The Road Not Taken

           Today in class, we looked at the classic poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. This is a poem I am familiar with, as I’m sure the large majority of the world is. It is a very famous poem with a seemingly obvious message. This was the exact thing that was called into question today in class: does The Road Not Taken really mean what we have learned it to mean? The theme that I, and almost everyone else has attached to The Road Not Taken is one of non-conformity, and going your own way. The quote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference,” clearly shows how misleading the work is. As you can see, many believe that quote sums up The Road Not Taken by stating going against the grain will benefit you. However, when we looked closer in class, we called that theme into question.

            There are several quotes throughout The Road Not Taken that hint at a different message.  The lines, “Then took the other, as just as fair, /And perhaps having the better claim,” “Had worn them really about the same,” and “And both that morning equally lay,” shows that the two paths in the woods were really of equal measure. There was not one less traveled, and one more traveled, as previously thought. This changes the whole meaning of the poem. Now, as a class, we had to do some ‘poem soul searching’ to come up with a new theme after our revelation. We concluded that another meaning could be whenever you make a decision, you need to commit 100% of yourself to that outcome. You cannot dwell on whatever the other ‘path’ might’ve turned out to be; you must make a choice, and never look back. Instead of doing your own thing as a theme, The Road Not Taken could mean when you make a decision, you must stick with it. This was a very challenging activity presented by Mr. Delacruz because it forced us to reevaluate a classic. We were forced to go against our preconceptions and determine a new meaning. Very interesting. 
             In this post, I focused on several things: a clear thesis and incorporating quotes correctly. I come up with a clear and concise thesis in the fourth sentence of my opening paragraph. I state everything that needs to be stated in that one sentence. I outline what will be talked about: misconceptions of the meaning of The Road Not Taken. I do this simply, yet effectively so there is no confusion to the reader what I am trying to get across. The use of the colon helps strengthen this essential piece to my post.
             Additionally, I put effort into effectively using quotes to further my thoughts, and back up my argument. There is clear evidence of my efforts in the beginning of the second paragraph. I begin right away with multiple quotes that I felt embodied my argument that there is a different meaning in The Road Not Taken than previously thought. I don't stop with simply listing the quotes: I explain why they contribute to my thoughts, and how to help support my argument. If I had not inserted these quotes, my piece would not be very convincing to the reader. With the addition of the excerpts, and the explanation that incorporates them, my post is much stronger.