is rural life. Robert Frost presents life as a long travel and hints at its adventures, pain and hapiness. This poem refers to dilemma that it often brings up during our life. The poet is walking in a forest where he comes across a fork in his road. He chooses the road … not yet taken that it is rough, that is why it is also solitary.

    I think that the title is ambiguous. It could not only deal with the road not taken that he chose to cross, but also it could be concerned with the road that he did not choose to walk.

    However, the extraordinary road is the chosen road because I believe that this road is the poetry’s road.

    In our life, we are free and a human characteristic is free will, so we always are able to choose. We very often wonder what could have happened if we had chosen differently.In my life I always have doubt when I have to choose. I am irresolute, but I believe in freedom.

    I strongly consider that life is full of choices, and we are responsible for our choices. Life is a long travel that I would like to enjoy.

    To sum up, Robert Frost’s poem is so interesting, because it makes us think about our lives and choices. The title probably refers to the poet’s road , an anticonformist, lonely individual road which … difference and importance consist in being a road not yet taken but absolutely chosen. It is thought that the time of choice is full of agony and hope. It’s true.

  2. Although I have never tried my hand at poetry I have to admit that it is an exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings that prey on your mind.
    The title of this interesting poem ”The Road Not Taken”constitute a figurative meaning of ”the choice not made”.
    The poet portrays himself as a solitery hiker who is crossing a wood. He comes across a fork road so he is vacillating between two paths. The first has been already walked by other people while the second is maiden and needs worn. He chooses the second less common and unexplored way. However, he feels regret and sadness because he has only one choice. He doubts if he could ever come back in case he should change his mind. That is why the fallen leaves from the trees will have overlaped the traces on the path.

    On the whole, the author depicts the life as a wood crossed by many paths which constitute our choices throughout our life. However, the deeper meaning of the poem is revealed in the two last lines. Our choices should be distinct and fit to our unique character and personality without influenced by the conformity and crowd. So, we should turn our life in a different direction subject to our will.

    Like all people, every so often I wonder about choices I did not made. However, I think that the true essence of life is to keep walking otherwise we can’t see the forest for the trees…

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