Welcome to the 319th Virtual Poetry Circle!
Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.
Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s book suggested.
Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.
Today’s poem is from Robert Frost, which I thought would be appropriate given this recent article I read about how the poem is misread:
The Road Not Taken 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.
Given the article and reading the poem, what do you think?
I don’t think it’s right to call anyone’s interpretation incorrect. Maybe it’s different than an author or poet intended, but what’s wrong with that? Seems like different interpretations provide more fuel for discussion.
Serena, thank you for posting this. It’s interesting to think that the standard interpretation of this poem may be “incorrect”.