Robert Frost is perhaps the most celebrated American poet of the 20th century, known for his realistic depictions of rural New England life and his command of American colloquial speech. He remains the only poet to ever win four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. His poem 'The Road Not Taken' is one of the most frequently quoted—and misunderstood—poems in literature. While many read it as an anthem for individualism, Frost himself described it as a 'tricky' poem, meant as a gentle mockery of people who agonize over small decisions and then romanticize their choices later in life. Frost’s work often balanced simple, pastoral settings with deep, philosophical undercurrents regarding human nature and existence. He was so esteemed that he was invited to recite a poem, 'The Gift Outright,' at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.