A Poem's Legacy

         Eliot proposes that “poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but the escape from personality” (410).  He seems to be implying that the success of a poem is based on the effect it has on the reader rather than on its relationship with the poet.  The emotions stirred within the reader make the poem timeless, which leaves a legacy on the work.  This can be seen in many works, such as Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”  We associate his name with the work, but mostly, we are caught in the essence of the decision to follow one path over another and reflect on how that choice has impacted life afterward.  The legacy of Frost’s poem is made through the meaning to which we can all relate, not so much to the poet and his connection to the poem.