Lesley Lee

Lesley has chosen the lyrics from a Twila Paris song as her favorite poem. As this is a song, here is a link to the song with lyrics.

The Warrior Is a Child
by Twila Paris 

Lately, I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing, strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me, I'm hiding all the tears 

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child 

Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing, never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies that lay me at His feet 

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child 

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and look up for a smile
'Cause deep inside this armor, deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor the warrior is a child 

Warrior is a child

And Lesley has chosen a passage from Isaiah as her favorite. She particularly likes all of Isaiah 53-55, but I have just put Isaiah 54 below:

"Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed;
For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman," says the Lord.
"Enlarge the place of your tent;
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords
And strengthen your pegs.
"For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your descendants will possess nations
And will resettle the desolate cities.  

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the shame of your youth,
And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
"For your husband is your Maker;
Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your Redeemer is the Holy one of Israel,
Who is called the God of all the earth.
"For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected,"
Says your God.
For a brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will gather you.
"In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,"
Says the Lord your Redeemer.  

"For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But my lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And my covenant of peace will not be shaken,"
Says the lord who has compassion on you. 

"O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
"Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.
"All your sons will be taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
"In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.
"If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
"Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
"No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord. 

Jenna Purnell

Jenna chose a Shel Silverstein poem as her favorite:

Smart
by Shel Silverstein 

My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more than one! 

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes -- I guess he don't know
That three is more than two! 

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three! 

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies four them,
And five is more than four! 

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head --
Too proud of me to speak!

This poem originally appeared in Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends collection. Good life lessons from Shel Silverstein!

Ashley Chen

Below is a poem that Ashley wrote in memory of her grandfather after he passed away:

Grandpa
by Ashley Chen 

Define grandpa.
Go ahead, look it up in the dictionary.
The entry you see, won't be what my grandpa meant to me.
It won't list the cuddles on the comfy chair,
Warm woolen sweater, and 公公's cheek against my hair.
It won't number the cookies we munched,
(We sure ate a whole bunch)
One careful, once-a-day selection from the cookie tin collection,
Nope, that won't be there.
It won't have the trail maps of all the places we went skiing,
Chilly chuckles on lifts up, silly smiles on runs down, hot chocolate in between.
It won't have pictures of the museums we explored,
Checking out exhibits, science experiments, we were never bored.
It won't have copies of the Mr. Clark stories,
The duck, the field trip, his hardships, and his glories.
It won't be as long as the shortest day we spent together,
It won't record the food, the mood, or the type of weather.
The list could go on, the dictionary is not comprehensive,
(That could make Mr. Webster a bit apprehensive)
But in the end the only definition we need,
Is the one in our hearts, of who John C. Chen was to you and to me. 

This poem needs little explanation. This commemoration of the life of a wonderful man speaks for itself, framed in the context of a dictionary's inability to convey the personal and human aspects of a grandfather.

Ashley's favorite Bible verse is from John:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

Ashley says that this verse reminds her to receive God's peace in the midst of a busy life.

Daniel Chen

Daniel has chosen a poem by poet Erin Hanson:

Never Trust a Mirror
by Erin Hanson 

Never trust a mirror,
For a mirror always lies.
It makes you think that all you're worth,
Can be seen from the outside.
Never trust a mirror
It only shows you what's skin deep,
You can't see how your eyelids flutter,
When you're drifting off to sleep.
It doesn't show you what the world sees,
When you're only being you.
Or how your eyes light up,
When you're loving what you do.
It doesn't capture when you're smiling
Where no-one else can see,
And your reflection cannot tell you,
Everything you mean to me.
Never trust a mirror,
For it only shows your skin.
And if you think that it dictates your worth,
It's time you looked within. 

In Daniel's own words, he likes this poem "because it expresses that while we may be judged by our outside appearances, we need not judge ourselves by the same standards, as that is not what defines us."

Daniel's favorite Bible verse is a selection from Matthew:

His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
Matthew 25:21

Also in Daniel's own words, "I've always loved Matthew 25:21 because it expresses, in the simplest terms, our relationship between us and God and the reward for doing well." I couldn't have said it better myself, Daniel!

