Poetry Craft Lesson:

Deepening

Works:
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Teachable Terms
rhyme allusion
irony tone
imagery poetic diction
Purpose
To help students read a poem closely and write persuasively about their
interpretation
Procedure
A friend of yours has been chosen to speak at graduation. He or she has sent
you a copy of the speech through e-mail and asked for your feedback. You read the
speech, most of which is about the importance of being an individualist. Here is a
snippet of the closing of the speech:
“Remember to always take the road less traveled so, like Frank Sinatra, when all
is said and done, you can proudly say, ‘I did it my way.’”
You recognize the allusion to Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”. You
also remember hearing that the poem is often misinterpreted as one about
individualism, and you’re worried that your friend has fallen into the same trap.

Assignment / Connection
Your assignment is to take a close look at the poem. Be sure to take the entire poem
into account, including the title. Here are some questions to help you look at it:

In what tense are the first three stanzas written?

In what tense is the last stanza written?
What is the decision the speaker is trying to make?
Is the decision difficult for the speaker?
How different are the two roads?
What is the speaker’s tone in the first three stanzas?
What is the speaker’s tone in the last stanza?
Why is the poem titled “The Road Not Taken”?
Why do you think many people think the poem is titled “The Road Less
Traveled”?
Overall, what do you think the poem is about?

When you are finished, you need to write a return e-mail in which you address the
allusion to “The Road Not Taken”. In it, you should tell your friend whether you think
they should leave the allusion in there or not. You need to use at least five pieces of
evidence from the poem, and explain your reasoning for each, and explain your
overall reasoning.
Poetry Craft Lesson:
Deepening