The Road Not Taken

Baked in with positivity

A definitive must poem for the generations today is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. Written by Frost, this poem was for his friend, Edward Thomas. Both Frost & Thomas were walking in a forest and the latter was in a dilemma with the path to choose. Just to make sure that he did not lament it later.

Taking this as an inspiration, Frost penned the poem and for years together, it has been in the Indian Education, appearing in either standards of school.

For a glance to refresh the school memories, the poem goes this way,

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.

Frost speaks of the two roads that led to different paths, one with a lot of wear & tear showing constant use while second with grass wildly growing on it- less travelled.

And the poet chooses the second road. The one that is travelled less. Literally the road not taken. Frost also mentions that choosing the second road has made all the difference. In simpler words, gist of the poem.

Now to the real question!!! Why are we taught that the second option was a good option? Frost just mentions that the second road made a difference- it could have been the wrong road that made his life worse. The decision to walk the second road could be abysmal. And he regrets it over the years.

Why is thinking positively baked into our education system?

Now the next brooding topic.. Is the common travelled road the famous job occupations our Indian parents force us to do? Like engineer, doctor, civil servant, lawyer and more? Given the wear & tear?

Is the second road, profession that the Indian parents aren’t very proud of? The passion that children turn into profession? Like being a content creator, a startup CEO, digital marketer, photographer or just a career with the creative juices? Is that why it’s less travelled?

Do you think our education system subtly chooses to make us travel the first road? Or hint that the second road makes the difference, but then wont fill your pockets?