Aunt Karen -- Karen Wang

Karen and David Wang are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year. As such, Karen has chosen to include the following poem:

Response to Love
                        (for David)
by Karen Wang 

Before the universe began,
Our Father had a plan
To send His only Son
To redeem the fallen ones.
He came and sought me out
When my heart was still filled with doubt.
The emptiness in me
Turned to lasting peace. 

So willingly, joyfully
I gave myself to Thee
For patiently, tenderly
Your love has set me free.
I’ll join with the church as one
As the bride of God’s own Son
And spend my days
With my lips filled with Your praise. 

Before my humble life began
Our Father had a plan
For you to be the man
Who would someday take my hand.
You came and won my heart
Right from the very start.
You filled a need in me,
With you, I am complete. 

Now willingly, joyfully
I give myself to thee
For patiently, tenderly
Your love has set me free.
I'll join with you as one
As the bride of God's chosen one,
And spend my life
As your loving wife.

Karen wrote this song for David in 1989, one year before their engagement, and sang it during their wedding service.

For her Bible verse, Karen has chosen a verse from John:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

The above verse was part of a passage which Karen memorized this past year. It reminds us that dependence on God is key in everything we do.

Julie Bates

For her favorite poem, Julie has chosen "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden.

Those Winter Sundays
by Robert Hayden 

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. 

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house, 

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Julie likes this poem for its portrayal of the relationship between the father and speaker as one with deep thought and lots of love. The speaker demonstrates appreciation for the father and regret for lost opportunities: a good reminder for all of us never to take treasured relationships for granted. Julie also likes the story-like nature of this poem emphasized by its heavy use of enjambment (continuing a sentence or phrase after the end of a line).

Julie chose a Psalm for her favorite verses:

My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:7-8

About these verses, Julie says, "I love this verse because it reminds me that God is there for me through every moment of my day. It reminds me that I am so small in this vast world but I have God next to me every step of the way. The word 'refuge' is probably my favorite part of the whole thing; it perfectly and concisely describes how I feel about God and my relationship with Him."

Sarah Chen

Sarah has offered up a poem of her own writing. It is below, with context that Sarah also provided. 

This is a poem I wrote for Andrew's 9th birthday. On birthdays in our family we have treasure hunts to find the gifts. Each person writes a clue that leads to the gift they give. Ideally the clue is a poem that includes some family joke or memory from the past year, as well as where to look for the present. This year I taught Andrew how to pogohop, and had fun giving him challenges and mazes on the sidewalk. I wanted to hide his present by the pogostick, so I wrote this clue: 

Down the driveway in 5 hops, up again in 4

I say "want to play?" and you're out the door 

Stay in the blue boxes or weave around 

Follow the chalk path and don't cross the bounds. 

But I must remind you it wasn't always this way 

You thought it too hard and gave up in dismay 

Only with practice and patience you learned 

These wild new tricks - your perseverance was affirmed.

Like a dufflepud with an extra spring in his stride 

You go bouncing and twirling and boinging with pride 

So when something is hard and you just want to quit 

Just think, in the end you might find it's worth it.

Sarah's favorite Bible verses are both from the book of Psalms:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 

He leads me in the right paths for His name's sake.
Psalm 23:3b

These two verses remind Sarah that God has plans for her better than the ones she can even imagine for herself and that everything she does is for His glory, at work in God's grand plan for the world.

Grace Chen

Grace selected two poems, and two of very different natures. 

The first, "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is quite long. It's linked here. Written in 1860, the poem is a tribute to the patriot Paul Revere and his actions in 1775, warning the citizens of the colonies of the impending attacks of the British forces. Grace likes this poem for the sense of urgency and adventure created by Longfellow's choice of words. 

The second poem is called "Blum" by poet Dorothy Aldis. 

Blum
by Dorothy Aldis 

Dog means dog,
And cat means cat;
And there are lots
Of words like that. 

A cart's a cart
To pull or shove,
A plate's a plate
to eat off of.  

But there are other
Words I say
When I am left
Alone to play. 

Blum is one.
Blum is a word
That very few
Have ever heard. 

I like to say it,
"Blum, Blum, Blum"-
I do it loud
Or in a hum.  

