THE ROAD NOT TAKEN-By Robert Frost

ANSWER KEY
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
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.
Q1. What does “both” refer to?
-‘Both’ refers to the two paths that road diverged into.
Q2. Why does the poet doubt his coming back?
- The poet knows it will be tough for him to return as one way leads to another.
Q3. Why does the poet wish to come back?
-The poet regretted his choice for the road later in life. He wanted to know what would have
happened with him had he chosen the other road.
Short answer type questions : (30-40 words)
Q1. Which road does the poet choose? Why?
-The poet chose the road which was hardly used by others. It had the better claim as it offered
more opportunities and appeared more promising. Since the poet was adventurous and liked
taking risks, he chose the second road which was not taken by others.
Q2. Justify the title “The Road Not Taken”.
In the poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’, the poet Robert Frost conveys an important message
regarding the choices that shape our future. The poet faces a dilemma when he comes across
two roads that diverge in a wood. He chooses the second one as it seems to offer better
opportunities. But he keeps thinking about the ‘road not taken’. The ‘road not taken’ is the
metaphor for all the lost opportunities. He does not regret his decision but wants to
experience the first road. Therefore, the title is appropriate for the poem.
Q3. What was the poet’s dilemma? How does he resolve it?
-When the poet was travelling in a wood, there was a diversion on the road and the poet was
in dilemma regarding which road to take. So, he compared the two roads. The first road was
covered in undergrowth but the second road was grassy. The grassy one was not used by
many people. To the adventure loving poet, it appeared to offer a better claim. Finally, he
decided to take the second road.
Long answer type question : (100-120 words)
Q. The poet chose the road less travelled by. What does this reveal about the poet?
-The poet found himself in a situation in which he had to choose one out of the two roads that
diverged in the wood. He used his prudence to compare both the roads and found that the
second road had better claim. It was grassy and not used by others. It appeared lucrative and
promising. He thought it could offer more opportunities. So, the poet chose the second road.
This choice reveals that the poet was a risk-taker. He chose the road less travelled by for his
love for adventure. He was also thoughtful as he took time to observe both the roads and
made a conscious decision. He was confident and proud of his choice to take the second road.
Nevertheless, he could not forget the first road which is actually the metaphor for the lost
opportunities. The poet still pondered over the ‘road not taken’. He was reflective as he
admitted that all happiness and sorrows are result of the decisions one takes in life and that
makes all the difference.