American Poets

The American Literature class will be writing an in-depth research paper on American poets in the upcoming weeks. There are so many amazing authors in our country's rich, albeit short, history, and each junior will get to choose one poet to highlight. My personal favorite is Robert Frost. Frost's blend of the traditional and the modern fits my sensibilities, and his words seem simple yet they are fraught with layers of meaning. He is the quintessential American poet: celebrating nature, hard work, and the simple life. The juniors memorized my favorite of his poems, "Stopping by Woods," for first semester, but probably his most famous poem is "The Road Not Taken."

To receive extra credit in English class, write out the words to this poem in green ink and then write one paragraph explaining what it means to you, and turn it in by February 1, 2011 at 7:50 a.m.

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.