All by myself
It's nice to sing:
It does not mean
A single thing. 

This is a highly relatable poem for Grace, as she also likes to say "Blum." 

As for Bible verses, Grace chose one from 2 Corinthians. 

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9

Grace says "This verse is special to me because it helps me to understand my name better. As I grow to know God more, I see my weaknesses and sins more. I am thankful for a God who can use my weaknesses for His glory, to display His power and His faithfulness. I am learning to rely on His grace with joy."

Jonathan, Ashley, Yiyie, and Chris Chen

Below are a couple of Chinese poems that especially Jonathan and Ashley enjoyed. The chinese is on the left accompanied by the literary translation on the right.


遊子吟                                  Song of the Wanderer
by  孟郊                                by Meng Jiao

慈母手中線,        Thread in the hand of a compassionate mother --
遊子身上衣;            clothes on a wandering son;
臨行密密縫,            just before his departure she sewed closely,
意恐遲遲歸.            in her mind worrying about his late return.
誰言寸草心,        Who would say that the heart of inch-high grass
報得三春暉?        could repay the sunshine of deepest spring?

This "song" can be set and sung to a modern tune. One note on the last line: 三春 can be translated either as 3 months of the spring or as 3 years, to convey a long period of time.

The second poem is the first which Jonathan ever memorized in Chinese. Formatted like the first, here it is:

元曰                                     New Years Day
by 王安石                            by Wang Anshi

爆竹聲中一歲除                 At the sound of firecrackers, we bid farewell to the old year
春風送暖入屠蘇                 As vernal breezes warm up the Tu Su brew, we welcome the new
千門萬户瞳瞳日                 The sun shines, visiting thousands of family doors
總把新桃換舊符                 Every door displays new couplets to celebrate the New Year for all

The Chens have chosen a passage from Romans:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person -- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die -- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.  

Romans 5:1-11

This passage is an encouragement and reminder that God works in mysterious ways -- though we may see something as suffering, God is using it to build up our endurance, character, and hope all at the same time.

Jonathan Chen

Below is a series of cinquains which Jonathan wrote about memories from our most recent large family reunion in Estes Park, CO.

Cinquains

by Jonathan Chen

Reunion

Airport

Butterfly dome

Colorado Chipmunks

Danger! Mau, Catan, Rubik's Cubes

Estes

Activities

Fireworks

Galloping deer

Highland tundra footprints

Inspiring drama and worship

Jump rocks

Goodbye 

Kisses

Loud fare-thee-wells

Memories bittersweet

Nothing like family comfort

Onwards 

Jonathan wanted to share his memories from the Lee-Chen reunion with everyone, and alphabetized the beginning words of lines just for fun. 

Cinquains were invented by American poet Adelaide Crapsey. "Cinquain" referred to any poem of five lines. Nice work, Jonathan!

Andrew Chen

Andrew's favorite poem is called "Halfway Down".

Halfway Down
by A. A. Milne

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.  

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up,
And it isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run around my head;
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"

A. A. Milne is a children's author best known for writing the Winnie the Pooh books. He served in both World Wars and was a playwright before his success with Pooh surpassed his success with his plays.

This poem is originally from the collection When We Were Very Young published in 1924. Many people think that Christopher Robin is the narrator of the poem. Andrew learned about this poem in 2nd grade. It's relatable for him because he sometimes likes to sit or lie down in the middle of the stairs.

For his Bible verse, Andrew chose a verse from Romans:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

This short verse encapsulates what should be our attitude to adversity in all circumstances: what can really do us any harm, if we have the Creator of the universe on our side?

Aunt Lisa -- Lisa Bates

Lisa has also chosen "The Road Not Taken" as her favorite. Great minds think alike!

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost 

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.

To Lisa, this poem is about choosing the unusual path at some points in life, and living with that choice, whether it was a good one or a bad one.

Lisa has chosen a passage from John as her favorite verses:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2

Lisa loves these verses as a reminder that Jesus has been present since the beginning of time and knows all the intricacies of all of our lives perfectly and completely. He shares our joy, pain, prosperity, poverty, and everything in between with His infinite love and compassion.

Joseph Wang

Joseph's favorite poem is William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. 

