English 102
Professor Pilla
October 2, 2014

Anything you can do, I can do better.
Let’s face it, trying to please everyone is absolutely impossible and a sure way to set yourself up for unhappiness. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” By Robert Frost he is trying to explain that to his audience about his experience with that decision. From the beginning, Frost explains that people have their own paths to take. He goes on to explain that as much as he wishes he could take the same path as another, so that they wouldn’t part, that is just something that he would not be able to do. Many times in life you meet others and even become the best of friends, or maybe its family members you were once very close with, and then suddenly you grow apart, or have a falling out, but even before that happens your paths are never quite the same. Individuality is huge, it’s an important factor in how we all decide to live our lives. Even if we were raised by the same parents in the same household with the same rules, we all end up in different places whether it be physically, mentally, spiritually; which is what Frost is trying to point out in his poem.
Throughout life we all are faced with making tough decisions. One being whether or not to keep certain people in our lives, even if at one point they were the most important person in our lives. We sometimes have relationships where things just aren’t working out or you hit a bump in the road and the option of taking another path: one that seems brighter and more hopeful, comes into play. “Then took the other, as just as fair / and having perhaps the better claim/ Because it was grassy and wanted wear.” Frost here is saying, I saw an opportunity it looked better and even though the end result might just be the same ole thing I’m used to, I’m taking that route anyways because it seems like the better decision for myself. Some people aren’t comfortable with making such decisions, some would much rather follow the trend, or stick to their culture. They don’t want to find out if the grass is greener on the other side, they’re complacent with what they have because they were raised to think that way. They were programmed to not think for themselves.
People pleasing is a setup for failure. “And sorry I could not travel both / and be one traveler, long I stood.” Some might interpret this line as an apology, where others might find him being rude. He’s definitely not really being apologetic, he’s saying I’m not you and