“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
PROMPT:
Defend, refute, or qualify the following statement in a wellorganized essay using evidence from the provided text: Robert
Frost uses a literal story of walking in the woods, in “The Road
Not Taken,” to portray a deeper lesson about life. If sources
other than the poem’s exact words are used please provide a
Works Cited or Works Consulted in MLA format.
Challenge Level: Include evidence related to the prompt about: historical
time period, author’s life, other text from same time period, or other text
written by same author.
Definitions: All definitions are based on definitions from the following source:
dictionary.com. 2006. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 9 Sept. 2006
<http://dictionary.reference.com/>.
Defend
1. To maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold: She
2.
Refute
1.
2.
Qualify
(yes, but or
no, but)
1.
2.
defended her claim successfully.
To support (an argument, theory, etc.) in the face of
criticism; prove the validity of (a dissertation, thesis, or
the like) by answering arguments and questions put by a
committee of specialists.
To prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or
charge.
To disagree.
To modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving exceptions.
To make less harsh or severe; moderate.
Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.
The Road Not Taken
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;
5
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,
10
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.
15
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.
20
Frost, Robert. Mountain Interval. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1920; Bartleby.com,
1999. September 9, 2006 <www.bartleby.com/119/.>