Thursday, March 10, 2011

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.

                                    by Robert Frost

As a gay man coming out later in life, this poem is particularly poignant.

I have often wondered why it is entitled, "The Road Not Taken" when the verse itself is about the road the poet actually took.... What is Frost trying to teach us?

I think I understand and I thank God that unlike Robert Frost, I was able to return to the nexus where I originally chose my course .

And because I had courage to retrace my steps and start my journey a second time, it has in fact made all the difference.

1 comment:

  1. I love Frost and this is one of my favorites. (Along with Two Tramps in Mud Time)

    Safe travels!

    ReplyDelete