THE ROAD NOT TAKEN.........By Robert Frost
ABOUT THE POEM.........
"The Road Not Taken" was composed by the noted American poet Robert Frost.
His The Road Not Taken is a famous poem about making choices in human life. This poemi is often interpreted as a celebration of individual decision for taking the "less travelled" path or route. This very poem actually explores the difficulty of choices, as the speaker admits both paths looked same in that morning. finally after smooth observation he chose the less travelled path and resolved that he will be telling with sigh in future that his choice or decision "made all the difference".
ABOUT THE POET....
This well known poem was written by the famous American poet Robert Frost in 1915, "The Road Not Taken" is a famous nature poem. Frost was a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner. He used traditional rhyme and meter to explore complex human isolation in his poems. His famous works of poem include "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Mending Wall" and many more.
TEXT (of the poem)
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
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.
THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT...
1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
Ans:- One morning the traveler found himself at apoint in a yellow wood which diverged into two different directions.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
A) A yellow wood.
B) It was grassy and wanted wear.
C) The passing there.
D)Leaves no step had trodden black.
E) How way leads on the way.
Ans:-a) Here, yellow wood stands for the woods in the autumn season. In this season, leaves turn to ripe before they fall in winter.
B) It means that the road had grass as it was less travelled by the common passers by or traveler.
C) 'Passing there means walking through the road.
D) This means the leaves had not been crushed under the feet of the passer by.
E) This means that one road takes us to many other roads in day to day life.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describe them ?
Ans:- Yes, there is difference between the two roads in stanza two and three.. Although in that morning both the roads looked equally lay, the first one seemed much travelled. On the other hand the other one was less travelled since it had wanted wear.
2. In the last two lines of the poem?
Ans:- In the last two lines of the poem the poet tells that the road that he chose-is less travelled by. This has made all difference in his life.
4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean ?
Ans:- In the last two lines the poet has clarified that his choice of the less travelled road has made all difference in his life .It mans that the occupation he had chosen is not common.
Moreover, the poet does not regret of his choice. He says that choices are irrevocable.
INSIDE / EXTRA QUESTION - ANSWER:
1.Who is the poet of the poem ?
Ans:- Robert Frost is the poet.
2. How many roads were there before the poet?
Ans:- There were two roads before the poet.
3.Why did the forest look yellow/
Ans: The forest looked yellow because it was covered with yellow coloured leaves of trees.'
4. Where did the road diverge ?
Ans: The road diverged in a yellow wood into two directions.
5. Why did the poet (traveler) chose the other road?
Ans: The poet (traveler) chose the other road because it seemed better, grassy and with wanted wear.
6. Why was the traveler confused in choosing one of the two roads?
Ans; The speaker was confused to choose , for both the roads looked same in that morning.
7. Why did the traveler chose the less travelled road?
Ans: The traveler chose the less travelled road since it was grassy and with wanted wear.
8. What made all the difference?
Ans: The poet's choice of the less travelled road had made all the difference, which he would say with a sigh in future.
DIFFICULT WORS MEANING::
Bent-- curved or angular
Cllaim-- assert strongly
B)
I. Where does traveler find himself ? What problem did he face?
Ans: The traveler found himself ina yellow wood where the road diverged into two.
The problem that he faced was that he could not choose which road he should follow.
Ii) Why did the poet feel like travelling both the roads?
Ans: The poet felt like travelling both the roads as both the roads looked yellow, untrodden and equally fair and promising.
Iii)What was the doubt in the poet's mind ?
Ans: The poet doubted that if he would be able to come back to travel the first road in future or not.
IV) What does the word 'wood' refer to in the poem?
Ans: The word 'wood' refers to a cluster of trees growing wild which look like a mini forest.
V) What is 'In leaves no step had trodden black'?
Ans; It means that the yellow leaves lying on the roads were not crushed under the feet of any traveller till then.
VI) What does the "yellow wood" symbolize in the poem?
Ans: It symbolizes a forest during the autumn season, representing a transitional or mature phase of life.
VII). Why did the poet stand long at the fork in the road?
Ans: He was unsure which path to take because he could only see a limited distance down each, symbolizing a difficult life decision.
VIII) What is the overall theme of the poem?
Ans: The theme is that the choices we make, particularly those that are less popular, shape our lives and define our future.
IX) What does the poet mean by "And that has made all the difference"?
Ans: It indicates that the choice of taking the less-traveled road resulted in a significant, lasting impact on his life.
X) What do the "two roads" symbolise?
Ans: :They symbolise the choices and decisions we face in life.
xi) What does "grassy and wanted wear" mean?
It means the path was covered in grass because fewer people had walked on it, making it look more inviting to the poet.
xii) Explain: "Way leads on to way."
This means that one decision in life leads to another, creating a path that makes it difficult to ever return to the starting point.
MCQ ------WITH ANSWERS:::
A. What does the "yellow wood" symbolize in the poem?
A) A forest with yellow flowers
B) A forest in the autumn season
C) A dying forest
D) A bright sunny day
Answer: B) A forest in the autumn season
2. Why did the poet choose the second road?
A) It was shorter
B) It was more scenic
C) It was grassy and needed wearing
D) It was paved
Answer: C) It was grassy and needed wearing
3. What is the theme or message of the poem?
A) To follow the crowd
B) Making the right decisions at the right time
C) To never take risks
D) The importance of nature
Answer: B) Making the right decisions at the right time
4. What does the "diverging path" symbolize?
A) A crossroads in a forest
B) Decisions and choices in life
C) A difficult journey
D) The end of a journey
Answer: B) Decisions and choices in life
5. Does the poet hope to take the other road someday?
A) Yes, he plans to come back
B) No, the poet knows that he won't return
C) He has not decided
D) The poem doesn't say
Answer: B) No, the poet knows that he won't return
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