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What is truly meta is that this entire "misunderstanding" is CENTRAL to the Poem's popularity. Variations of this story and headline have been popping up for y

by aresant 11y ago

What is truly meta is that this entire "misunderstanding" is CENTRAL to the Poem's popularity. Variations of this story and headline have been popping up for years - like in the wonderfully informative "Top 10 Most Misunderstood Lines in Literary History" (1) Or heck, as a monologue in Orange is the New Black (2) Didn't see it there because you're too high-brow and busy, so saw it in business insider last year like me (3)? The poem's dual-meaning is central to its popularization - similar to the "big reveal" that drove the Six Sense to become one of the top 100 grossing movies of all time. (1) http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-misunderstood-lines-in-literary-history.php http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-misunderstood-lines-in-li... (2) http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/15/orange_is_the_new_black_on_road_less_traveled_show_gets_robert_frost_poem.html http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/15/orange_is_the... (3) http://www.businessinsider.com/frosts-road-not-taken-poem-interpretation-2014-3 http://www.businessinsider.com/frosts-road-not-taken-poem-in... (3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken

ghaff 11y ago
>The poem's dual-meaning is central to its popularization I'm not sure about that. Ask 100 people at least peripherally familiar with the poem what its central point is and 99 would answer something along the lines of "taking the less popular path." I agree with the author's point though. I remember a Dartmouth English professor talking about this years ago and once he pointed out what the words actually said, the actual meaning seemed obvious in retrospect.
- jack9 11y ago
  > he pointed out what the words actually said, the actual meaning seemed obvious in retrospect. > Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. This section negates the "actual meaning" being derived by the author. The reference to the future aspect of having traveled the choice he did not make is imaginary. Once we make a choice, rarely do we change it. The poem is not about choosing the less traveled path, for sure. It is lamenting the possibilities offered, unknown, and therefore attractive in hindsight for a choice made and likely never faced again...allowing for exploration of the reality.
jonahx 11y ago
I think this is an insightful point, but not precisely right. It's absolutely true that the "misunderstanding" is central to the poem's popularity among scholars, academics, and would-be poets -- the feeling of being in on the the trick that's fooling all the lay readers is a big part of the charm. That said, as ghaff noted, I don't think the academics are fooling themselves: most lay readers really do make the hallmark card interpretation of the poem. Most of references you noted are intended for an educated audience with some aspirations to highbrow culture.
ctdonath 11y ago
Exactly. Point of the poem is how a marginal different in options will later be construed as "made all the difference", and thus the colloquial memory of the poem is construed as "made all the difference" when the point of the poem is that there wasn't a meaningful difference but would be remembered as though it was. Hard to describe precisely because the "life imitates art" is so recursive/tautological here.

by aresant 11y ago

ghaff 11y ago

>The poem's dual-meaning is central to its popularization I'm not sure about that. Ask 100 people at least peripherally familiar with the poem what its central point is and 99 would answer something along the lines of "taking the less popular path." I agree with the author's point though. I remember a Dartmouth English professor talking about this years ago and once he pointed out what the words actually said, the actual meaning seemed obvious in retrospect.

jack9 11y ago
> he pointed out what the words actually said, the actual meaning seemed obvious in retrospect. > Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. This section negates the "actual meaning" being derived by the author. The reference to the future aspect of having traveled the choice he did not make is imaginary. Once we make a choice, rarely do we change it. The poem is not about choosing the less traveled path, for sure. It is lamenting the possibilities offered, unknown, and therefore attractive in hindsight for a choice made and likely never faced again...allowing for exploration of the reality.

jonahx 11y ago

I think this is an insightful point, but not precisely right. It's absolutely true that the "misunderstanding" is central to the poem's popularity among scholars, academics, and would-be poets -- the feeling of being in on the the trick that's fooling all the lay readers is a big part of the charm. That said, as ghaff noted, I don't think the academics are fooling themselves: most lay readers really do make the hallmark card interpretation of the poem. Most of references you noted are intended for an educated audience with some aspirations to highbrow culture.

ctdonath 11y ago

Exactly. Point of the poem is how a marginal different in options will later be construed as "made all the difference", and thus the colloquial memory of the poem is construed as "made all the difference" when the point of the poem is that there wasn't a meaningful difference but would be remembered as though it was. Hard to describe precisely because the "life imitates art" is so recursive/tautological here.