Kristin Hanratty, NJ Winner Level III (Grade 9)

Letter to Robert Frost, author of poem, “The Road Not Taken”

Dear Mr. Frost:

My parents have often commented that I have a bad sense of direction and could probably get lost in my own neighborhood.  I used to just laugh about it, but as I get older and realize that I will soon be driving, I wonder whether I will ever learn what road to take and which direction to travel in if I get lost.

Ironically, I do not recall having this sense of confusion and anxiety about choosing the right direction and making decisions until high school.  In the past, I always seemed to be in control of my life and confidently handled the situations that I encountered, whether in school, sports or social situations, without questioning whether I could have done things differently.  Now, it seems that I regularly encounter difficult decisions and constantly wonder if I made the right choice.  I always want to pick both options, even though I know it is not possible.  For some people, choosing what to wear or eat for breakfast is hard, while others dread the thought of what lies ahead.  I seem to dwell on the choices I am presented with and often regret the decision before its impact is recognized.  After I finally reach a decision, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if I made a different choice.  Where would the other road have taken me?

This constant second-guessing and the feeling that I missed out on something vital seems to haunt me.  I find myself questioning everything that I do, reflecting upon the past and things that do not matter now, instead of looking toward the future.  I constantly get caught replaying the same message in my head — “What if . . .?” — and wonder what could have happened if I had done something differently.  Would it have changed my life, or would it have not affected me at all?  Perhaps this is why I was so captivated by your poem, “The Road Not Taken.”

I am not really sure how this poem ever got into my hands, since I was only interested in humorous and simplistic rhyming poems before this point.  However, I was so fascinated with the style and use of imagery to communicate with the reader that when I was finished reading the poem I sat back and said to myself, “Wow.  I get it.”  I knew exactly what this poem meant, for I too shared these familiar concerns and emotions.  Traveling the road of life is something that we all must do, whether we like it or not.  We may not always be happy with the choices with which we are faced, and may even regret the decisions we have made, wishing we had “taken the other road,” but in the end those choices and experiences, whether good or bad, shape who we are as unique individuals.

As I read the very last line of the poem, “And that has made all the difference,” I related it to my own life once again.  There have been countless times when I could have made a different decision, not knowing if the outcome would have been better or worse.  Using the two roads to explore the decision-making process and the constant struggle whether or not to go with your original instinct made a real connection with me and is exactly why I was inspired by this poem.  It helped me recognize that choosing one thing over another is not an easy task, and that not liking the outcome is entirely possible, but whatever you choose you must learn to live with it, because sometimes just making the decision offers a sense of accomplishment.  Instead of dwelling on the past and on things that we cannot change, we must simply move on and look toward the future, making the best decisions that we can along the way.

I have read this poem several times, both because I enjoy it and because it have given me a sense of reassurance that my seemingly constant anxiety is normal and that it is human nature to second-guess ourselves.  So while we may not be able to control the future, we can at least try to improve it by learning from the past.  This thought-provoking poem has given me the courage to decide, regardless of the outcome.  I now think that I will have the confidence to get behind the wheel of a car someday, even if I still don’t know where I am going!  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Kristin Hanratty