Yet, Frost himself puts the poem on such an ambiguous footing with the last line being uttered in a tone that does not match the rest of the work. The tone may be understood to be one of whimsy and shrugging shoulders -- or it may be understood to be one of solemn pride and satisfaction. Indeed, for the president of Amherst College, where Frost was invited to stay, "Road" was a rallying cry of liberal education. Yet, the poem was hardly intended to be that at all. Frost himself indicated that the poem was tricky and could be easily misinterpreted. As Pritchard notes, it was meant only to be a poem in which Frost was teasing his friend (125). The poem, however, was read by the Amherst's president and by men like Keating as something more profound.
In other words, "Road" went from being a small, satirical poem to a great, big poem, latching onto a popular kind of youthful ambition and sincerity (the Huck Finn kind -- embracing the wide open; rejecting convention, rules, and stagnant traditions). Even Frost himself seems to have embraced the second reading, taking joy in the poem's effect on individuals who saw it not as man's ineptitude to make his way through life -- but as man's impulsive need to make his own way through life. The reality behind Frost's poem (upon which it is based) is that the attempt is so often unsuccessful -- which is why the poem was written in a satirical vein.
This reality is manifested in the film Dead Poets Society. Neil fails...
Frost's Poetry And Landscape The Rise of Modernist Poetry Between the years of 1912 and 1914 the entire temper of the American arts changed. America's cultural coming-of-age occurred and writing in the U.S. moved from a period entitled traditional to modernized. It seems as though everywhere, in that Year of 1913, barriers went down and People reached each other who had never been in touch before; there were all sorts of new
"He gives his harness bells a shake / to ask if there is some mistake." The horse's action portrays the tendency of people to question those choices they don't understand. This scene can be interpreted as the disapproving voice of society voicing its demands on those of a more sensitive bent. In much the same vein as the previous stanza, Frost shows a depth of human understanding (and misunderstanding). Our
Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," by T.S. Eliot. Specifically, it compares and contraststhe two works and how they are both excellent examples of the dangers of unexamined tradition. Unexamined tradition can be extremely dangerous in life, because it forces individuals to do things the "way they have always been done," rather than forcing them to find new ways to interact. This allows
While the poems are no doubt universal, we can see elements of Americana sprinkled throughout them. Cultural issues such as decision-making, the pressure of responsibility and duty, and the complexity of death emerge in many poems, allowing us to see society's influence on the poet. In "The Road Not Taken," we see how life is filled with choices. Because we are American, we are lucky enough to experience freedom
Larissa Mom. Can I interview you for my class? Mom Sure, but aren't you getting a little desperate if you're stuck with me? Larissa Oh no. It fits the assignment. I have to interview my mother. So, first, where were your parents born? Mom My mother was born in San Francisco, and my father was born in Kansas City, Missouri Larissa Ok, and where were you born? Mom San Rafael, California Larissa All right. So what differences did you notice between your mother
American Literature discussion topics: 1. Discuss Sarah Orne Jewett Charles Chesnutt contributed local color fiction nineteenth century stories respective regions (Jewett writing New England Chesnutt South). Sarah Orne Jewett and Charles Chesnutt played essential roles in promoting concepts and thinking in general in the regions of New England, and, respectively, the American South. The fact that these people's writings provide suggestive sketches of village life in the U.S. makes it possible
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