Literature

The book Mother bought me on literature is fabulous.  It is called American Literature and it summarizes what was going on in the continent of North America, mostly in the United States, and then gives a short biography on authors of the time, and then usually gives excerpts from the authors.  They are truly fascinating and have broadened my horizons.  It is very informative, and therefore thick with small print - but worth persevering in, especially for those who love books, as I do.  I highly recommend it.  It has many worthwhile selections from excerpts from Moby Dick to short stories from Nathaniel Hawthorne to pieces of John Smith's autobiography to plays from Philip Barry to poems from Robert Frost.

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 made all the difference.

~Meggy