Robert Frost's Rejection Letter

Before Robert Frost was an icon of American poetry, he sent some of his work to The Atlantic Monthly in 1912. He received a terse reply from the editor, Ellery Sedgwick: "We are sorry that we have no place in The Atlantic Monthly for your vigorous verse." The Atlantic's rejection remained in the back of his mind. In 1915, Sedgewick once again crossed paths with Frost, and this time the tables had turned. "Are you sure you want to buy these poems?" Frost said, waving them under Sedgewick's nose. The editor certainly did; he agreed to publish the poems without giving them a glance. It was a good decision, as the poems are some of Frost's most highly-regarded: “Birches,” “The Sound of Trees,” and “The Road Not Taken.”