For a different angle, you might also chat about the consequences of inaction – of not making a choice at all.įinally, encourage your ELA students to make predictions about what the poem will be about, based only on the title and background information you have provided. Alternatively, you could lead a guided discussion about the “big choices” a person has to make in their life. If your focus is on vocabulary, you could explore some of the more complex terms from the text. I also tell them about the interesting story behind the poem, and how it may have been a deciding factor that would send one of Frost’s close friends to war.įrom there, you can involve your middle school poetry class in pre-reading activities related to the poem itself. I tell students that Frost was an American poet who is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and that he is one of the most popular and critically respected American poets of the 20th century. Next, I like to start my lesson by building background information on Robert Frost himself. Either at the beginning of my middle school poetry unit, or the day before I teach “The Road Not Taken,” I often hang a poster on my door or somewhere in my classroom.Įven a simple quote from the poem, out of context, might result in some lively discussion! At the very least, students will wonder what their teacher is up to. Setting the Sceneīegin by building anticipation for your ELA students. So, where to begin when teaching this famous American poem? Here are my best tips to bring this classic text to life for your middle or high school ELA students. In making his decision about which path to take, he ponders the importance of choices in determining the path of a person’s life. “The Road Not Taken” centers around an unnamed traveler, who comes across two paths in a forest. Whether you are building an entire middle school poetry unit or looking for a standalone series of lessons, I’m sharing my best tips for teaching every aspect of this classic text. What will change reality is your determination and how hard you work toward that ideal destination.If you are teaching “ The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, you may be looking for tips and ideas to make the most of this beloved poem in your ELA classroom. If you’ve made a wrong turn and there’s no going back, just learn from that mistake and stay focused on the destination. There’s no point in concocting a million “what ifs.” Every choice you make should bring you closer to that destination. I think the poem is telling us that we should think through all of our options, as it will impact the very direction of our journeys. Whether you’re traveling through the woods or simply navigating through life, you have to set your eyes on a destination. But that decision is a metaphor for many of the life-changing choices people have to make in their “walk” through life. In fact, picking a path through a forest is not such an important decision. In my mind, this poem is not just about the traveler and his walk through the woods. No matter what road they took in the end, Thomas would always regret that they had not taken another path, convinced that it would have led to better sights and better places. Robert Frost wrote this poem for his friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas as a joke, because, on their frequent walks together, Thomas was extremely indecisive about which route they should take. In his indecision, he tells himself that he will follow the other path another day, but then adds, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back.” In the end, he predicts telling the story of his choice with a sigh, wondering what would have happened if he had chosen differently. The poem has a peaceful sadness emanating throughout, as the speaker laments being unable to experience both roads. Through the description of yellow leaves, I assume that the season is autumn, when vibrantly colored leaves would be falling around the speaker, blanketing the path. “The Road Not Taken” has a melancholy yet peaceful tone to it. Presenting him with a choice between two paths, the poem digs deep into the nature of making choices. “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost, is a poem that describes a traveler who encounters a fork in a road in a forest. Henry Holt: New York, 2002 originally published in 1923.įrom choosing what clothes we wear to the career path we devote our lives to, life will always be full of choices. " The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, from THE POETRY OF ROBERT FROST: THE COLLECTED POEMS, COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED, edited by Edward Connery Lathem, New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2002.
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