Robert Frost: Regret and Disappointment
Deconstructing Two Roads: Applying the Psychology of Regret to Resolve the Mystery Surrounding Robert Frost’s Most Beloved Poem
Ferrick Gray
The Yellowed Page
Volume 2, Issue 4
Prefatory Remarks
An interesting paper by Donald Thomas Carte on: Deconstructing Two Roads: Applying the Psychology of Regret to Resolve the Mystery Surrounding Robert Frost’s Most Beloved Poem. It is interesting from the point of view that what has been deduced is certainly plausible, but I wonder if too much has been read into the poem itself regarding background events.
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;
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.
Comments and Observations
The first three stanzas follow each other well enough in that we might say that the poet is talking about now. The last is more of a challenge and all relies on the interpretation of the first three. The concept of regret seems to lie in the last stanzas, if indeed it is to be taken as regret or perhaps indifference.
Carte considers the personal experiences and situation of Frost at the time or prior to the time of the writing of the poem. There seems to be an effort in searching to apply the values of regret and disappointment. Even Frost himself did not expand a great deal on the last stanza. Perhaps he did not wish to divulge its true meaning.
The suggestion is that Frost’s poem is a response to Ezra Pound (Pound from here on) and T. S. Eliot (Eliot from here on) for having declined Pound’s offer of tutelage in the then modern forms of poetry. I do not think it was a matter of Pound disliking Frost’s poetry, but Frost’s point-blank refusal to depart from the formal realm. At this time Pound was the one to know and in some ways kowtow to, as he would champion any poet he thought showed promise in going beyond the bounds or limitations of formal poetry.
Eliot certainly showed he was a worthy recipient of Pound’s promotion with Prufrock. Perhaps Frost was disappointed with the gusto by which he helped Eliot’s poetry become widely known. Was Frost so indignant to write such a piece in response to this experience?
Of course he may well do it, but this brings him across as a rather egoistic and short-sighted poet, being prepared to sacrifice everything including the well-being of his family. It is true that Frost took a great gamble in moving to England, but his motives were more for financial gain and to make a name for himself. I think he was hoping for help from Pound but was not prepared to step outside into the fresh air.
Eliot’s Prufrock and later The Waste Land must have cut deep, and it is this annoyance, or the popularity gained by Eliot under the guidance of Pound that may have warranted the poem.
However, to analyze such a poem in terms of psychology comes down to somewhat guesswork no matter how plausible the explanation may be. Even Frost had some comment about the use of sigh at the beginning of his last stanza; being that it was a mock sigh.
Sigh may well have been mocking for Frost did enjoy great popularity later and still does today. One may even be daring to say more so then the modernist at that time because he developed a unique way of writing. Yet he would still battle with Eliot whose poetry, in many ways, has retained the crown.
For me, it is the very last line that holds the key, and this sums up his decision, or at least the decision he made all those years before. Naturally this only makes sense if we assume that the poem is regarding his dispute with Pound and Eliot. If not, the entire argument is irrelevant to the poem or Frost.
Frost would have been disappointed that Pound would not help push his poetry, but this is what Pound was all about and why Eliot succeeded. Pound wanted poets who were prepared to push the boundaries of poetry. His regret would have come from his decision not to follow that path. A whole series of what ifs. But is it possible that such a dislike would still be apparent after gaining success?
As a poet, one needs to stick to their principles. There is never a problem with experimenting, but we all have our own voice. We may not be comfortable playing around with other styles, but unless you at least try, you will never know. So, refusal to try can be the only regret, but it cannot be long-term, as Carte seems to make out.
I have a different interpretation of the last line, and that it comes more as a victory statement. Satisfaction with his choice if indeed the poem does recall his dispute and disappointment. If this is the case, then the sigh may well and truly be mocking. However, we do need to step back and ask ourselves if this is what the poem is about. Why is there such a mystery to this poem? A poet at some time may write a piece that implies that they may be or have been the center of attention for some reason. It may well represent any point in the person’s life where a decision needs to be made. Two choices, which way do you go? Whichever path, provided you have had some success or the result is agreeable, the chances are that you will say that the path you took was what made that difference. Thinking about what may or could have happened is pointless because you cannot change the past or indeed the future. Perhaps it was a mistake, but we make the best of a bad situation because time is not reversible. There is no point, or advantage to living or attempting to live in the past. The fact that he doubted he would ever return tells me that he had no intention of returning. His decision was made whether from disappointment or pride. And that is how it goes for most of us today. There is no use dwelling on what could have been.
There is some substance to Carte’s paper, but it is a little like confirming the predictions of Nostradamus after they have occurred. If one looks hard enough, they will always find some little thing that can be used. The time frame is appropriate, but the question remains as to whether the events are the driving issue behind this poem.
The whole business is pure speculation, especially when there is nothing from the poet them self. Even critical comments made by the poet at various times are not enough to justify with any certainty. No doubt, the poem is reflective. But is it in some way autobiographical or simply a reflection of life experiences in general? Something everyone, every reader can relate to.
If one wants to treat the poem as having a hidden meaning, then there will always be a mystery. We do not and will not always know the reasons for the poem unless the poet enlightens us with some sort of commentary. I do not know whether Frost was evasive on this point, perhaps he thought it bordering on the ridiculous. Was it embarrassing being found out what he was like? I doubt it. It was just something to be said, and he has said it perfectly.