Class-lX English P.

Shukla

Poem-1 (Beehive)

The Road Not Taken

- By Robert Frost

Central ldea of the Poem

The poem is about the struggle while making decisions in life. There are two paths to follow the one
on which everyone walks and the other that is opposite of the crowd. The person in the poem has to
decide whether to follow the crowd, or to take the other road and make his own path in life. The
poet has his own personality. He refuses to do ordinary things just because everyone else does
them. In the end, he chooses the path that hasn't had many travellers. He knows that it will be
better for him but he also acknowledges that he can never know what would have happened to him
if he had chosen the other path.

Summary of the Poem

One day, the poet, travelling all alone, reachesa point where the road divides into two. He faces the
situation of uncertainty. He thinks which road he should take to continue his journey. He is unable to
decide which road to follow. He pauses for a long time. He gives a careful thought to which path he
should follow. Then, he decides to choose that road which seems to be less travelled. He feels that it
will make a big difference in his future. He decides to save the other road for another day. Though
he knows that he will never get a chance to go back. He takes such a dificult decision. Later, he
wishes that hewould also try the other path.

The poet feels that after ages from now, hewould be telling about his decision with a sigh of relief.
He would tell how the less frequented path had made all the difference in his life. The poet presents
the difficulty of making a choice in life. We cannot travel on all the paths available to us. We have to
make a choice. The uncertainty faced by the poet in making his choice is the uncertainty that we all
face at some point in our life. We all have to make a choice.Only the future will reveal whether the
choice made by us is right or wrong. But one can't go back or change the choice. Choices and
decisions are like steps that carry us forward.

Reference to the context

Stanza-1 Two roads ............................ undergrowth

Questions:

(a) How many roads were there before the speaker?

(b) Where did the road diverge?

(c) Could he travel on both?

(d) Where did it bend in?

Answers:

(a) There were two roads before the speaker.

(b) The road diverged in the old forest.

(c) No, he couldn't travel on both the roads.

(d) The road seemed to be bent in the undergrowth.

Stanza-2 Then took ....................... the same.

Questions:

(a)What does 'fair' refer to here?

(b) What does the phrase 'wanted wear' mean?

(c) What claim did the 'other' road have?

(d What do two roads symbolise?

Answers:

(a) It refers to the correct path.

(b) It means that the road had not been used.

(c) The 'other' road had a better claim than the first one.

(d) They symbolise the two options or alternatives in our life.

Stanza-3 And both ........................... come back.

Questions:

(a) Name the poet and the poem.

(b) What was the doubt that the poet had?

(c) What did he keep the first road for?

(d) Had the leaves turned black due to the steps of the walkers?

Answers:

(a) The poet is Robert Frost and the poem is 'The Road Not Taken'.

(b) The poet doubted if he could ever come back to same road.

(c) He kept the first road for another day.

(d) No, the leaves had not turned black due to the steps of the walkers.

Stanza-4 I shall ............................difference.

Questions:

(a) What will the poet tell with a sigh?

(b) Which road did he choose?

(c) How many options did the poet have?

(d) What had made all the difference?

Answers:
(a) The poet will tell his decision with a sigh.

(b) He chose less travelled road. It means he decided to accept a challenge.

(c) The poet had two options with him.

(d) The less travelled road that he took made all the difference in his life.

THINKING ABOUT THE POEM (Page 16)

[I]

Q1. Where does the traveller find himself?

What problem does he face?

Ans. The traveller finds himself at a point

where two roads diverge. His problem is

to decide on which road he should walk.

Q2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.

(i) a yellow wood

(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear

(ii) the passing there

(iv) leaves no step had trodden black

(v) how way leads on to way

Ans. (i) A forest in the autumn season.

(ii) The road was grassy because it was a

less travelled road. It wanted people

to move on it..

(iii) It implies walking on the road.

(iv) It means the leaves had not been

crushed under the feet of travellers.

(v) How one road leads to another?

03. Is there any difference between the two

roads as the poet describes them?

(i) in stanzas two and three?

(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?

Ans. (i) There is no difference between the

two roads in stanzas two and three.

(ii) In the last two lines of the poem the

poet tells that the road he opted for is

less travelled.

94. What do you think the last two lines of the

poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet

regret his choice or accept it?)

Ans. The last two lines have the quintessence of

the poem. The poet expresses his opinion

that it becomes difficult for a normal

human being to change his/her decision.

The poet intends to walk on the first road

but he couldn't do so because life does

not offer multiple chances to choose.

The decision taken may mar one's future

or lead one to success. It makes all the

differences. He now repents for not getting

a chance to travel on the first road.

[ ll ]

Q1. Have you ever had to make a difficult

choice (or do you think you will have

difficult choices to make)? How will you

make the choice (for what reasons)?

Ans. Such situations occur in everyone's life.

In today's world people have numerous

alternatives. But the decision should be

taken after considering all the ins and outs

of the situation. We must ruminate over

the disadvantages also.

Students can write their own experiences.

Q2. After you have made a choice do you

always think about what might have been,

or do you accept the reality?

Ans. One should live in the present and not

in the past. The philosophy of "is' is the

key to attaining success. Life is not a bed

of roses. Its hurdles are to be crossed

bravely. One must not feel nervous and get

dejected in the trying circumstances. On

some instances, one needs to be confident

about the choice he/she makes.