English Literature

Selected Poems
Topic: “The Road Not Taken”
By Robert Frost
Question Answers.
Name: Daiyan Ahmed
Date: 22/1/23

Q.1) Who do you think the speaker in this poem is? What kind of person is he, and at
what stage in life is he in? Why do you think so?
Ans: The speaker is the voice or "persona" of a poem. One should not assume that the
poet is the speaker, because the poet may be writing from a perspective entirely different
from his own, even with the voice of another gender, race or species, or even of a
material object.
Based on the poem, what kind of person do you think the speaker is? He is brave and
adventurous for wanting to go on a journey of change and reflection. More importantly,
he is self-aware because he understands he has problems and wants to fix them.
Q.2) What does the word "diverged" mean in line 1?
Ans: The word "diverged" means: Of a road, route, or line separate from another route
and go in a different direction.
Q.3) What does undergrowth mean in line 5? How can we tell that the speaker is thinking
hard about his choice?
Ans: In "The Road Not Taken," undergrowth refers to the low-growing plants that cover
the forest floor. The speaker really wants to go down both paths – he's thinking hard
about his choice. He's staring down one road, trying to see where it goes. But he can only
see up to the first bend, where the undergrowth, the small plants and greenery of the
woods, blocks his view.
Q.4) What makes the speaker consider one path over the other?
Ans: The speaker knows that his choice will influence his future and feels that, if he takes
risks and chooses the road less traveled, maybe he will be more successful and have a
more fulfilling life. The speaker decides to take this path and see where his choice leads
him.
Q.5) In line 8 'wanted' means 'lacked'. What do you think the poet is trying to convey
using the phrase 'wanted wear'?
Ans: “Wanted wear” in Line 8 means that not very many people have gone down this
road or made this choice. It implies that the author is being unique about choosing this
road and taking a risk because others do not choose this path. This is what the poet is
trying to convey using the phrase "wanted wear".
Q.7) Often poets make use of settings such as seasons and time of day to symbolize a
bigger idea. Why do you think the poet uses the following symbols in this poem?
a) yellow b)wood
b) road d) morning
Ans: By “yellow” he means the natural colour of Autumn. And by “wood” he means: The
complexities of life. And the word “road” in this poem symbolizes our life. And the word
“morning” here Is used to symbolize the freshness that we feel when we wake up.

Q.8) What do you think about the tone of the poem "the road not taken"? How can you
tell? Which words or phrases convey this tone?
Ans: The tone of sadness and regret in the poem, creates an emotional roller coaster that
everyone has been on and can relate to. The poem depicts a man forced to make one of
the biggest decisions of his life through the use of allegory and ironic tone. The speaker is
reflective and wistful about the path he could have taken. These kinds of words or
phrases convey the tone.