A Mistaken Inspiration

(Part -1/2)

Robert less known for twice dropping from college (dropped from Dartmouth after two months citing that "I wasn't suited for that place" and then dropping from Harvard to support his family and children. He explained his decision of dropping from Harvard by saying "They could not make a student of me here, but they gave their best") and modestly known for being the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration (He was invited by President John.F.Keneddy in his 1961 inauguration where after facing difficulty in reciting 'Dedication', he recited "The gift outright". And most famously renowned as a poet (Britannica writes about frost :- "American poet who was much admired for his depictions of the rural life of New England, his command of American colloquial speech, and his realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday situations.) Louis Untermeyer best describes Frost's work as "Poetry that sings and poetry that talks ... his poems are people talking". 

Most popular of his poem "The road not taken" was written by him as private poem for his friend Edward Thomas. The basic idea for writing this particular piece of poetry was the confusion of Thomas on choosing which road to take for walk . He was very indecisive about which road to take and when he finally did choose one path after some time, he often regretted not choosing the other way. So, Frost wrote this poem to make fun of his friend. 

It came as surprise to Frost when "The road not taken" was read as a poem of self determination . He after reciting "The road not taken" to college students , expressed sorrow to Thomas saying the poem is “taken pretty seriously … despite doing my best to make it obvious by my manner that I was fooling. … Mea culpa.”

An another poem of first was the poem which inspired India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It has been mentioned by close associates of Nehru that during his final moments, below mentioned lines from Robert Frost’s poem lay on his pillow side:

"The woods are lovely dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to before I sleep."

To all those who have been confused and found themselves indecisive about choosing which path and road. To all those who have been worried and tensed about choosing roads. To all those who find it hard to leave someone they cherish and to take other road, We at darkest rhyme dedicate this poem to all those hoping one day they find the road they have to take and perhaps sometime they get what their heart desires granted they would conquer each fear on the very same path they have chosen to walk.  

Below quoted is " The road not taken " for our readers -

"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

--- Abhishek Tripathi

    27.05.2021

PS - This article is an introduction article in our series of introducing poets and poetry. This should not be treated as review of Frost's works but rather an emotional comment from an amateur student. 

For review of poem "The road not taken" please use below mentioned source.

https://www.modernamericanpoetry.org/poem/road-not-taken