National Poetry Month: Robert Frost

April is National Potry Month in the United States, and even though I'm from Norway, I thought I would join in the celebrations. Throughout the month I will share with you some of my favourite poems and hope you will enjoy them. :)

Robert Frost

Source: Wikipedia

I usually don't read much poetry, but I got acquainted with quite a few British and American poets when I took literature classes at uni. My very favourite poet is Robert Frost (1874-1963). I love his poems because of their simplicity, their imagery and because they never fail to tug at my heartstrings. It was hard to choose just one to share with you, so don't be surprised if I post a couple more later on.

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.

Despite that many of his poems have a melancholy feeling, Frost was apparently a great humourist. Just take a look at these quotes:

"The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office."

"The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work."

"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it."

"There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that's a wife who can't cook and will."

"Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense."

If you are not familiar with Robert Frost's poetry, I reccommend you look up some of his poems online. His style is very easy to read and understand, but his poems are far from superficial. This page contains a quite comprehensive selection of the poems.

Do you read poetry? Who is your favourite poet? What about favourite poem?