Bob Dylan and Robert Frost

 This blog is a response to the activity assigned by Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am. This blog is connected to the study of the poems and songs of Robert Frost and Bob Dylan American poets and lyricists.

Bob Dylan and Robert Frost both use the natural elements and metaphors to give the philosophy of transcendent but they are not the same as the romantic poet who worshipped beauty like a god. Robert Frost and Bob Dylan had something in common both were American, they are famous, they have used elements of nature, and their lyrics are simple and easy to understand.

Bob Dylan:

Robert Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture.

Robert Frost:

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His lifespan is from 1874 to 1963. His works are known for the depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. He wrote about the setting of rural New England in the early 20th century and the themes in his work were social and philosophical. Robert Frost mostly used the theme of nature for giving philosophical and social messages.

He has received four Pulitzer prizes for poetry and was honoured during his lifetime. Robert Frost was a poet Laureate of Vermont in 1961 and was also nominated for the Nobel Prize Prize in Literature 31 times.

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's poem "The Road Not Taken" and Taylor Swift's song "Out of the Woods" are similar cause they include natural images that are similar to one another and both express the same idea.

Out of the Woods by Tylor Swift

Looking at it now

It all seems so simple

We were lying on your couch

I remember

You took a Polaroid of us

Then discovered

(Then discovered)

The rest of the world was black and white

But we were in screaming color

And I remember thinking

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

(Are we out of the woods?)

Looking at it now

Last December

(Last December)

We were built to fall apart

Then fall back together

(Back together)

Ooh, your necklace hanging from my neck

The night we couldn't quite forget

When we decided, we decided

To move the furniture so we could dance

Baby, like we stood a chance

Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying

And I remember thinking

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

(Are we out of the woods?)

Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?

Twenty stitches in a hospital room

When you started crying, baby, I did too

But when the sun came up, I was looking at you

Remember when we couldn't take the heat?

I walked out, I said "I'm setting you free"

But the monsters turned out to be just trees

When the sun came up you were looking at me

You were looking at me, oh

You were looking at me

(Are we out of the woods yet?)

(Are we out of the woods yet?)

(Are we out of the woods yet?)

(Are we out of the woods?)

I remember

(Are we in the clear yet?)

(Are we in the clear yet?)

Oh, I remember

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet? (Yeah)

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet? (Yeah)

Are we in the clear yet? (Yeah)

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet, good

I know that Frost's poem The Raod Not Taken and Swift's this song are different in many ways but both are conveying the same idea or both are giving similar pictures to the reader/listener's mind. Frost is talking about two roads one is taken by many in other words it has been used many times thus worn out.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Many people are doing the same thing in one or the other way but Frost doesn't want to do that. He is looking for a road that is not worn out. Swift on the other hand is saying that we are in the wood, we are yet to come out of it in other words we are doing the same thing as others