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. 

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought: 

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. 

This poem, written in 1804 was inspired by a real "long belt" of daffodils which William came across with his sister, Dorothy Wordsworth. This romantic poem is his most famous work and is very popular now, despite initial bad reviews of the volume originally containing it. Joseph says he likes the picturesque nature of the poem, and the imagery of the author alone as a cloud with nature.

One of Joseph's favorite verses comes from Pslams:

Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalm 55:22

Joseph likes this comforting verse as a reminder of the necessity of trusting in God.

Uncle Peter -- Peter Chen

Submitted by his wife Janet, here is a poem Peter Chen wrote for his mother in 1998 in honor of her retirement:

Peter also chose a favorite Bible verse:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32

He says, "I like it because it expresses God's caring and tender attitude toward us, his 'little flock'. He has chosen gladly to be kind and lavishly generous toward us, and we, His children, don't need to be afraid."

Aunt Janet -- Janet Chen

Aunt Janet has chosen four poems that speak particularly strongly to her. The first is "The Teacher" by Leslie Pinckney Hill.

The Teacher
by Leslie Pinckney Hill 

LORD, who am I to teach the way
To little children day by day,
So prone myself to go astray? 

I teach them KNOWLEDGE, but I know
How faint they flicker and how low
The candles of my knowledge glow. 

I teach them POWER to will and do,
But only now to learn anew
My own great weakness through and through. 

I teach them LOVE for all mankind
And all God's creatures, but I find
My love comes lagging far behind. 

Lord, if their guide I still must be,
Oh let the little children see
The teacher leaning hard on Thee. 

Leslie Pinckney Hill was born in 1880, the son of a former slave. He excelled in school and went on to earn a Master's degree in education from Harvard University. He went on to teach at multiple universities, and fought racism using education throughout his career. He died of a heart attack in 1960.

Aunt Janet's next selections are from Martha Snell Nicholson. The first is "The Thorn".

The Thorn
by Martha Snell Nicholson 

I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart
I cried, "But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me."
He said, "My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee."
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face. 

A mendicant is a beggar. The speaker in this poem was begging at God's feet for something of worth when she received the thorn. Here are two more poems by the same author: "On Prayer" and "Treasures".

On Prayer
by Martha Snell Nicholson 

Sometimes I do not pray in words,
I take my heart in my two hands
And hold it up before the Lord,
I'm so glad He understands. 

Sometimes I do not pray in words,
My spirit bows before His feet,
And with His hand upon my head
We just hold communion, silent, sweet. 

Sometimes I do not pray in words,
For I am tired and long for rest,
And my heart finds all it needs
Just resting on the Savior's gentle breast.

Treasures
by Martha Snell Nicholson 

One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost. 

And I walked Earth's highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
Till I heard His voice inviting,
"Lift your empty hands to Me!" 

So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of his own transcendent riches,
Till they could contain no more. 

And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God COULD not pour riches
Into hands already full!

Martha Snell Nicholson was born and raised in a Christian household and from an early age had a desire to make words into "something lovely and good" to serve God. Nicholson fell victim to no fewer than four incurable diseases, and was bedridden and in pain for thirty-five years. Despite all of this, she wrote poetry to glorify her Savior and encourage all those who would read it for years and years to come.

Aunt Janet also selected some favorite Bible verses. The first passage, from Isaiah 41, is as follows:

"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. 

Isaiah 41:25-31

Aunt Janet takes comfort in that passage, knowing that God's perfect love casts out all fear. He will strengthen her and guide her through hardships according to His perfect plan for her life.

Additionally, the following verses attest to the power and justice of God:

So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears in not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

Popo -- Pauline Lee

Popo has chosen one of the most famous and celebrated poems in English literature as her favorite: Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken".

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost 

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. 

Robert Frost lived from 1874 until 1963 and first published "The Road Not Taken" in 1916. Before 1916, Frost had met and befriended the writer Edward Thomas. They frequently walked together, and Frost wrote this poem as a sort of friendly taunt, referring to Thomas's indecision on their walks. However, Thomas took this poem more seriously than Frost had intended (as do many modern readers), and ended up enlisting to serve in World War I.