Slavery

Frost vs. Oliver
The poems, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and “The Journey” by Mary Oliver deal with choices we eventually make in our lives, countless obstacles we face and the decisions one ponders along the way. Frost approaches life decisions on a more philosophical view, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler” (lines 1-3). The yellow wood indicates a change of season (from winter to fall). Frost realizes that his decision will bring about a change in his life. He regrets that he cannot travel both roads and is hesitant in making a decision. He is aware that he is physically unable to travel both roads simultaneously, but is unclear as to which road will be fruitful for him. The speaker in Oliver’s poem, however, approaches life on a more personal level, indicating experience, “One day you finally knew/what you had to do, and began/though the voices around you/kept shouting” (lines 1-4). Frost is s...