The Art of Interpretation

Dear Readers,

After Friday's Eve comes Friday! Week two of this Summer Challenge is now completed!

Today I will include a few recommendations for poetry books and my thoughts on the famous poem "The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost. First, the recommendations:

1. I think that it is very important for every poet to read Ariel, by Sylvia Plath, at least once. Her poems are incredible and they will surely help you find some inspiration and by reading them, they will probably teach you many types of "things" you can include in your poems.

2. The former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins has many spectacular books full of amazing poems. His poems are witty and at the same time, very meaningful.

3. Rumi is also a great poet who has many books and who writes poems with such deep meaning, even with very few words.

Now for the poem. If you haven't read "The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost, here it is:

The Road Not Taken

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.

Many people interpret this piece as a poem that expresses the importance of individuality. This poem might be about individuality but I interpret this poem a bit differently. I think that this poem shows that both paths you might take to determine your future are very similar. They are quite the same which is why 1) you never know which one you should take (the choice is very difficult) and 2) either one could be beneficial or disatrous. There are many lines in this poem that demonstrate the equality of these two roads diverged in the woods. Here are those lines:

1. "Then took the other, as just as fair" -- Robert Frost writes that both paths are just as fair, just as pretty.

2. Had worn them really about the same, -- He is describing the fact that both paths are worn about the same

3. And both that morning equally lay -- In this line he is showing that both paths are laying on the ground equally. There isn't one that is evidently better than the other.

Another interesting line is, "And that has made all the difference". As readers, we are not sure wether the difference is rewarding or wether it is diastrous. He also writes, "I shall be telling this with a sigh". Now we don't exaclty now what type of sigh this is. It could be a sigh of exasperation, remorse or it could simply be an involuntary sigh. This poem has a lot of room for thought and (in my opinion) it can be interpreted in many different ways. There is definetely the concept of individuality that is implied in this beautiful poem, but most people overlook all of the lines that obscure the differences of these two paths.

Day Ten's Progress:

Today I read my poem several times today and decided that it is completed. I can definetely keep playing around with the line breaks and the punctuation, but then this poem would never be finished. I am very happy with the finished product. In the beginning of the week, I struggled in trying to convey the right message and feelings, but now, I am very happy with the way I demonstrated the sensations and emotions I felt while listening to the beatiful music. If you guys still have some suggestions fo rmy poem, I would be glad to read them and maybe incorporate them.

How are you guys doing so far in the challenge?

~ Golden Ink