This poem, which beautifully exemplifies all of our doubts and concerns about the choices we have made, and the speculation about where our life might have gone had we made other choices, is at the same time a portrait of New England rural living, the physical basis of all of Frost’s poetic works. The subtle mention of "the yellow wood" gives the reader a hint at the season, like a Haiku poem, and the final...
This poem, which beautifully exemplifies all of our doubts and concerns about the choices we have made, and the speculation about where our life might have gone had we made other choices, is at the same time a portrait of New England rural living, the physical basis of all of Frost’s poetic works. The subtle mention of "the yellow wood" gives the reader a hint at the season, like a Haiku poem, and the final line -- "and that made all the difference" -- gives a melancholy, end-of life mood to the piece. While in today’s post-modern world the poem’s simple rhyme scheme and gentle cadence may seem simplistic, even naïve, the power of the imagery is still enhanced by the craft Frost has applied to this simple work. It is a philosophic reminder of the age-old universal admonishment: “Regret for the past is a waste of spirit.” My "opinion" of the piece is that it is a little gem in the gaudy brooch of American poetry.
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