Customer Reviews

The Road Not Taken (Owl Books)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Beware if you order this Kindle edition. It is NOT the Untermeyer edition as described in the paperback edition description. This Kindle edition contains 5 poems: The Road Not Taken, Birches, An Old Man's Winter Night, A Patch of Old Snow, The Bonfire. The "cover page" of the Kindle edition lists this as a 1916 edition from Henry Holt and Company, New York. I am a new Kindle owner and am discovering that sometimes a link to a Kindle edition is not the same as the paper edition of the book you are looking at on Amazon. At least very true for most of the poetry books I have researched.

It could be said that art, including poetry, should never be taught, only presented. A sure death knell to reader endeavor is having an artist's work forced on reluctant subjects at very young ages. Frost's universal appeal and critical success made him a favorite of the pedantic, institutional teaching of the 50's and 60's. His late-life ties to Kennedys Camelot made the situation worse, as increased recognition diverted plaudits askew from the real measure of his work. The negative experience of my own such introduction forced in me a habit of deliberately overlooking celebrated well-knowns for the shadowy lesser-knowns. This practice unearthed for me a few rare delights in reading, music and general discovery. Then, in my late twenties I picked up a copy of the Frost/Untermeyer, The Road Not Taken, read a couple of poems along with some of the commentary and thought well enough of it to actually buy it. I summarily read it cover to cover (something I'd rarely done with books of poetry). There were the same poems again--the ones I'd been lead to read as a youngster...but not quite. Untermeyer teaches, not out of pedantic duty, but as a true friend and scholar of Robert Frost, the man. There may be less skewed critical evaluations of Frost's poetry; but these are usually set apart from the work, and most often geared to literary scholars. In essence, Untermeyer presents rather than evaluates Robert Frost, and does it in the same manner Frost wrote--simple, deliberate, and non-intrusive.
This (an earlier edition of the one offered here) is one of my most treasured books--not so much for the poems within, but for what Louis Untermeyer offers--an access to opportunity missed. Frost doubted if [he] should ever come back, to where the roads diverged; yet, Untermeyer offers us a second chance, and this time (for all who think they know enough of Robert Frost), it may very well make all the difference.

Some of Robert Frost's best poetry, woven together with insight and thoughtful comments.

Excellent collection of his work. If your looking for an idea of Robert Frosts work this is a great place to start. This book was a gift for my wife and did not disappoint. It has been passed around quite a bit for friends and family to read. It has always come back with great reviews.

If you love poetry, then you love Robert Frost's books, especially this book. Beautifully well written and enjoyable to read.

Excellent collection of Frost Poetry. Plus, the analyses by the author are a nice addition.

i am doing a report on Robert Frost in my English 3 class. Robert Frost is the greastest. No poem is alike. My two favorite books of his were Stopping by woods on a snowy evening and a road not taken. he has a way with words that i have never seen. I give him him and is writings 5 stars!!!!

Don't be sold on this. Why buy only 5 poems when you can get 88 more for the same price? To boot, the Kindle format is imperfect. Get the entire lot of Frost's public domain work in our collection, The Early Poetry and Criticisms of Robert Frost [Annotated]; formatted to re-size itself to look true-to-original in any device frame. -Perscribo Publishing

The whole poem is very symbolic because the speaker reflects on the decision that he has to make, and the consequences of that decision. The choice that he has to make is not just which road should he walk down, because that would be insignificant. The choice he has to make will affect the rest of his life and determine his fate. It shows us how each and every choice we make effects our lives in ways that we will never know. Once you make a decision to do something, there is no turning back and you will never know what might have happened if you took that other road.